did you ever feel faint...?

[Robt Z]

The other morning I felt like I was going to faint. I got weak and dizzy or just felt faint and had to sit down....then it went away. My internist said it is from aortic valve replacement and that when I get up in the morning I should go slow as the valve does not work as good as the real one did and I must not do quick movements up and down especially if I am not hydrated appropriately. Is this common with aortic valve replacements I wonder?

 

[RCB]

Very common

Very common

Robt,
What you experienced is a practical lesson in hydromechanics. The valve implant are still not as efficient as
your own valve design(remember it took tens of thousand of
years to get it right). When at rest you don't notice it, but when
you change position, you change the fluid flow around the valve.
It is something like when a race car goes around a corner too
fast and the engine begins to cut out. It is only temporary and a
few moments of rest and it should go away. When it doesn't
go away, then you should alert your dr. You were right in
reporting it to your dr.
You will be fine!

 

[Gnusgal]

I have a huge problem with feeling faint in the mornings when I get in the shower. It was suggested by my cardiac rehab nurse that I do some mild exercise to get my bp up before I hop into a hot shower, because that can lower the bp. Well, I did for awhile before summer break and it did help. But I'm just not wanting to get up that early this year. At least, not yet. I'm not adjusted to waking up when I do. So instead I suffer through it. I lean against the shower wall, finish as quickly as I can, and then sit down immediately after until I feel back to "normal." I haven't passed out yet, so I figure it's unlikely to happen any time soon. I know, I shouldn't take the risk, but you don't understand how NOT a morning person I am. I have to do the shower in the morning to help wake me up (and my hair looks awful if I shower at night), but I don't want to wake up any earlier...

Anyway, that's been my experience. Mornings tend to be when our bp is the lowest, so maybe that is what is effecting you?

 

[Nancy]

Hi Robt Z-

If this feeling doesn't go away with some minor adjustments in your routine, please run it by your cardiologist.

On second thought, you should tell your cardiologist about it now.

It might be what others have mentioned, but it could also be an arrhythmia. Your cardiologist can check that all out, and give you some peace of mind.

Take care

 

[Georgia]

Hey, Niki

Hey, Niki

Try a two-step plastic stool in the shower that you can sit on during the shower. I had to use one right after surgery for a couple of weeks, and I was determined to have a nice long shower without my husband standing outside the tub waiting and worrying.

The shower is just about the last place you want to be light-headed - too much risk of slipping and too many hard surfaces for hitting your head. Please be careful and get something in there to sit on.

I've developed brief dizziness in the last couple of months; occurs when standing up abruptly from bending over (such as weeding). Asked the Cardio - it's nothing - medication related, blood pressure drops suddenly. She (cardio) also couldn't understand why I wanted to weed (well, doh) but said to have something to grab onto when standing up.

 

[ccrawford]

Watch out for dehydration

Watch out for dehydration

Only thing I'll add is the standard warning re keeping hydrated. I carry my water bottle almost everywhere, and have had a few cases of dizzies in the am after drinking a couple of cups of coffee. I felt hydrated, but I was not. Not to be indelicate, but try to keep hydrated to the point that your urine is as clear as possible. Its hard to drink too much water, but its easy to get dehydrated, and that can affect some of us very seriously.

 

[corky]

I have one too

I have one too

tried to send picture of My "Dottie" another dal, but can not do it properly, maybe later.
Corky

 

[delvoura66]

Dear Robt Z,

I experience the dizziness that you spoke of often. It doesn't matter if I'm standing , sitting or laying down. It started happening after my mitral valve surgery. It makes me scared to
It makes me scared to drive. I thougt it was all in my head or something I was doing wrong. I feel better knowing I'm not alone.

 

[Robt Z]

what causes it

what causes it

I am not sure what causes it or how it can be prevented
other than getting up slowly and staying hydrated. I know that a doctor says it is the valve taking time to get the blood flowing...but ...I dont know what else can be done or whether it is a serious problem....rz

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Let me add my voice to the DEHYDRATION CHORUS.

I have a difficult time keeping my fluid levels centered.
If I 'over hydrate', I get short of breath and if I underhydrate,
I can get dizzy if I change position too quickly. I chart my weight daily and take 20 mg of Lasix and a potassium supplement if it jumps up more than 3 lbs.

My cardiologist recommended drinking 48 oz of fluids daily but monitoring my output is 'challenging' when I work in the yard
and sweat like a horse.

Trainers recommend drinking small amounts of water continuously while working / exercising. Dehydrating is NOT GOOD, especially for people with heart / valve problems.

'AL'

 

[Nan]

A question to all: Why is dehydration such a problem for those of us with valve issues? Is it the mechanics as previously mentioned? Or something else?

I too get dizzy from time to time, and thought it was BP, but it doesn't (always) seem to be. Now I know it is at least possible that dehydration may be the culprit.

 

[Tony]

did you ever feel faint...?

I am writing this in the spirit of ?it helps to know you are not alone?...as Delvoura says.

I received a St. Jude mechanical aortic valve and a single bypass on June 27, 2002.
I was basically asymptomatic pre surgery and had little pain after surgery. I was prescribed Darvocet for pain to use on an ?as needed? basis, which I seldom needed.

I was sensitive to sunlight while in the hospital and wore sunglasses for a month after surgery. My recovery was going well until week six. I then began having a feeling of ?lightheadedness?. This was worse in the mornings and eased up in the evening to the point where I would dread going to sleep at night because I knew I would feel bad when I awoke. My card ignored my complaints while my regular doctor, who monitors my Coumadin, tinkered with my blood pressure meds. He put a 24-hour heart monitor on me. While wearing it I had a terrible dizzy spell. As I sat at the kitchen table the room was spinning around. It was like my own private earthquake. This lasted for about 10 minutes. When I reported back to my doctor the heart monitor showed no unusual occurrence throughout the 24 hours

On some days I felt too dizzy to go to my scheduled cardiac rehab. On Aug 20 I felt so bad I was taken to ER. I hoped they could find the source of my problem. They tested me for heart attack, stroke, and a brain tumor. They said all my tests were ?within norms?---?Goodbye?. This feeling of lightheadedness continued until around week 12. It gradually went away on its own.

I had had similar but less severe symptoms during the summer of 1990. My doctor could not find the cause but used the term Minieres Syndrome. I think that is a label they apply when they don?t know what is wrong with you. The symptoms went away after a month.

I had a stroke on Aug 15,1984, followed by 4.5 months of recurring panic attacks. The lightheadedness of 2002 was similar to the feelings I had during these 4.5 months. The panic attacks went away on their own.

I currently have recurring ocular migraines--- 4 in Aug, 5 in Sep, 6 in Oct. I have no pain but I see an aurora that moves to my peripheral vision then disappears in about 30 minutes. My ophthalmologist says I should see a neurologist for these, which I have not done yet.

I think I have a neurological condition. After reading the posts in this forum, I now think this condition was aggravated by the aortic valve replacement.

Tony

 

[Robt Z]

occular migranes

occular migranes

I have had occular migranes from time to time over the last 10 yrs. I had them before and after aortic valve replacement surgery. I dont think anything can be done to treat it other than relax for 10 minutes or so...Vague feelings of weakness come about about once or twice a month for me since my surgery and funny feelings of chest or overall weakness scare me from time to time....no doctor has told me why this is and I dont know what to do other than eat right, exercise, drink water...etc...just good clean living in an effort to limit or stop this ....

 

[HFK]

Hi Rob, I had a homograft replacement but had never been diy to date and its been 3 years. I have had alot of other things but not that. Does it get worse with exercise? HFK

 

[Robt Z]

diy?

diy?

what is diy?

 

[ccrawford]

Robt Z - I think Diy means dizzy. Since surgery, I have been pretty careful to keep a water bottle with me at all times, but sometimes I forget. I've had a couple of situations that were concerning to say the least. Post surgery patients need to keep a supply of water with them at all times (in my opinion) I've gotten burned a couple of times so I try to keep a 6 pack of bottled water in my vehicle at all times. If you happen to operate a lot of different equipment during the day, then make sure each of them is equipped with some drinking water - coffee doesn't count - it can actually dehydrate you, even though it tastes so good in the morning. Chris