? about meds (post surgery)

[alicia]

Is it unusaul for the cardiac surgeon to take you off all your heart meds after surgery? Mine took me off my Zestril and Coreg and replaced it with 81mg aspirin and Coumadin. He said my cardiologist will decide whether I need to be put back on them again or not. I go see cardiologist Feb.4.....

Next question: Did any of you have high blood sugars after surgery and were given insulin to come home with? Im on insulin pills and need to get a glucose monitor. They said this may just be stress from the surgery and will only be temporary. What do you think?

 

[Granbonny]

Meds

Meds

I think it is routine after open-heart surgery that you see your surgeon (or partner) first..about 3 weeks post op and then your Card.You went home with Surgeons meds..He takes what he needs off and then Card. takes more off. or adds some.Bonnie

 

[djacq]

Alicia,

Hope you are doing well in your recovery.

My blood sugar was over 300 after surgery and I had to go on insulin. This quickly cleared up. They said this was common and not to worry.

My platelets were 4 times normal also and these just came down to normal this week. Also surgery related.

This surgery really does a number on several body systems.

Continued good recovery,
Donna

 

[Guest]

Alicia-

My blood sugar went up for a few days after surgery. They gave me insulin shots while in the hospital. My blood sugar returned to normal before I went home. I was also told not to worry as this was perfectly normal and not at all unusual. Glad to hear you're back home! Take care!

 

[hensylee]

Anybody know what causes the blood sugar to rise like that? Must be a reason that we can share.

 

[terry40]

alicia

alicia

My blood sugar/glucose level was up, but not enough to be put on any meds, I thought the doc was kidding when he said the stress of surgery can cause it to elevate.

I just thought I was heading towards yet another medical problem.

Terry40

 

[ALCapshaw]

Hello Alicia,

It is not uncommon for the surgeon to take you off Blood Pressure medicines after surgery. Most likely BP meds were prescribed pre-surgery to lower internal blood pressure. Hopefully, your new valve will solve that problem and BP meds will not be needed. IF you still have high BP as measured on your arms, then your cardiologist may keep you on BP meds. That's his call after checking you over.

'AL'

 

[maxximom]

Hi Alicia..it was so good to speak with you the other day..you sounded very strong!
I'm sure that Dr Glower consulted with the cardio team before he gave you the meds..Its seems that the surgeon does the discharge and therefore is the one who write the Rx for any meds that are given for the patient upon discharge..rather than the cardioIt is very normal for your blood sugar to go up with the stress of surgery. Most diabetics experience quite a rise in their blood sugar when they have any type of stress to their body or if they have any type of infection in their bodies The pills that you are on are NOT Insulin pills (they do not have such a thing as yet) but are pills that work like insulin to lower your blood sugar. Depending on the medication..they may or may not take some time to "kick In" If you need more info..give me a call and I will be happy to help you ..I unfortanatly have experience in that department. I imagine that Dr. Glower also did a consult with the endocrine team..they have teams for everything at Duke
Keep healing!
Joan

 

[mamsram]

doesn't this also happen to women in late stages of pregnancy.

I remember when my daughter was pregnant they were watching her sugar and there is no diabetis on either side of her parents. That would lead me to believe that extreme stress on the body would trigger that action.

 

[hensylee]

My granddaughter just had a baby - her fourth. With each one she was borderline diabetic. No diabetes in the family, either side, that I know of. All the problems were gone once the pregnancy was over.

 

[Christine]

I don't know about the increase blood sugar thing, i'm fine there, however I remember my surgeon wrote all my scripts, for a year's worth of refills before I left the hospital.. (coreg, vasotec, digitek, lasik, etc..) when he released me 3 weeks later, he did not take me off anything.. but my cardio monitored it all.. and I continued to get refills under my surgeons scripts until my cardio changed/deleted/added a script..

christine

 

[Kim]

I went into surgery expecting a mitral valve repair and ended up 14 hours later with a mechanical valve.

Before surgery I was on no medication whatsoever. Now I take Coumadin, 325 mg coated asprin, lopressor (beta blocker) and lanoxin.

I saw my cardiologist last month and asked about going off of these meds (of course not the coumadin) and he said no. I asked when I could, and he said I would be on them forever. I do not like taking any meds so this will be an adjustment for me.

I think I must have early stages of CHF and he is not telling me this. (because he knows I would be upset) These meds are typically prescibed for CHF. My ejection fraction is 45-50%. Before surgery it was 55-60%. It was a touch and go surgery and I almost didn't make it. I think that I must have permanent damage for my EF to be 45-50%.