Feeling "Dull"

[Vicki448]

Had mitral valve repaired on 8/23/02. Things were great after surgery and one week after being home. Then.....I have days that I wake up feeling like I had one too many drinks the night before (which I didn't), but that's what it feels like. I've been checked for ear infection (didn't have one) and my vision's been checked (OK). Some days are great! I grocery shop and attend my daughter's soccer games. Other days I feel disoriented - dull in the head. The room doesn't spin, but my equilibrium seems off, although it isn't - it just seems that way. I'm only taking 81 mg. of Ecotrin a day - no other meds. I've also been plagued with white squiggles in my vision at times - the reason for the eye exam. Can anyone shed some light? My surgeon says I look and sound great and can't explain the reason I'm feeling this way. Is it just too soon after my surgery to expect to feel "on top of the world?"

 

[hensylee]

Have you been checked for anemia?

 

[Vicki448]

Numerous blood tests were done while I was in the hospital, but nothing was reported to me as unusual. I see my cardiologist this Friday (10/4/) - I will suggest being tested for anemia. Thanks for the input.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Vicki-

Just wanted to say welcome to the site. Everyone here is so nice, you'll enjoy the support and friendship.

I hope you will give your cardiologist a call re: your symptoms. But before you do, write down exactly how you feel, when they occur, what you were doing, what your temp is, what your weight is (keep track of your weight on a daily basis, not for weight loss, but to make sure that you aren't adding fluid weight, which would show up in sudden weight gain). See if there is any trend, i.e. are they getting worse or better, or are they just sporadic.

It takes about 6 months to a year to feel like your old self again. Everyone heals at a different rate. But I think most people will give this timeframe.

Let us know what the doctor says.

 

[ALCapshaw]

Sounds familiar Vicki !

If you get any explanations, please pass them along.
I've had 'floaters' and other visual effects, usually
lasting only a few minutes.

I was also anemic following surgery. My PCP estimated I lost around 4 units of blood based on my blood count before / after surgery.

'AL'

 

[Creed3]

Hello!

Hello!

I just had my AVR almost two weeks ago. I noticed some of those visual disturbances right away after surgery. I also have noticed that my migraine auras have returned. I used to have them but not very frequently. The further along post surgery I get the fewer visual disturbances I am getting, I hope that continues. I can relate to the way you are feeling. My family doc is regulating my meds and I will have my first follow-up with my cardiologist in 5 days. I would discuss anything you are feeling with your doc. That's what they are there for. I hope everything goes well.

Creed3

 

[hensylee]

Do you really think floaters have anything to do with the surgery - Now, mind, I didn't have valve replacement, had quad bypass and was on heart/lung w/slashed chest, etc- but have developed floaters and some just don't go away! Most floaters simply dissolve, but these just hang around in there a float hither and yon, like bubbles! Surgery was 3/2000

 

[alicia]

Hello and welcome Vicki. I had mitral valve repair April 2001 and since then have the "confusion" feeling and a few times have had floaters and had my eyes checked and just like yours, they said everything is fine. Your lucky to only be on a aspirin a day. I think the confusion comes from all the meds Im on (8 different pills) I took Redux and that contributed to all my heart problems. Did you have standard valve repair or the less invasive surgery with a robot? I had the robot and it did cut down on healing time. Are you going back to work soon? How bad was your leakage? What was your ejection fracture? Curious.....Alicia

 

[Vicki448]

Feeling "Dull"

Hey Alicia, thanks for your reply. You've asked me some questions that I don't have answers for - I took fen-phen 6 yrs. ago and I think my problems (mitral valve) came from that. I turned all my paperwork over to my lawyer, and the paperwork included the write-up of the echocardiogram. All I know about the echo is that I was rated "severe regurgitation" and that led to a heart cath, and those results lead to mitral valve repair. I did have open heart surgery - the old breastbone is healing slowly but surely. Went to the heart dr. today and he did send me down to the lab for blood work (the works!) and we'll see what those results say. He did tell me that if my "fogginess" doesn't go away in a few weeks, he wants to me see a nuerologist - to get things check out and to see "what's what." Also, he didn't know anything about "floaters" or what I called squiggly lines in my vision. I even told him that a brochure I read in the hospital mentioned the vision problems and that they soon clear up - the brochure said the squiggles had to do with water settling behind the eyes during surgery - but he still didn't know what I meant and said he'd never heard of it......I found that interesting. I'll let you know what the blood work tells me - probably by 10/8 I should have the results

 

[ALCapshaw]

I too had some 'confusion' early in my recovery when I was on 9 differrent medications. My cardio cut me back to the basic maintenance drugs (Coumadin, Toprol XL, Zocor, and another drug for a different problem). Discontinuing the iron pills may have prolonged my recovery / anemia. CAT scans with and without contrast dye were negative.

'AL'

 

[Vicki448]

Feeling "Dull"

Hey AL, you don't know how nice it is to hear of others who are/have experienced what I'm going through. You can talk and tell the doctors about what's going on with you until you talk yourself blue in the face, but unless they've gone through what you've gone through, they really don't know - even as learned as they are! So, hopefully, all that I'm experiencing will soon pass. As for the meds being the cause of anything I feel, I wouldn't think so since I'm only taking 81 mg. of aspirin (Ecotrin). It's funny really because I can have days of no symptoms at all and then SURPRISE! a day that I barely seem to get through. Maybe I overdo it and then suffer the consequences. If only we had all the answers! How simply would life be then?????

 

[JimL]

Vicki,
What you describe as feeling dull sounds much like what others have called pumpheadedness, from being on the heart-lung machine. Everyone who has been on the pump has some of those symptoms. They do fade with time. However, and I personally think this is very important, this gives me a good excuse for being confused or forgetting something. I used to forget things, but I had no excuse. Now I do.
I went to an ophthamalogist (a high-class eye doctor) to get checked out, not because of floaties, but because of another medicine I was on temporarily.

 

[Vicki448]

Feeling "Dull"

Pumpheadedness - I like that term. I'm going to add that to my vocabulary! It's nice to know that others have actually experienced the same thing - enough for it to acquire a term! I still find it strange, though, that if others have gone through this same thing, then why do my two doctors not have any idea what I'm talking about? My surgeon said I looked and sounded fine and he didn't have any idea why I was experiencing what I was, and my heart dr. just shook his head and said he didn't know. These two men are fabulous and I would recommend them to anyone needing a heart doctor or a heart surgeon. Well, I'll give it a few more weeks, like my heart dr. suggested to me yesterday. Also, perhaps my blood work will tell me something. Thanks to all of you who have responded to my "cry for help and understanding." I love this website and wish I had found it weeks and weeks ago - even before my surgery so that I would have known more about what was going on. I went through the diagnosis and surgery in such a haze - a haze of disbelief that this was actually happening to me! Thanks again!

 

[alicia]

Hi Vicki...Did you know Redux/Phen Fen can cause neurological problems as well as vakve problems? Im just learning about this.
Glad your cardiologist sent you for bloodwork. Maybe the bloodwork will tell you something. Its amazing how these doctors just tell you they dont know why you're having the problems you're having. I love and respect my cardiologist but sometimes I will tell him of an episode I've had and he just goes hmmm,I dont know and makes a note of it in my chart (that is about 8 inches thick) Im going to Duke (great basketball team) for an evaluation to see if I need mitral valve replacement now (a year after valve repair) My cardiologist just informed me Im at stage 3 of my cardiomyopathy (out of 4 stages) and that is very depressing. Since the MVR in April 2001 Ive had CHF 3 times and now stage 3 DCM. This is all because I took that stupid drug for weight loss when I should have lost weight the "old fashioned way". Well, I'll quit my whining and wish you luck my friend. Keep us informed.
Friends in heart, Alicia

 

[Nancy]

"Pumpheadedness" is one of those things that doctors don't discuss easily with patients. There isn't much that can be done for the condition. My husband has had 3 valve surgeries, 2 lung surgeries and a couple of other surgeries. He has a period of this after all his surgeries, the heart ones especially, but there is also some of this kind of experience with all of his surgeries. So I'm thinking that the heart/lung machine may be the culprit in some of it, but so might be anesthesia and so might just the trauma of surgeries on the major working parts of the body, i.e. heart and lungs.

It will minimize to a large degree with time. Just one more healing process.

 

[Rick W]

pumpheadedness

pumpheadedness

I read about the occurance of micro-emboli in the brain after bypass surgery. The longer you remain on bypass the higher the risk of its occurance. This amounts to what one could describe as tiny mini-strokes and might account for the visual aura. Experts in migranes attribute the visual disturbances to resticted blood flow in small vessels within the brain. I am no expert but I do suffer from migranes so I listen up when I hear explanations. I do not think the affects of heart-lung machine on the body are discussed nearly enough.

Rick

 

[Vicki448]

Feeling "Dull"

Rick,
Your response was a good one, and probably an accurate one. I, myself, am reading more and more about the heart-lung machine and its effects on a person after surgery. I feel that my short-term memory is good and that my reactions and such are good, but I think a lot of that is due to me being 48 yrs. old and not 68 yrs. old as some people are who have surgery. The thing that baffles me is that even when I described my symptoms to both my doctors, neither one seemed to have any idea what I was talking about or why I would be experiencing what I was going through. I feel that at least they could have told me, "Well, you might be feeling the effects of the heart-lung machine and it's perfectly normal what you're feeling and it will eventually go away." Instead they both chose to say nothing, and just shake their heads. But, I am feeling better with each day that passes and I try and relieve the tension that seems to stay in my shoulder blades and neck. If I could relax and walk comfortably, then I seem to feel so much better. Many times, though, I am walking and doing and I have such an uptight body...that just puts stress on me and my poor, poor head! Thanks for writing back and good luck to you.
~Vicki

 

[Sully77]

Vicki,
I too had some of the problems you describe, but I just couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was. Vision problems, memory loss, especially right after my surgery. I had eye tests and even went back to see my surgion again, nobody had any answers. I had AVR surgery in March of 2001 and I'm still having the vision problems although my short term memory has improved a great deal. This was really one part of the surgery I was not prepared for. I hope you continue to feel fine.

Jay Sullivan

 

[Vicki448]

Feeling "Dull"

Jay, thanks for your note. As I've said before, it's always reassuring when someone "out there" has experienced the same things I'm going through. Since you've had your surgery over a year ago, are you feeling OK? You mentioned that you still have vision problems and your short term memory has improved, but what about your "dullness?" My "dullness" is so very contrary. Over this past weekend, I felt great Friday and Saturday - went to daughter's soccer game, out to eat afterward, movie on Saturday = feeling fine. Then, Sunday and today (Monday) wow! what a difference.....back to the 'ol foggy feeling. Maybe I do too much, but it's probably the 'ol heart-lung effects.......but, I'm hoping each day brings a little bit of an improvement. Hope the same for you. I love this website.....there are so many great people in this world!!!!

~Vicki

 

[John Cochran]

Vicki,
I probably hold the record here for time on a heart-lung machine: I had a 14 hour surgery, with 10 of those hours on a heart-lung machine. I do not believe that the time on the pump is the only, nor even the most significant factor in the "dullness" you describe. While I agree that we all were probably ill-informed as to the possible effects of being on a heart-lung machine, I suspect that the long-term effects of anesthesia and other drugs, plus the overall trauma of surgery, plus induced depression account for many of the nasty after-effects. The good news is that these all seem to abate after a while. On the other hand, I do worry about the subtle changes that may have long-term effects from being on a heart-lung machine as long as I was. Things like lowered attention span, possible effects on intelligence (my chess game went to hell in a hand basket) and subtle personality changes. It is too early to tell (my surgery was in June, 2002).

I wish the doctors would have given us full disclosure of the risks. I don't believe anyone, not doctors, nurses or staff, ever disclosed even the slightest risk associated with being on a heart-lung machine.

Best,
John