One month post op and my heart is still pounding like a hammer--this is normal?

[pellicle]

mine thumped for a good 6 months ...

 

[T in YVR]

Mike - I am 1 month post op and am on Metoprolol (25mg 2x per day) - the doctors say I should likely expect to take it for 6 months. When I asked my surgeon if it was a short term or "for life" drug, he asked me if I had any high blood pressure pre surgery or any history of it other heart problems, to which I said "no". He said its unlikely I would need it forever. My cardiologist agreed. We'll see in 6 months how it goes...Metoprolol is being used for me to help slow down my heart rate because it was too fast post surgery. It hasn't changed the pounding sensation (don't think its supposed to).

They also just put me on Coversyl (an ACE Inhibitor - 4mg 1x per day) to see if this will help reduce the size of my left ventricle. It dilates your blood vessels and reduces the workload on your heart. I have not seen any effect from this on the pounding sensation, but I have noticed my heart rate has slowed. Need to monitor my blood pressure regularly.

 

[AZ Don]

My surgeon told me Metoprolol was short term, my cardiologist says it's for life. What are most of you doing; short term or forever?

I am 5 months out and taking 25mg Metoprolol twice a day. My Cardiologist has said I should plan on being on this for a long time. I think he is thinking forever but I was planning on discussing this more thoroughly with my Surgeon at my 6month followup and my Cardiologist at my 1 year follow-up.

 

[hook]

I slept in my lazy boy after the first wake- up. The thing that got me up a lot was the night sweats. Something about the angle of the recliner help greatly.

 

[jmstallard]

I'm coming off Metoprolol next week actually (four months post-op).

I know what it's like to be up at all hours. The first two weeks after my surgery, I could only sleep maybe three hours a night. The pounding sucks, but it will go away. At about three months, I only occassionaly felt it if I twisted/stretched a particular way, or if I took a deep breath. Now the only way I can feel it is if I lift my arms above my head and stretch backward.

I know three months seems like forever, but it will happen faster than you think. My surgery was July 26th, and that seems like ages ago.

What wonderful answers from my wonderful new friends! It's 7 am and I've been up since 5 am, because of the pounding. It does make a difference where my head is on the pillow. On my side, not too bad. I invariably wake up earlier when on my back. So maybe I'll try a different pillow.

I am on Metoprolol and it doesn't seem to help.

My surgeon told me Metoprolol was short term, my cardiologist says it's for life. What are most of you doing; short term or forever?

 

[Erik Sichra]

My friends!

I have read all your posts, and they are really helpful. Since I had the Ross Operation, I dont hear my heartbeat so strong;still I can hear it more than before! I think I can get used to it. Nevertheless, I am experiencing since yesterday some pain in the left-side of my neck everytime I breath in. It is an uncomfortable feeling, which I am recently experiencing. Today is exactly one month since my operation, and I also have pain on other parts of my body like upper right part of my back, my right shoulder and the right side of my neck too. I think, after my rehab,all will go much better.

I would like thought to ask you if you could help me with this sensation from the left side of my neck everytime I breath in. And the deeper I breath in, the more it hurts. I think it might be my left carotid. Thanks!

 

[Duffey]

My friends!

I have read all your posts, and they are really helpful. Since I had the Ross Operation, I dont hear my heartbeat so strong;still I can hear it more than before! I think I can get used to it. Nevertheless, I am experiencing since yesterday some pain in the left-side of my neck everytime I breath in. It is an uncomfortable feeling, which I am recently experiencing. Today is exactly one month since my operation, and I also have pain on other parts of my body like upper right part of my back, my right shoulder and the right side of my neck too. I think, after my rehab,all will go much better.

I would like thought to ask you if you could help me with this sensation from the left side of my neck everytime I breath in. And the deeper I breath in, the more it hurts. I think it might be my left carotid. Thanks!

Eric, you shouldn't have pain originating from your carotid. If you are, you should give your surgeon or cardiologist a call to get their advice. However, is it possible it is a muscle near the carotid, that is sore for some reason, and the act of your breathing is moving it just enough to cause discomfort?
On another note, are you tracking your weight on a daily basis to see if you're retaining fluid? Fluid build up seems to occur rather frequently, sometimes a month or more out of surgery. Fluid will cause pain when you take a breath, which is why I'm mentioning it.

 

[Lynlw]

Eric, you shouldn't have pain originating from your carotid. If you are, you should give your surgeon or cardiologist a call to get their advice. However, is it possible it is a muscle near the carotid, that is sore for some reason, and the act of your breathing is moving it just enough to cause discomfort?
On another note, are you tracking your weight on a daily basis to see if you're retaining fluid? Fluid build up seems to occur rather frequently, sometimes a month or more out of surgery. Fluid will cause pain when you take a breath, which is why I'm mentioning it.

Eric, Glad to hear otherwise things are going well so far. I agree with mary i would put in a call to your cardio or Surgeon. Thats usually good advice whenever things suddenly change during recovery from OHS.
My thought like Mary was it MAY be some kind of fluid. and it is always good to weigh yourself every day (usually around the same time daily right after surgery to keep an eye on things.
BUT it might be something like fluid around the heart (pericardial) or lungs (pleural) that is pretty common post OHS, and usually in that case weight gain or lack of it doesnt really help detect it, since by the time you have a pound of fluid around your heart or lung, most likely your would have other symptoms before that. Pain you are describing, especially worse than earlier in your recovery, is one of the red flags symptoms


The best way to detect pericardial /pleural fluid is first with a stethoscope by someone who knows what they are listening for and then usually an echo that will usually show the fluid. The reason to call the docs is IF you do have it, this is definately one of the things the sooner they diagnose the better. OFTEN especially in the beginning, you can take care of it with meds, usually something over the counter for inflammation, like Motrin or even steroids. Its not that uncommon to need to have the fluid removed w/ a needle, and rarely you might need surgery to remove the fluid. The longer it takes to diagnose the problem and start treatment, the more likely it SEEMS you might need some kind of intervention and the longer treatment might be needed.

I hope I didnt scare you, if it helps to know my son had pericardial effusion after most of his OHS, since we knew the symptons for him, we usually got it under control rather quickly with just meds.There also was no long term complications from it, even his worst cases.

 

[Consuela]

It will take a while to get use to it and then one day you will listen for it for it is comforting. I think you should try sleeping with the pillow on one side away from your heart (right side) and that will be less of a beat. I know I fall asleep every night on the right side with the pillow longways and it helps. I have had my valve for 8 years this December 13 and it will get better. I promise you. Good luck to you and be well.

 

[Lynlw]

I am slowly getting my INR adjusted, gathering some strength, and having less sternum pain.

But the ONE thing that is driving me crazy is my heartbeat pounding in the back of my head whenever I try to sleep.
The Dr. says this is normal, along with the elevated heart rate. Something about the sack around my heart having to
heal and get smooth again.

No matter how I put my head on the pillow, it never stops. I sleep for a few hours and it wakes me up every night.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this?

Mike, I know this is a little lae and hopefully things are better or you can tune it out a least. I was wonderring beside the Mech valve did you also get a dacron graft/ section of aorta? I looked at your earlier post, but for some reasons the info was deleted

 

[byun]

Mike,
How long ago was your surgery? I'm 4+ months out with the same thing. Seems to be worse as I'm more active and returning to work.

Michael

 

[mike dab]

Here we are in February and I'm listening to the "thump . . . thump . . . thump" in my chest while sitting at my computer. Sometimes it wakes me up in the morning. My surgery was Sept 18th. My doctor says it's "normal". Has anyone else had this symptom at 5 months after surgery?

 

[Lynlw]

Here we are in February and I'm listening to the "thump . . . thump . . . thump" in my chest while sitting at my computer. Sometimes it wakes me up in the morning. My surgery was Sept 18th. My doctor says it's "normal". Has anyone else had this symptom at 5 months after surgery?

Mike, Do you also have a Aorta graft in addition to your valve? There have been a few members over the years who also have the THUMPING you seem to be describing. Not the "normal" ticking that mechanical valves make that most people get used to over time, but a THUMPING in their chest that they could not block out and had a hard time dealing with it, to the point they contacts several docotrs across the country and the valve company. From what I remember almost everyone who had the thumping, also have Aorta grafts, in addition to their valve.
Hopefully your does get better but I thought it might help to know others may have the same thing.

 

[mike dab]

The surgeon said he had to remove a lot of calcification from my aorta and used a smaller (19MM) valve than normal. So while I may not have been given a graft, he said that I was "revascularized". You've given me something to ask him about. Thanks!

 

[Lynlw]

The surgeon said he had to remove a lot of calcification from my aorta and used a smaller (19MM) valve than normal. So while I may not have been given a graft, he said that I was "revascularized". You've given me something to ask him about. Thanks!

Hope they can help you. Here is one of the threads about this "water hammer" effect for lack of a better word http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...944-Valve-pounding-against-sternum&highlight=

 

[AZ Don]

The latest theory I've heard matches what was posted above. My surgeon speculated that it may be due to my aortic graft. I'm lucky in that I don't have it all the time, only in certain positions (arching back) or when taking deep breaths.