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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Intolerable pain after CoolSculpting

I only have myself to blame. Once again. I'm 23 and slim by all accounts, just that I have a small bulge on my lower abdomen due to my laziness. I do Pilates and Yoga, but I guess I could have focused more on abdominal crunches or whatnot.

Anyway, I went ahead and burned S$1500 of hard-earned cash on Zeltiq Coolsculpting done on my lower abdomen. Too late to lament.

Process of Coolsculpting. Image grabbed from: http://www.aristocratps.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/CoolSculpting_ZELTIQ_Illustration_Chart-380x881.jpg



As I'm writing this, I'm experiencing severe bouts of shooting pain that's extremely debilitating. In the words of a Realself user whom I will quote verbatim, I'm experiencing "severe shooting pain like small kni(ves) piercing, more needles, worsening burning, constant pain as if someone brutally punched in my abdomen." Except that it's not really the punching kind of bruising pain for me, but sharp stabs of stinging pain, as though a bee the size of a baseball were stinging me repeatedly. It comes, stays for about a minute or so, then leaves. I'm 5 days post-procedure, but the pain is not abating at all. For the first three days, I experienced no pain at all. My period even came one day post-procedure and my menstrual cramps were abnormally much better than how they usually are. My tummy felt like it was frozen. It was numb, a little swollen and tingling, but otherwise perfectly fine. I went about doing everything normally, from the physically demanding to the not-so-demanding. But yesterday my tummy started to 'thaw', or at least, felt like it started to thaw. I suppose when it thaws, or defrosts, I'd be able to feel the sharp sensations of pain. First it felt like the pins-and-needles kind of itchy pain but oh, good days don't last long. I woke up last night several times cause it hurt so badly! And sleeping on my side helped, but only marginally. Frankly speaking, I'm in so much pain I don't know if this was worth it. And this is coming from a person who has an extremely high threshold of pain. I can confidently say so cause I have spinal problems and have done really painful chiropractic/Chinese tuina treatment on my back, extracted my teeth (and wisdom teeth) without taking painkillers, and have also done braces. Anybody who has done braces would be able to attest to the pain you have to go through when four teeth are extracted at the same time. I think I did take a mild painkiller for my wisdom teeth removal cause my teeth were the impacted, fully perpendicular, problematic kind which required a complicated removal surgery. The teeth extraction had me rolling in pain for about two days.

But this....................isn't even supposed to be surgery, right? The doctor kept emphasising that it was non-surgical! And the nurses (oh curse them!) told me that I MAY experience pain on the third day, but it would be like a muscle ache. And since I didn't experience any pain during the procedure, I probably wouldn't experience any significant pain three days post-procedure.

BULLSHIT!!! I'm being continuously stabbed inside my stomach, it feels like a bloody war is going on inside my abdomen! OH CURSE IT!
I NEED PAINKILLERS!

At first I thought it was my tight underwear that worsened the pain. But even when I'm not wearing tight underwear, the pain is still very much there. Lightly stroking the area doesn't help at all too. It just feels quite itchy when I lightly stroke it, but that itch would transmogrify into a stinging pain again. Which is what is happening right now at this moment.  
I really wanted to make a photo collage of the Before pictures, but I am in too much pain to do that now.

I shall copy and paste what I read on the Internet about the intense pain. Thankfully there's an online community that discusses it. I am so in need of any kind of support, since I cannot tell anybody I know about this. It's just far too embarrassing.

Very few coolsculpting patients experience extreme pain


There are multiple factors that determine each individual’s experience with CoolSculpting. Each patient has a different comfort threshold, though only a very small percentage of CoolSculpting patients experience extreme pain. Another factor may be where the patient is treated. For some individuals, certain areas may be more sensitive than others. It’s important for patients to research CoolSculpting providers to find a CoolSculpting Certified Practice to ensure that providers are adequately trained and experienced in the use of CoolSculpting technology. Once you’ve done this, your provider can determine if you’re a suitable candidate.

Atlanta Dermatologic Surgeon 

To the doctor who wrote this: Please have the procedure done yourself, then you'd understand what hundreds of RealSelf members are talking about.

And out of the hundreds of posts, I quite like this one for its vivid descriptiveness:

Hawk30 (9 posts) 29 Nov 2011
Today is my 8th day after zeltic on my lower abdomen and both flanks. Despite reading a lot on net, I am shocked at how painful and miserable post treatment days can be. Treatment itself is not much different from what most people have described here. Days 1 to 4 were ok as there was numbness, firmness and somewhat swelling. Day 5: I started feeling pins, needles, burning, and shooting pain, couldnt sleep at night due to frequent awakenings. Day 6: severe shooting pain like small knife has pierced, more needles, worsening burning, constant pain as if someone brutally punched in my abdomen. COuld not sleep at all at night. Day 7: Above symptoms got more worse. Decided to take next day off from work. Called doctor who downplayed all my complaints reassuring 'this will be over' and 'you are the only one i have had so far who is having this much pain' Day 8: shooting pain much less frequent, burning comes and goes and constant pain like post-punch. Bottom line is, the doctors performing this procedure are 'choosing' not to believe patients because : a) they have been brain washed by zeltic reps b) financial obligations and fear of early unpopularity c) they had procedure on themselves and didn't have significant symptoms. The third scenario is worse as such doctor will not empathize with the patient. I recommend that before you go for this procedure, talk to doctor about possibility of these symptoms and make sure they are willing to try and help- ie. different pain medications, nerve blocker like neurontin, lidocaine patch etc. My doctor does not believe that I am having pain enough to prescribe a narcotic or anything and kept telling me that this is only temporary. Well , so is the pain after abdominal surgery! but that doesn't mean one has to tolerate this and count days until it is over.




To let you have a clearer idea of what kind of pain is plaguing me, I feel like throwing up. And the bile has literally risen up my throat several times yesterday and today. It's the roll-your-eyes, please-kill-me-now kind of pain that takes your breath away. I really hope it'll go away soon and not be the way Hawk30 described it. It is only Day 5 today but I don't think I can take another day of this. Tomorrow I'll call the doc for pain medication if the pain refuses to go away.

Suddenly I have new-found respect for people who undergo surgery just to look beautiful.

Update: I just found a way to alleviate the pain! At the recommendation of one of the RealSelf users, I tried putting something cold (an aluminium can from the fridge) on the treated area. Now I'm temporarily anaesthesised. Thank God. Sweet relief! Let's see how long this will last. 4 minutes have passed thus far.

Postscript: Yes, it lasted for only 4 minutes. I couldn't stand it and went to the clinic where I did my procedure five days ago. It was my first appointment with the attending doctor, (a young) Dr Chua, but he made me feel totally at ease. Similar to Hawk30's situation, the Doc didn't think that it was serious enough to warrant nerve blockers or topical anaesthesia. I tried to describe how stinging the pain was, and how debilitating it could get, but he said that it shouldn't be too bad. Cause he's only had one patient complain about post-procedural pain. Oh, really?! He then went on to say that that patient's had it much worse, cause even the feel of fabric against her skin would trigger pain. But yes, this is happening to me too! I don't even need to touch it, I told him. It would come spontaneously. So he prescribed me a painkiller, Ponstan, generally prescribed for menstrual cramps. Now I'm telling you, I am extremely sensitive to all forms of drugs. So I was surprised to find that two hours after taking the pill, I was still writhing in pain. He also prescribed me a Hyaluronic Acid-based cream, Restylane. He said that if I massage it on, I'll moisturise the area. How this would help, I have no idea. I have massaged it on twice so far, and as expected, it didn't work at all. He's such a dear though; he didn't charge me for the medication! :D He also talked to me as though I were his peer. I love it when doctors use clinical terms to describe my condition; I was a premed student after all, and clinical terms EXCITE me. Don't treat me like a dumbass and speak to me in layman terms. The more esoteric your jargon is, the more excited I'll get! :D

He probably thought I was making a mountain out of a molehill. But, oh, I do not cry wolf! My pain is unfortunately very real and not imagined.

I'm in my sixth day and I find myself counting the days...Dr Chua says that this hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to touch) may last till the 10th day...oh, Dear Lord, please... take this pain away.

Right now the stabbing pain has just transmuted into a stinging, itchy pain. The area around my navel is excruciatingly itchy. I've had to wear a dress to work today, and I realised that the Doc was right--don't let fabric touch that area. I'm wearing shorts now and it feels much worse.    

So, my interim solution is this:

1) Soothe my extra-sensitised nerves by applying a cold pack (an aluminium can straight out from the fridge works really well) to the treated area

2) stay away from tight clothing, and wear dresses as much as possible

I stroke the tortured tummy ever so often, but it does nothing but aggravate my condition.

3) Alternate between cursing and praying. Haha, now you know why my prayers don't work.  Not

Second Update: It is the 28th of March today, which is also the 13th day since I did the procedure. The pain has largely subsided, but the sensitivity is still there. Not so sensitive that I'd cringe at the whisper of a touch, but sensitive enough to cause me mild discomfort when wearing tight jeans. That said, I was finally able to wear jeans today. For the past two weeks I've had to wear dresses cause fabric coming into contact with my skin was painful as hell. To the people out there who are considering Coolsculpt, I'd advise you to think twice. Of course the aftereffects would vary from person to person, but nobody, not even the most qualified of doctors, can guess at what your recovery would be like. Either way, be prepared for up to 6 or 7 nights of poor-quality sleep. The pain would literally wake you from your already-fitful sleep several times a night.

By the way, the doctors have told me that I'd only see results after 28 days. I also did research prior to the procedure. So I'm giving it time before evaluating the results, and would definitely post the Before and After pictures in two weeks' time.   

112 comments:

  1. Hi there,

    I was wondering if you ended up having good results from your treatment. Thanks!

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    1. Hi Aimee, I lost 4 kg and by about 10% of my total waistline three months post-treatment. I took a look at the statistics but I can't remember exactly. I should have taken a picture of it. My tummy is still there though, just a little smaller. And believe it or not, I just went for a subsequent treatment last month hoping to reduce my abdominal fats even further but I don't think the second treatment helped much. And the second treatment didn't really hurt much.
      Are you considering CoolSculpting too?

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    2. The second treatment didn't hurt as much? Im curious to know. First one was horrible for me. Day 11 (today) first day im not in agonizing pain. I still dont think id go back in for round 2..

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    3. So.. End of day 12 and still feel quite a bit of pain. Not agonizing but also not good enough to not have it take up my full attention in pain. (when will this end. Gah!)

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  2. i just did zeltiq 2 days ago and now i'm apprehensive i'll experience the same thing! *cross fingers* i did the lower abdomen and flanks so if it's gonna hurt, i think i'm gonna suffer greatly. doctor did prescribe painkillers though but am hoping i won't have to resort to them.
    anyway, i'm glad you saw results! it's not easy to look good :(

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    1. How was it, Jules? Did you experience pain? Sorry for the late reply.

      Haha, you know what? The results are sadly temporary. I gained about 7-8 kg since the treatment last year after letting myself go a bit. And I did end up doing Coolsculpting again just three months ago and combined it with dieting (Optifast) and exercise. The weight has since come down again, this time even more quickly than the first time.

      I don't know how much it costs in your country, but it's so expensive here. I really have to resist the urge to do it again.

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  3. Love your blog. I am on my6th day from CS procedure. Felt pain on the 3rd day. Btw called in sick from work today. Can't handle the pain. Called doctor's office this am and prescribed Neurontin. Just made me sleep and pain still there. I better get good results! This is crazy! it's so hard to be pretty.

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  4. I have had nerve damage after my session...... They act obliviously to anything. ...
    DONT GO THERE.....

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  5. Where are the before and after pictures that you promised at the end of the article?

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  6. Took the pics off cos my "after" pic wasn't well-taken. I suppose I should ask to take a pic of my stats in the clinic tho.

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  7. Nice post, Before i don't know about this but now know. Thanks for the information.
    Cool Sculpting

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  8. I am on day 6 and spend the nights crying in agony. My pain threshold is extremely high but I cannot stand this there are no results that would be worth this I don't care if I have washboard abs this is not worth it

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    1. Oh no I'm so sorry to hear that! There were good results but the results really don't last since my tummy is back and I feel it's flabbier than before. A sensible diet and exercise are the only ways. No quick fix for the abdomen area.
      Me being me and greedy as always I just tried LipoCryo on my arm fats two weeks ago. It's also fat freezing but by another company. Not seeing any results and a complete waste of my 1600. Halfway through it I told them I wouldn't carry on with the recommended three or four sessions. One was enough. It was painful and uncomfortable during the procedure but the worst was the bruises I got which lasted a whole one week. I totally didn't expect the bruises to last so long since I didn't bruise at all when I got chin fillers done last year.

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  9. did the cool sculpting this is day 6 for me and the pain gets worse and worse.... They need to give you pain killers for this stuff i keep thinking i should have gone to surgery bc i would have gotten pain killers .... not looking forward to the second round i have in 2 months coming.... i will keep you posted on results.

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    1. Hi, I am on day 7 and in pain. I am at my desk in work with an ice pack on me (with a poncho on). Is your belly very swollen too?

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    2. On day 5 and did exactly that at work the past 2 days. Excruciating pain in my abdomen. This pain was not worth it. Was told to take Benadryl at bedtime and ice it. Absolutely miserable right now.

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  10. I wish I read posts like this before doing mine. They definitely downplay the recovery time. "go back to your regular activities right away". Lies! Ice packs and compression garments are my best friends. This was not worth it. I'll count it as my $3600 painful life lesson.

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  11. I'm with you Blogger Girl! This is my $3500 life lesson. I also had my chin done but that is nothing in comparison to my belly! The only thing that helps me is wearing a compression tank top (super tight!) everywhere I go. I feel like I have been punched in the stomach and then rubbed down with a cheese grater. I am on day 7 now and my my stomach looks like I am pregnant.

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    1. Oh my gosh! You just perfectly described what I'm feeling at this moment. Why did I do this to myself?!

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    2. Hi Unknown, I was just wondering did you have pain in your chin as well?

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  12. I know pain. I had a "c" section 27 years ago and hysterectomy 16 years ago. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through pain with the procedure of cool sculpting. I read a lot of blogs prior to making an appointment for the procedure.
    Today is day 8 after having cool sculpting on my abdomen. I had two different "suction machines" so it took about two hours for this procedure. During the cool sculpting I felt some discomfort. After the procedure the pain was mild. The next four days was PAINFUL. I couldn't fall asleep. I called the office to get a prescription on day 6. I am still in pain with lot's of swelling. I would not do this again. I don't know what the results will be and really don't care right now. The procedure cost me $1300. Two suctions at $650 each.

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  13. I'm only on day 3 and the pain started this afternoon. I just took that gabapentin they prescribed me. We'll see if it works. My stomach feels like it is in a wringer or vice grip and I am bloated so much I look 5-6 months pregnant.

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  14. I'm only on day 3 and the pain started this afternoon. I just took that gabapentin they prescribed me. We'll see if it works. My stomach feels like it is in a wringer or vice grip and I am bloated so much I look 5-6 months pregnant.

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    1. Has it got any better yet? I am on day 11 and still pain! Just want it to go away!

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  15. I am on day 6 and I can hardly stand the pain. I can't sit still. Can't sleep. No pain medicine helps. I called and they basically said hang in there it will get better in time! How much time? This is unreal!

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  16. Give it another week. :(. For a doctor not to give narcotics for pain is cruel. It is really painful. The shooting & stabbing pain of the nerves is unbearable. My doctor's office was the same, no meds to take home.

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    1. Thanks! I am telling you the only thing getting me through this is this blog knowing others have experienced this pain and got through! That and Xanax!!

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  17. Give it another week. :(. For a doctor not to give narcotics for pain is cruel. It is really painful. The shooting & stabbing pain of the nerves is unbearable. My doctor's office was the same, no meds to take home.

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  18. I had the procedure a week ago. I wish I had seen this blog prior to doing it. I went in and had the lower abs cool sculpted. A WEEK later and I have the constant feeling of someone stabbing me in the stomach with pins. It is difficult to sleep and like the other comments, it is painful to have any clothing touch that area. I attended an event prior to getting the Coolsculpting and they made it seem like a quick and easy procedure with no downtime. That's a lie. They also said the fat would never come back to that area, but I saw a post saying their fat came back. Now I feel like I just threw my money down the drain.

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  19. Omg I am feeling this exact pain. My doc doesn't understand. It's like broken glass in my stomach, nerve pain, excruciating pain. It's been Day 6 for me and the pain is unbearable. I can't sleep, can't work, can't move. Even the lightest touch hurts. I did a large applicator treatment on the abdomen, which sounds like the worst thing to do and results in the worst pain. I'm so angry that no one explained the severity of pain. They say you can workout and continue your normal lifestyle.. Not true at all. I don't think I would've done this procedure if I would've known how bad it hurts!! Beware. Blogs like this help, now that I know I'm not the only one going through this. Thanks so much for posting your experience!

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    1. I am in the exact same spot. Day 10 today.. Cringing at the thought of having to take off more work.. Downtime my arse. Biggest load of BS. This is excruciating pain. On gabapentin and I'm still crying my eyes out. Never again..

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    2. Day 11. Finally feel the pain decreasing. (minimally but anything is noticeable at the time..)

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  20. Doctors should make it clear that coolsculpting hurts. And should have meds to go for recovery after they are paid for procedure. The pain is truly unbearable.

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  21. Hi all, I'm on day 8 and the only thing that helps at all is ice packs. Does anyone here know when this pain typically goes away?

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  22. I am on day 5 of the abdominal Cool Sculpting. The pain is increasing each day not decreasing. I have had 2 C-Sections and had less post pain with that than I am having with this. I have called the clinic and left a message with the woman who administered the procedure. Can anyone attest to how many days, weeks, it takes for the pain to subside?

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  23. I think most people would agree with your article. I am going to bookmark this web site so I can come back and read more articles. Keep up the good work! Cool Sculpting

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  24. I keep checking this blog to see if anyone has posted regarding "How Long" it took for the pain to completely subside. I haven't seen an answer yet so I wanted to give an update...Day 9 - Stabbing pain has decreased significantly, still numb to the touch and still have burning pain. It feels like I am wearing tight jeans while extremely sunburned. I am praying that this pain...although its better is worth it! Will keep you posted.

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    1. Im on day 10. Just as bad as day 5. Excruciating pain for me still. Already on gabapentin. They couldn't pay me to do this again.

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  25. I am giving another update for anyone out there who like me went searching for answers and "like" experiences with Cool Sculpting of the abdomen. Today is day 13. Stabbing pain is completely gone as well as the cramping. Still have a lot of numbness, tingling, burning sensations as well as firmness in my abdomen. Will post another update in a few days so anyone searching and seeing this blog will have info to compare to any experience they are having.

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    1. Thank you. Same like everyone. I am in day 6... PAIN and cannot tolerate. Could not sleep last night(on day 5).

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  26. Worse than labor pains....worse than having my last child with no epidural....large attachment lower abdomen worst decision of my life....will not, cannot go back for the rest of the procedures. Ice helps but only temporarily...

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  27. By the way, I am on day 9 and I will never, ever take another "shortcut" to fitness again. Workout pain and eating well will be a welcome blessing after this torture

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  28. I had the larger lower abdomen procedure and the love handles done just four days ago. I have swelling and bruising, but only the abdomen feels like it's numb and bouts of stings here and there. I've been using OTC Traumeel creme for analgesic, swelling and bruising and it doesn't take it away, but bruising is all but gone and the area is tolerable. I also use ice and compression at bedtime. I hope the numbness goes away soon. The swelling seems to be getting better. I'll keep you posted as I go. I too am distressed to see all of the pain and suffering...

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  29. Day 18 Since Abdomen Cool Sculpting. Still have numbness,a lot of itching and some tenderness. No noticeable results...however, I was told I would not see any for at least a month?? I "think" I am past the very painful stage?? Will make a final decision on if this was worth it IF and WHEN I see results??

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  30. Miserable!!!
    3 days ago I got cool"horrible"sculpting done on my flanks... I was told there maybe some discomfort for a few days and there will be no restrictions at all... They also told me they have done this procedure over thousands and thousands of times... Bullshit! i was originally suppose to do my lower abdomen as well.. THANK GOD! I did not!!
    I went in on June 2nd, I specifically told them I will be out of the country for 5 months and do not want to experience ANY pain or discomfort at ALL! What the hell do they care! All they wanted was my hard working money! I went in, laid on my stomach.. 2 nurses came and put the devices on my flanks and yes at first is was uncomfortable then I actually didn't feel anything at all.... WAIT!!!!!!! As soon as she pulled those devices off of me and started to massage me I thought I was going to pass out! I became extremely extremely nauseous, I really thought I was going to vomit everywhere, the pain was just horrible!!! I could barely stand, I went right into fetal position and just wanted to cry..She said it was normal.... There's NOTHING normal about this!!! I could not believe what I was feeling!!!! "NO DOWNTIME???????" R u kidding me????? What was I thinking!!! I'm extremely numb, itchy, and burning. I'm freaking out that I may expierence all the pain everyone is describing. More scared that the numbness will last... They make it seem there is no pain at all... BULLSHIT!!! I would love to rip that office a new asshole! It went from no downtime to just a few day , then no more than 2 weeks and now They tell me a few months! My personal opinion this was NOT worth it at all!!!! I just want to be able to feel normal again. I will pray for everyone's quick and painless recovery. I will never do this to myself ever again! I will stick to eating healthy and working out...
    Can anyone please give me an idea on when the numbness goes away???

    God bless everyone,
    G

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    1. Dear So disappointed. It has been exactly 3 weeks since my abdominal cool sculpting. I STILL have numbness and an occasional sharp pain. I have not seen any results to date although they said it would take 3 to 4 months. Of course not really believing anything they say since they also said there would be no pain or down time! I too have learned an expensive lesson!

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  31. I'm now going on day 13. I had love handles and lower abdomen done. The love handles are fine. No pain, bruising, itching or swelling. Lower ab is just now beginning to regain feeling and no swelling. I have been using T Relief cream on the areas so I think that has helped.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Dear Hopeful - You and I had the procedure at about the same time as I just hit my 3 week mark. I still have a lot of numbness in my abdomen an occasional sharp pain but the main pain and agony is over! THANK GOD! I am very anxious to see if this procedure works as they say??? Please keep updating your experience here.

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    3. I first entered my experience on May 29 as Hopeful so not sure why I'm now showing up as unknown...

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  32. I was surfing net and fortunately came across this site and found very interesting stuff here. Its really fun to read. I enjoyed a lot. Thanks for sharing this wonderful information. Cool Sculpting

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  33. I just had CS done on my abs. Today is day 5 for me but yesterday the pain hit while I was at work and immediately called the Dr to prescribe Neurontin. Has not given me any relief yet. Had no clue that I would have this much pain. I thought I asked all the right questions during my consultation. This is way more than slight discomfort. I'm not looking forward to the next few days. I've read that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

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  34. Toneshia - Day 5 thru day 7 were the worst days of pain for me! I am now 5 weeks post CS. My abdomen is still numb but all other pain was completely gone by week 3. While the pain was almost unbearable and I was not given any Neurontin or anything else I am happy to report I have noticed a significant difference in the size of my abdomen. I am hoping the results get better and better since I was told the best results take several months. Good Luck and hang in there!

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  35. I am with u all. The pain after 7 days is still unbearable. Sharp, shooting, spontaneous pain. I am praying for this to subside soon.

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  36. Has anyone had this same stabbing pain after having the upper abs done with small Coolsculpting tips? I had my lower abs done with the extra large tips exactly 2 weeks ago and experienced the same excruciating pain everyone has described on this blog...I wish I had found this blog before I had the procedure done. The worst pain was on days 5-8. Way worse than 27 hours of labor and resulting C-section 2 years ago. I now just have numbness, itching and slight tenderness. I've already paid for upper abs treatment but don't want to do it if it's this painful in that area.

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    1. Laura
      I had the small cool sculpting applicators on my upper abdomen and YES....excruciating pain. I have written on this blog many times as I wanted anyone doing research on cool sculpting to hear about not only what to expect in the beginning but to hear about the many weeks that followed. As I stated above on June 21st....I have seen significant results and I am hoping for even more improvement over the next month. Would I recommend this procedure to anyone? Doubtful...as the pain is intense and scary as it gets worse before it gets better.

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  38. Well its been 3 weeks now and the unbearable pain has subsided. Im supposed to return for my upper abs which i already paid for. But considering the excruciating pain i endured for 8 days, i dont think so!

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  39. Well its been 3 weeks now and the unbearable pain has subsided. Im supposed to return for my upper abs which i already paid for. But considering the excruciating pain i endured for 8 days, i dont think so!

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  40. I am 10 days after CS. 3 large applicatiors on my belly.I am very swollen still! I can't fit into any of my pants and I can't stand work out pants or anything on my stomach. I have 3-4 large lumps especially around my belly button! The whole area is hard.
    Has anyone else had this??? Will it go down and go away? I have been in pain since the procedure but I did not have the stabbing pain!

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  41. To Unknown
    YES....I had several lumps and hardness all around my abdomen. I am actually about 2 1/2 months post cool sculpting and while I probably wouldn't sign up for it again due to the pain and anxiety I am happy to report that the hardness and lumps went away and I am very pleased with the reduction in my belly!

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    1. TRM- I am glad your pain is fully gone and that you see results. Do you have before and after pictures you could share. I had my CS done 8 days ago and i did experience pain the first day and its been better since then. Did you massage the treated area on a daily basis for 4 weeks?

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  42. I had the Cool Sculpting procedure done 2 days ago. I had instant discomfort. The 1 minute post procedure massage was almost unbearable! Constant excruciating pain, I could not bear to button my pants and put my belt in my purse. I would compare this pain as a cross between kidney stones and when my appendix nearly ruptured! Needless to say the NO DOWNTIME IS A CROCK AND THE 10 % THAT EXPERIENCE PAIN, THEY MUST'VE POLLED THOSE STATS FROM THE ONES WHO DID NOT THE LOWER ABDOMEN DONE! INSTANT DISCOMFORT LEADING TO STRAIGHT EXCRUCIATING PAIN. RESULTS OR NO- I WILL NOT HAVE THE 2ND SESSION DONE, AND WILL SPREAD THE WORD- IT'S SO NOT WORTH IT!!! I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!

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    1. I hear ya there. I did the upper belly and had no pain from it but the bottom was horrible

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  43. I am so scared. I had CS done 4 days ago and from reading all the above comments, tonight's the night I'm going to have severe pain. It is the worst feeling ever knowing you're probably going to be experiencing, what's being described as the worst pain imaginable. My pain threshold is not high at all. I can't sleep as I'm waiting for the pain to kick in. I also should have read more about this procedure. I'm dreading the next few hours and days. God, I pray my pain is not as bad as what I've read.

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  44. I am in the same boat as you Scaredy Cat.. Just had CS done 3 days ago, and knew there would be after pain from precious review I read, but these above comments make me very nervous.. We shall see, as I have my back scheduled for next week. Thanks for all the advise!

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  45. I got the procedure done exactly 8 days ago, on my lower adbdomen with the 2 small devices. I did crossfit the day after the procedure and the following day as well. I ran a couple of times also. I did not experienced pain for the first 3-4 days, after that I have been having the stabbing feeling pain, tenderness, the tingling sensation, I have been bloated for like 2-3 days after, I am on day 8 now and hoping to have this pain(level 4-5) to go away and start seeing results. TRM thank you for the updates and clear description of your pain on each stage, it gives me hopes that it will go away.

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  46. After having done CS on my stomach, has anyone experienced extreme itching behind the belly button, like if had torn or someone was pocking your belly button constantly? I'm on day 6 and I have been having this constantly if I'm sitting or standing up. The only position that feels comfortable is lying on my back.

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  47. Hello,
    I wish I had read this blog before getting the cool sculping done. Well It for the good, because I would of definitely backed out and decided not to do the procedure done, honestly.

    I just had the procedure done last Wednesday, a week ago and I can say the experience has been insanely painful. What is very annoying is the pain is tolerable during the procedure until post procedure second day. After the second day Holy Mother of Nazareth, it's ridiculously traumatic how the piercing like shots that come and go every 30secs and ontop of that not to mention the unbearable tenderness all over your abdomen .
    I could go on but the blogger description is 100% facts.

    Here are the two things out of the 10medications I took to decrease the Pain that worked sufficiently .

    Lidocaine Patch
    and Ice Pack.

    Just today I was able have the Nurse from the clinic prescribe me the Lidocaine patches, however the downside is I had to pay out of pocket for them, becaus my insurance wouldn't cover for Lidocaine patches. I paid $100 for 8 patchs, and it was completely worth it because after about 3 minutes of putting on the patches all the types of pains I had been suffering with immediately vanished, Hallelujah!!!!

    Being Diabetic also, any nerve sever pain was just as bad as regular pain. I had a lot of sleepless nights since the procedure 7 days ago.

    Positively as soon as the swelling started going away, with ice pack, I noticed so much progress. I cannot wait to see the final Result.



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  48. I had CS done 2 weeks ago on my outer thighs, and today on my inner thighs. For me with the outer thigh treatment, the pain had two distinct phases. We'll see what happens with the inner thighs!

    The first 3 days post procedure was just fine. I kept joking that my thighs felt like they were clubbed (nothing I couldn't handle). About the middle of day 4 was when the real pain started. It began as pretty severe cramping that felt like I was suddenly stabbed somewhere deep in the nether-regions of my hips. This escalated and increased in frequency for about 3 days. Then the pain morphed completely, to where for about 4 days I felt like I had no skin or a large (thigh size) open wound on portions of my outer thighs. I presume most people would think of this as burning, but the intensity was so extreme it felt like I had no skin anymore. The pain was much worse at night, and sleeping on either side was excruciating for 3 nights. I still have some mild burning today, which is 2 weeks to the hour past the treatment.

    My inner thigh treatment was today, and I did let the provider know I will likely need some Neurontin. They will call me Friday to check in on this, but after reading the above I think I'll change direction and go with Lidocaine patches (thank you, Hamy). Even though the pain was pretty rough, it didn't stop me from going in today...I am hoping this treatment works.

    Last, the only things I found that helped me were compression tights. When the burning "skinless" feeling began, these tights were the only thing that provided enough relief for me to focus on anything else.

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  49. JB
    I massaged my abdomen every single day! Mostly while in the shower with the hot water running over me. It hurt like hell, but I was concerned about the lumps and hardness. I do have some before and after pics....not sure how to post them here??

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  50. AryB
    I am glad my description and time line helped. I hope you are seeing results and your pain has subsided! I exercise regularly and have for many years with no success in decreasing my abdomen. I saw a pretty significant decrease...however, when I measure myself...I come up with the same number of inches as I did BEFORE the procedure?? Strange? It has now been 4 months to the day...I would say that while you see the most improvement around month 2. I am not totally convinced that the results last. Best of luck!!

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  51. I'm on day 6, had 2 applicators on lower stomach...all I can say is OMG, I've given birth twice naturally without pain meds didn't think anything was more painful but this is ridiculous, couldn't get up for work! The doctor is supposed to fax a script, he hasn't done so yet...I can't stand the pain!!!

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  52. This is Day 7 for me. I have a high pain threshold, and rarely take pain medication for anything, even a headache. I'm also a registered nurse, and typically do lots of research before embarking on any treatment. I feel like a fool for having Cool Sculpting. I just called for a consult, but they had an opening for the procedure, and so I threw caution to the wind and jumped in. Did Cool Sculpting with large devices on my abdomen. Was told that I might experience menstrual-type cramping, plus tingingling and numbness. For the first 4 days, I was golden - went about my normal routine with no discomfort or swelling. But the evening of Day 5, I suddenly experienced a frightening level of pain. Since no one had mentioned anything like this could occur, I didn't relate it to the procedure. I toyed with the idea of going to the emergency room, thinking I was having an abdominal aneurysm or a strangulating hernia. Thank god I found this blog. I took Tylenol and then Advil (though use of anti-inflammatory meds is controversial), with little relief. Finally had to give in and get on Neurontin. The first pill helped a little for a short period of time, but that's it. I am so upset that the staff didn't adequately inform me that I could have debilitating pain. I've had to interrupt the great exercise program I was on. I'm pretty much hold up in my house, bent over when I walk and moving very little. What I'm doing now, just to get through the day is: Neurontin, Tylenol, Compression Garment, and Ice. I should never have done this for a 20% reduction in size, and the staff should have given me the information I needed to be informed. Thanks to everybody who shared, it helped a lot.

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  53. This is Day 7 for me. I have a high pain threshold, and rarely take pain medication for anything, even a headache. I'm also a registered nurse, and typically do lots of research before embarking on any treatment. I feel like a fool for having Cool Sculpting. I just called for a consult, but they had an opening for the procedure, and so I threw caution to the wind and jumped in. Did Cool Sculpting with large devices on my abdomen. Was told that I might experience menstrual-type cramping, plus tingingling and numbness. For the first 4 days, I was golden - went about my normal routine with no discomfort or swelling. But the evening of Day 5, I suddenly experienced a frightening level of pain. Since no one had mentioned anything like this could occur, I didn't relate it to the procedure. I toyed with the idea of going to the emergency room, thinking I was having an abdominal aneurysm or a strangulating hernia. Thank god I found this blog. I took Tylenol and then Advil (though use of anti-inflammatory meds is controversial), with little relief. Finally had to give in and get on Neurontin. The first pill helped a little for a short period of time, but that's it. I am so upset that the staff didn't adequately inform me that I could have debilitating pain. I've had to interrupt the great exercise program I was on. I'm pretty much hold up in my house, bent over when I walk and moving very little. What I'm doing now, just to get through the day is: Neurontin, Tylenol, Compression Garment, and Ice. I should never have done this for a 20% reduction in size, and the staff should have given me the information I needed to be informed. Thanks to everybody who shared, it helped a lot.

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    1. I'm about a month out from the procedure now. I am noticing a result, and will report back about month 3. I read the note from the physician above. He, of course, has a vested interest in down-playing the discomfort. He writes that only a small portion of patients experience the degree of discomfort most of us have written about here. I don't believe he's being intentionally misleading, but there's no way for him to know what the majority of patients experience. He only knows what patients in his own practice experience. The company that makes the technology DEFINITELY isn't a good source to determine pain and downtime risks. Again, they have a vested interested in making this sound like a walk in the park. Absolutely nowhere did I read that I might have to take a week off from all activities due to nerve pain. I still can't recommend this treatment to anyone when the benefits are weighed with the other factors.

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  54. I'm on day 3


    http://67.media.tumblr.com/63b013b7b763776928e3dcf8a170d6a4/tumblr_neh0p8n2Rb1qzpn6vo2_500.gif

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  55. I had a large lower abdomen procedure done about 5 hours ago. Just want to say that a 2 minute massage was really bad, but for the next 15 minutes I thought I will die. The pain was so bad that I was close to puke all over the doctor’s office. I can only compare it to the pain I felt when passing kidney stones…

    Now I read all the comments about the pain that starts on a 3rd day and I’m truly terrified!

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  56. Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful! Liposuction Atlanta

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  57. I had my coolsculpting last Wednesday and was fine for the first three days. Then the swelling and pain started. I'm hoping it goes away soon. Thank to all who posted comments. While it doesn't help the pain, at least I know I'm not going nuts since the tech who did the procedure said I may have "slight discomfort".

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    1. You might try ice. It helped me a lot. It's upsetting that offices are telling patients that they will have "slight discomfort", and that very few people experience considerable pain and 4-7 days of down time. I think the incidence is much higher. Generating business is taking precedence over being honest about the procedure.

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    2. Thanks Regretful Nurse! I thought maybe it was just me. They really DO need to let people know what to expect so they don't think they're going crazy or being a baby about it.

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    3. I agree I feel as if I was misinformed to the point of being straight up lied to about this procedure. My pain was delayed ao the first 4 days I was only numb. Day 5 and it hit me. Its day 11 and its finally starting to ease up. (still relying on cold wraps and lidocain to get through the day.

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  59. I had second round of coolsculping two days ago. Only discomfort I have had is that pins and needles pain around stomach area. Had minimal bruising and luckily, no pain just that itchy discomfort. Ice pack and binding girdle helps. As of right now, it's tolerable but very annoying. Hope this is the worse I will feel

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  60. OK, Here goes my comment for all of you considering coolsculpting
    I had my 1st treatment in the lower and upper abdomen areas (4 sessions) in the same day. Pain levels during the sessions were bothersome for the first 5-10 minutes as my belly became numb afterwards. It really was not a big deal.
    Days 1-4 were ok with an occasional "sharp needle pain" here and there. But days 5-7 were pretty bad, being the 7th day the absolute worst. Pain was unbearable and I could only pray it went away as OTC painkillers were not doing much anyway, only icepacks helped. The sensation was a mixture of sharp needles with a burning sensation on my skin as if I had a severe sunburn (which I didn´t of course). Then, all of the sudden, on the 8th day the pain started to go away really fast, Thank God!..
    Days 8 and afterwards were pretty good to the point that on day 11 I almost forgot about it.
    Now for the results.. on the 6th week I started to see significant results in my abdomen. I am an engineer and I like to measure things.. My abdomen skin thickness measured with a caliper was at 25mm before the 1st treatment, waistline was at 87 cm. After 6 weeks I could see a very noticeable difference, skin thickness was at 14mm and wasitline was down to 83cm.. Amazing!
    Last week it was my 7th week mark and I had a 2nd treatment on my abdomen and a 1st treatment on my flanks. My expectations for pain were about the same for my 1st time. But it turned out to be much milder pain than the 1st time. On a scale of 1 to 10 (considering the 1st time was a 10) this second time was like a 3 in the abdomen. The flanks area went really ok without any sharp needles or burning pain.. only a sensation of pain as if I had gone to the gym and really worked out those flanks, on a scale of 1 to 10 for pain I'd give it a 3 as well.
    I'm still hoping to see the full results of the overall treatment in the following months. But so far, so good, I think it was worth going through the pain after all.

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  61. Now day9. The worst part of itching and pain mostly over. Day of treatment I felt OK afterwards. 24 hrs later, had a rash in the same area and crazy itching started. 30seconds intervals of shooting pinching pain started below belly button area. Sleepless nights despite taking Benadryl and Clarion daytime and Ibuprofen. Pain set in on Day 3.
    I made my own home remedy for itching and rash. Oatmeal in bit of warm water, honey and pure Shea butter (coconut oil can be used). Spread over area for 15min then rinse. Bit messy but helped itching for few hrs and rash started disappearing. Day 9 and belly still swollen. Pain in now dull. Itching gone. I'll wait and hope all this is worth it.

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  63. Had my abs done 6 days ago; large applicator on lower and 2 small on upper. had flanks done the next day. so far my biggest complaint is the swelling. i look and feel huge. i have also gained 1.5 lbs even though i have not changed my eating habits at all. I have experienced some stinging pain, but nothing horrible like others have described, so I must be lucky. I was extremely tired for the first 2 days, and a little light-headed for about 4 days. I have been able to work and do most of my normal activities, although I have not been to the gym since my procedure. I may try to go today. I have been wearing either a compression tank or a waist-high spanx during the day, but have not needed anything at night. I am 57 and trying to get rid of the pooch that appeared after menopause.

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  64. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  65. It is interesting, convincing and well-written Blog..
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  66. I just had my chin done August 3rd 2017. Was advised for best result, needed to have 2 applications in order to cover my chin for best results. Technician did left side ubder chin first, 45 minutes, then right side. The applicator was small and she overlapped two finger area on left side for best results. I was not able to move or talk during session. However, on the last session, the right side chin area, she came i. The room and asked me a question. I answered her. Right after i noticed the suction pulled off my chin when i swallowed, but when back in place. Eveytime i swalliwed it did this. Then i got tingling on my chin in the area. I only had about 10 minutes to go when this occured. Then an alarm went off, which meant there was a thermal malfunction. The tech was upset. She advised it happened with 8 minutes to go, however the machine did not notify her till 3 minutes left.She removed the device, did minimal manipulation in area, but said area had already started to cool down, so not necessary. She got on phone, believe she called a cool sculpting help line and was advised 35 minutes was all the time in session that went towards freezing, the other 10 minutes was a cool down. She advised my treatment should be ok. She also said she would give me free treatment if needed. I received vm from her yesterday advusing me to come back asap for another treatment. I called and scheduled for next Thursday, but due to the numbness i feel now, i really do not want to go. I would like to wait a month or 6 weeks. I am going to call her Monday and advise her of that. Dontvwant anymore numbness at this point. Cant feel my chin inderneath at all. It is totally numb and starting to itch. I realize this may go on for 3 weeks about. Really hate it. The pain has subsided, but might be due to numbness. Anyone else do same area right after? Thanks, will wait for replies.

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  67. I had my love handles coolsculpted 8 days ago. Wow. Numbness, pain and bruising still. The bruises are disappearing but my skin is burning and numb. I also have some hard lumps on one side. I can deal with all of this. But what's really bothering me, which I've heard no one talk about, is that I feel almost like I have the flu. Fatigue, muscle aches all over and a low grade fever. Again, I can deal with this if it's normal or at least not dangerous. Anyone have any insights or Comments?

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  68. Worst pain of my life!! I had it done a week ago. I honestly consider myself to have a high tolerance for pain and this pain is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I would NOT recommend this to my worst enemy! The pain for 24hours is debilitating! I don't even care about the results, this pain is not worth it.I have praying to god that it goes away soon. Anyone considering this, please be warned the pain is excruciating.

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  69. Hi! I had coolsculpting done on my lower stomach about a month ago. I had HORRIBLE pain for 8 days. Deep burning, like someone had covered my stomach with nettles, deep itching and stabbing pain. I couldn't go to work for a WEEK, threw up 'cause of the pain, and was forced to lie down with an ice pack on my stomach so it could numb the pain. I called the clinic after a few days, and the doctor said that there was a slight risk of a "bit of an itch". I told him that this wasn't an itch, and usually, I'm really good at handleling pain, but this was just too much for me to function. He did not want to give me any pain killers - maybe because they don't want to admit that this procedure actually REALLY hurts on some of their patients? Anyway. On day 8, my pain was almost gone. My boyfriend gave me a Tramodol and I slept like a baby for the first time in a week.

    Heres my advice:
    Wear an icepack, but remember to cover it something, like a dishtowel. Don't wear it directly on your skin, and if your skin turns bright pink REMOVE it!
    I had two ready each night. I would go to sleep with one on. When that wasn't cold anymore I would be woken up from the pain, go to the freezer, put the warm one in the freezer and get the cold one, and try to sleep again.

    If you cannot work from home or call in sick, bring emergency icepacks. I bought some that you can break and then they instantly become ice cold.

    Ibuprofen did nothing for me (I think), eventhough I took the maximum amount (3200mg) a day. If you take ibuprofen, get a prescription for something against ulcers.

    Wear something tight. I wore supertight stockings for a week, even when I slept. Clothing just lightly brushing my skin hurt so much. But when I wore stockings, most of that sensation went away.

    BESIDES THE PAIN, I gotta say something...
    A few days after the pain went away, I almost forgot how much in pain I had been. I guess its like childbirth: you forget to some extent how much pain you was in.
    After 4 weeks I am so impressed at the result. My stomach have become so much flatter, and I am SO happy and confident. I'm even considering getting my hips done - thats how happy I am!

    So stay strong and wear an icepack. The pain will go away, and oh my, I feel with you all <3

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  70. I had basically the same experience. It has been 8 months since my treatment and I still have this itching sensation in my abs and back where I did the treatment. It is especially itchy after I've exercised multiple days in a row. If you're still reading these posts, did you have any itching sensation this long after your treatment?

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  71. One week in, and I’m in constant agony. Stabbing, burning waves of intense pain. Sleep is nearly impossible. I’ll call the med spa to get some painkillers, and I appreciate all the suggestions, e.g., ice packs.

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  72. Holy Crap I'm in pain! Thank you so much for writing this, it almost feels like I wrote it myself. I've had my love handles and one area over my belly button done last year and no pain, just felt frozen and hard. My second time around I had the right and left side of my abdomen done because I was cheap and only did the one area over my belly button the last time. Well at day 6 I woke up and thought something was seriously wrong. I had done sit-ups at the gym the night before but it wasn't pain of a sore muscle. This was pain that feels like broken glass in my belly, knifes going into my stomach! I have taken Ibuprofen, Aleve, Tylenol - nothing helps. I'm on day 7 and this is when I found this blog thank God! I'm not the only one. I'm sitting here at my desk with my belly smashed up against the edge of the ledge because the more pressure I can put on it helps for some reason. I got no sleep last night. I laid there thinking I was going to die and should I go to the hospital - did it do something to my insides? This is horrible! I would have NEVER done this again had I known I'd have this pain, mind you I am extremely pain tolerant - 2 kids no epidermal!

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  73. I'm in pain!! Had my 2nd CS treatment to my lower abdomen done Friday & pain started Tuesday. Also had outer thighs done & no pain to the legs but the abdomen pain is unreal. Compression does help some, Tylenol took the edge off but nothing is really helping. Tried CBD cream which helped a little more, maybe took the pain from 7/8 down to 3 but the second the pain control wears off the pain is bad.

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  74. Hello,
    I am on my second round of CS, I have found something else which helps for the pain... Lidocaine/EMLA. I have rubbed this all over my tummy and it has helped quite a bit.
    I have put cling film over so that more goes into the skin not my giant compression pants but have read to be careful as this can increase absorption and cause complications. I find the pain to be worse at the end of the day, so I tolerate the pain at the beginning and use the EMLA afternoon/evening.
    I have found this to be better than paracetamol and ice packs, having said that the ice packs are pretty good. The nurse that did the procedure refused me pain medication last time, so did my research before this time and have a cupboard full of EMLA cream in preparation.
    I hope this helps others.

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  75. A little over a year since my stomach procedure, intense pain, didn't work at all, what a freakin waste of money.

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  76. I also am on day 6 of cs my lower and upper abs. This pain is like worst than giving birth and it’s like puns and needles in my stomach and haven’t been able to sleep since yesterday. My husband did cs and didn’t have anywhere near the pain I’m feeling. I did read an found ice packs help a lot and lidocaine patches for my abs . I had to drive to cvs at 11:30pm at night because I just couldn’t fall asleep. Honestly I feel bloated and sore and my jeans are tighter on me than before. I am not def not going back for a second treatment and will not recommend this at all. Stay away from cool sculpting!!

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  77. great info about chin freezing treatment get the best chin freezing treatment london

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  80. The information you provided was fantastic! It helped me alot. Your expertise saved us so much time.
    What to Expect After Coolsculpting Stomach

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