Getting sick post op - any precautions to take?

[T in YVR]

I am 3 months post op and feeling great. However, there's a flu type sickness floating around my neck of the woods these days (like alot of places I imagine). High fever, fatigue, stomach aches, nausea, etc. My young son picked something up and was 103 degrees F last night and was still over 100 deg F most of the day today (101 degrees F at bedtime but Tylenol is helping). Anyways, I feel off tonight and am concerned I am next in line for this.

Are there any precautions you should take when you are still in the early stages post AVR? Or do you treat a cold/flu type illness as you normally would (but without ibuprofen due to warfarin)? As I mentioned I am 3 months post op, so its not like I had surgery last week or anything. But I'm just not sure if you are more susceptible to any heart/valve complications if you get ill shortly after surgery.

Thanks,
T

 

[Agian]

We use paracetamol for fever. Most people here wouldn't even consider using Ibuprofen for the flu. Keep your fluids up.

 

[Jkm7]

IMO, you should call your Primary Care doctor, tell him/her your son has flu, you are at risk and get an Rx for Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of first symptoms, it can be very effective. I would want to have it on hand
if there was flu in my house and I was 3 months post op.

Hope your son feels better soon and you avoid catching it.

 

[clay_from_nj]

Get your shots. They gave me immunizations for influenza and pneumonia in the hospital at the time of my OHS, and I have since gone to my doctor and got my Tdap (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis) while in for a routine checkup. Of course, I also got the new flu shot this year. Simple shot, no flu, piece of cake.

 

[Lynlw]

IMO, you should call your Primary Care doctor, tell him/her your son has flu, you are at risk and get an Rx for Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of first symptoms, it can be very effective. I would want to have it on hand
if there was flu in my house and I was 3 months post op.

Hope your son feels better soon and you avoid catching it.

I'm not sure what they ended up deciding, but I remember a couple years ago, there were quite a few articles on people on Coumadin who had bad bleeding etc, because their INR increased quite a bit when they took tamiflu.

 

[mbeard]

Good luck with NO flu T in YVR

Good luck with NO flu T in YVR

I am 3 months post op and feeling great. However, there's a flu type sickness floating around my neck of the woods these days (like alot of places I imagine). High fever, fatigue, stomach aches, nausea, etc. My young son picked something up and was 103 degrees F last night and was still over 100 deg F most of the day today (101 degrees F at bedtime but Tylenol is helping). Anyways, I feel off tonight and am concerned I am next in line for this.



Are there any precautions you should take when you are still in the early stages post AVR? Or do you treat a cold/flu type illness as you normally would (but without ibuprofen due to warfarin)? As I mentioned I am 3 months post op, so its not like I had surgery last week or anything. But I'm just not sure if you are more susceptible to any heart/valve complications if you get ill shortly after surgery.

Thanks,
T

Listen to the experts here on this forum. N