Hi,
I had a VP Shunt put in a little over a week ago. Within hours I was having sharp pains in my lower abdomen. Then yesterday I started hurting in my right side and now it's clear across my stomach. It hurts to breathe move etc. I can't get comfortable or sleep. If anyone has any answers for me please help. This is my first surgery. Thanks in advance.

Hey Nancy,
You say a little over a week ago. When I first had my inserted it took a month for things to settle in my abdomen and the headaches were just beyond belief. In having a VP shunt inserted things have been disturbed from your head to your belly or the whole shunt train, the whole length. It's going to need time to settle a bit.
When I was first fitted with the shunt I had awful gut pain, I put it down to the medications they had me on. When I queried I was told'...its your body adjusting...' After a month I could still feel it but it was settling or I was getting used to it, but initially, it was awful bad. As I say, it took a good month for me to adjust. So give it a bit of time.
I'm about to write something and you may not like it and if my wife saw me writing it she would laugh at me, as I was less than happy when people said it to me, BUT.....
.... %^&*$ &^*(^ you've just had major brain surgery, don't be rushing it, things will get back to normal. BUT you have to give it time...
Now, I can write this out and laugh, but when I got out of hospital I wanted to get straight back into it and I pushed myself to do so, I went back to work. This was the worst thing I could have done, I didn't give myself time to adjust, time to acclimatise and 3 month later and I was in hospital again, having further surgery. My friends and family were the ones telling me 'not to rush it' and I kept telling them all ok, when it wasn't. I'm paying dearly for that now. So give ya self time.
Initially for me it was the headaches that messed me up, for me they took months and months to settle. Long after the abdominal pain had settled
Now everybody is different and if you still have major questions or worries, go see your GP or Neurosurgeon. Only you will know when things are right or wrong. Go see ya dr if you're unsure
Merl1n

My daughter has a shunt and started having abdominal pain years later... But her abdominal pain as she reported it wasn't from the shunt, it was a focal seizure (one of a few different kinds she gets - now we know they are seizures). There are lots of ways things can go wonky.

And I agree with the headaches. Stomach is still hurting, just hope it doesn't last much longer

I had my VP shunt 5 years ago in 2012 - only just found this site.
I had immediate and total relief from all the symptoms of the hydrocephalus that had developed as a complication of my acoustic neuroma but from day 1 after surgery I started getting intense abdominal cramps on and off- but several times a day to start with- like being stabbed. I am sure it was the CSF causing irritation because the location of the pain was directly related to my body position and where the liquid would drain to - so if I was standing or sitting I would be 'stabbed' upwards from my bowel or bladder area, if I lay down on my side the stabbing was under my ribs on the side I was lying on. I also had a very intense stabbing in my left shoulder which I believe is referred pain from diaphragm irritation. It can't be the end of the shunt tube as it moves around so much. I mentioned this on my first follow up appointment but wasn't taken seriously- they had never heard of this apparently. I'm pleased to report that the frequency of the cramp/stabbing reduced after a few months but I still get the shoulder pain once or twice a week and the abdominal stabbing pain perhaps once every 2-3 weeks. I am fit and well otherwise and can put up with it but for the few minutes it lasts it is totally intense and distracting. Has anyone else had this and have they ever had an explanation? Thanks

Yes I have. I had a VP shunt installed just oved a month ago. I have experienced very severe stabbing pain at times and, like you, depending on position. My neuro believes it is the tube rubbing up against various areas.
It is good to know it has subsided some for you as this is really hard to live with - it's difficult to go anywhere or make plans if I'm not sure I can do so and not have a pain attack.
I don't know of any other reason for this and neuro had no other explanation as everything looks good on the scans. Absolutely excellent neuro team by the way.
I can only hope both our journeys are made a little easier by less pain less often.