is it normal to be on all these medications after surgery ?

[extraordinary]

hello I'm 12 days post surgery today, just discharged of the hospital and i was shocked of all the medications they've given to me most of them are for one month until my next appointment with the Dr. .. I'm only 24 and I'm feeling little upset for having to take all the medications

I'm also on beta blocker which i hate and i don't want my body to get used to it, i don't think that i've need it, all of you where prescribed with beta blocker post operation ?? for how long ??? and after did they cut it off ?

here is the list of my medications FOR this whole month;
-I'm on ASPIRIN 2 tablets once daily
-betta blocker ( metoprolol )
-pantoprazole
-multi vitamin
-warfrin

I have other 5 medications which i will not list because those i take only when needed so it's by choice, by the one i wrote above i should take them daily

have you been on the same medications post surgery and for how long ? how about the beta blockers can i stop it ?

 

[Paleowoman]

It seems every hospital and every surgeon has different ideas.

When I was discharged from hospital I was on:

Beta blocker (Atenolol)
Diuretic (forget what it was)
Proton Pump Inhibitor (Omeprazole)
Tramadol
Dihydrocodeine

Plus the other meds I'm normally on which I'm happy about it.

I stopped the tramadol and dihydrocodeine later the day I was discharged due to severe side effects (hallucinations, supression of cough, abdominal problems and severe fluid retention). GP put me on low dose morphine but I couldn't tolerate that either.
I was taken off the Omeprazole (PPI) third day after discharge at my request and given Gaviscon Advance as that is not systemic like PPIs.
And I was taken off the diuretic on the fourth day after discharge due to low sodium levels and dizziness as I had lost all the retained fluid very soon after coming off the tramadol and dihydrocodeine.
That left me on the beta blocker which was halved at six weeks due to dizziness and stopped completely last week at twelve weeks.

 

[MrsBray]

Since I left the hospital 35 days ago, I have been on:
warfarin (anti-coag, forever)
iron (to combat anemia, until further notice)
folic acid (to help produce more red blood cells, until further notice)
lasix (to reduce water retention, 60 days then as needed)
potassium (to replace potassium depleted by lasix, 60 days then as needed)
metoprolol (beta blocker, keeps the heartbeat steady to help heal any thickening that may have occured prior to surgery, at least 90 days post-surgery)

I was on naproxin for 30 days, it was my only pain pill.
I have taken a few tylenol and a few tums since then.

I would read up about beta blockers. Everyone reacts to them uniquely. And certainly don't just stop taking a prescription without consulting your doctor!

 

[Mentu]

Hi, I noticed no one listed stool softener. Besides my own cluster of meds which were quite similar to your's, I found the stool softener to be essential for about two months. My only regret is that I didn't start using it the day I came home. As for the other drugs, looking at the Heart Journal I kept, the first to drop off were the drugs for pain. After four months my Cardiologist reduced the dosage of the betablocker because it began to drive my heart beat much to low. By six months, I was able to stop it all together. Of the drugs associated with surgery, the last was a diuretic (Torsemide) which my cardiologist wanted me to continue over the next three years. So, it took almost four years to discontinue the last of the post surgery meds.

I suggest that you become familiar with each of the drugs and their purpose and side effects. As your recovery progresses, talk with your Doctor and Cardiologist about the medications and, especially, call to their attention any side effects that believe you are experiencing so that the meds can be changed or dropped. As you think about the medications you are taking, consider that your failing valve effected your heart for years while the valve to degraded. Now your heart is recoverying and may continue healing for several years after surgery. You want to give it the best chance to heal as completely as it can and the medications are designed to help.

Larry

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi, I noticed no one listed stool softener. Besides my own cluster of meds which were quite similar to your's, I found the stool softener to be essential for about two months.

Oh yes, I forgot, I had sennokot ! As soon as I saw a gastroenterologist due to complications three weeks post op, he changed that prescription to Fybogel which he said was much better for the bowel, which it was. But as soon as I could eat normally wth lots of vegetable fibre everything returned to normal

 

[MrsBray]

Yes, I had that in the hospital as well, but no recommendations for continuing. I started having a FiberOne bar with my morning coffee, and was back to my normal regular in about two weeks.

 

[neil]

totally agree with all the above answers, also agree with the comment about never coming of meds without your docs approval, hopefully you can cut back on your meds in time,

 

[tom in MO]

I was specifically told to stop taking my heart vitamins, which they had me on pre-surgery. I had the same list except for a stool softener and pain pills. Usually it's only one 80mg asprin, not two full strength. You may want to ask about that.

 

[epstns]

I don't have my list handy, but I do remember just after getting home I was thinking "With all these pills, I'll probably rattle when I walk."

 

[AdrockTN]

Totally normal ... if you have a mechanical valve, you'll be taking the warfarin for the rest of your life.

 

[epstns]

No mech valve here. . . MOO!

I did take warfarin for 3 months post-op, along with Lasix, potassium, Lipitor, metoprolol, and a list of others. I still take many pills daily, although some of them are over-the-counter supplements, etc.

 

[Bryan B]

My surgery was 3 years ago and I am still on 3 heart meds and probably will be for life. When I came home from surgery I was probably on about 6 more besides the 3 heart meds, but they were all temporary.

 

[clay_from_nj]

Still on warfarin, coreg, and lisinopril. At my 18-months-after-surgery checkup, my doc increased my lisinopril because I can probably tolerate it fine and lowering my blood pressure, as long as I remain conscious, would be beneficial to helping my heart to strengthen further. She said she would up the coreg, but for my already low heart rate (50-60 resting).