philly_bob
Member
Scheduled for aortic valve replacement in three weeks. Major coffee addiction, one of the great pleasures of my life...
Will I have to withdraw from caffeine?
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I haven't stopped drinking coffee. I'm good for a Venti latte just iabout everyday including the day before I was admitted to Stanford and most likely the day after I got out of the hospital. I didn't have any coffee during the 2 months I was in the hospital.
My first surgery I drank decaf lattes for a few weeks but I was only in the hospital 4 days.
My first surgery I drank decaf lattes for a few weeks but I was only in the hospital 4 days.
malibu82
Well-known member
hey funny, i was interested in this too. i drank 2 large coffees from mcdonalds daily, along with diet cokes in between. the doctor said i didnt have to change that. but i was afraid of the actual caffeine withdrawl problems after surgery.....so i drank my normal coffee the day before the surgery. i thought i would be dying for coffee after surgery. i'm almost 6 days post op and still haven't wanted anything to do with diet coke or coffee. somehow, i am on the diet 7up kick. i normally hateeee that stuff! so i hope this helps your question.
Go Diet 7-Up
Go Diet 7-Up
Haha, I think 7-up must have some deal with the hospitals where they give you some secret potion while you're asleep to get you hooked on diet 7-up. I also have been a huge caffeine drinker my entire adult life (which is a long, long time). And now since surgery, I'm hooked on Diet 7-up (and never used to like it). Before surgery, I used to drink 4-5 20 oz. bottles of Pepsi Max (and/or Diet Mt. Dew) a day at work, and another 2-4 12-oz. cans at night. I think I felt like I needed it because of the chronic tiredness I was operating under due to the bad valve. At least that's what I'm going with - it was chronic tiredness due to the valve, not 'cause I always stay up to late. I guess we'll see once I get back to work, whether it was the valve or the bad sleep choices I often make. But so far, I haven't really missed it (3 wks post surgery now).
Back to the question - I've been asking the same thing of my docs, do I have to give up caffeine? And they've pretty much all told me the same thing - try to cut it in half 'cause it's not the best thing in the world for you anyway, but it doesn't sound like they're super concerned about it (which has pleasantly surprised me). Although, like I said, since I'm not really craving it yet, maybe I'll try to take the opportunity to get off so much pop (some people even say it will kill ya, not so much for the caffeine but other reasons). Same with salt - they say once you cut down on it, you don't really miss it, and so far I'd agree with that too.
Go Diet 7-Up
Haha, I think 7-up must have some deal with the hospitals where they give you some secret potion while you're asleep to get you hooked on diet 7-up. I also have been a huge caffeine drinker my entire adult life (which is a long, long time). And now since surgery, I'm hooked on Diet 7-up (and never used to like it). Before surgery, I used to drink 4-5 20 oz. bottles of Pepsi Max (and/or Diet Mt. Dew) a day at work, and another 2-4 12-oz. cans at night. I think I felt like I needed it because of the chronic tiredness I was operating under due to the bad valve. At least that's what I'm going with - it was chronic tiredness due to the valve, not 'cause I always stay up to late. I guess we'll see once I get back to work, whether it was the valve or the bad sleep choices I often make. But so far, I haven't really missed it (3 wks post surgery now).
Back to the question - I've been asking the same thing of my docs, do I have to give up caffeine? And they've pretty much all told me the same thing - try to cut it in half 'cause it's not the best thing in the world for you anyway, but it doesn't sound like they're super concerned about it (which has pleasantly surprised me). Although, like I said, since I'm not really craving it yet, maybe I'll try to take the opportunity to get off so much pop (some people even say it will kill ya, not so much for the caffeine but other reasons). Same with salt - they say once you cut down on it, you don't really miss it, and so far I'd agree with that too.
Ross
Well-known member
Sheesh, I had nurses bringing me their private stashes to replace that wanna be coffee on my tray.
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
Irregular Heart Beats are a not uncommon 'after-effect' of OHS. An elevated Heart Rate is another.
Caffeine is a Known Trigger for arrhymias so it could be an issue post-op.
Caffeine is a Known Trigger for arrhymias so it could be an issue post-op.
Just got released yesterday for that very reason (irregular heart beats due to the OHS I had 3 wks ago). On my release papers here's what it says in the Diet Tips section - "minimize caffeine, low salt, low fat, low cholestorol". The nurse who read it to me told me not to be overly concerned about it, it's just what they tell everyone (which is good advice for all of us, and maybe even extremely important for some) but she seemed to be minimizing it (kind of with a wink). I also asked at least a couple of the cardiologists about caffeine limitations (I went into a-fib the other day, and am still having irregular beats - which they've convinced me are pretty normal after this surgery) and they said yea, I should try to reduce it, at least for a while, but if I'm craving a diet coke, it'll be ok. Like Al says, it can be a trigger, and a-fib isn't fun, so I'm not drinking any for a while. But they also said this irregular beat stuff is usually fairly temporary while healing, and after that (hoping it's true that it's temporary), it didn't sound like I'll need to be much more careful about caffeine than the 'average' person would.
Andy,
I have to smile, because we share the same bad habits and habits and you are a few days ahead of me.
Am a caffeine addict and have been for quite a few decades, I used to be a cola addict, until about 20 years ago...am now weaned off cola and set to very occasional use, maybe one per week, diet.
But coffee, all day, all of the time, right there next to my water source.
Had no coffee at hospital, just tasted bad.
re-started since home, good coffee, but still does not taste as good as pre op, so maybe consuming 30-40% , what i used to
over the years have realized that it is the hot drink i am addicted to, not really the coffee and tea just does not do it for me and hot choco too rich in sugars for daily, so.....
suggest that you get a really good insolated mug, am on my 12th generation (smile) and my latest "Contigo" about $20, has to be the best ever owned.
It will keep your drink hot for 2-3 hours and therefore, you sip vs. drink, therefore reducing consumption
not sure if coffee will ever taste good again, but it may be my last bad habit to get weened off (grin)
Gil
I have to smile, because we share the same bad habits and habits and you are a few days ahead of me.
Am a caffeine addict and have been for quite a few decades, I used to be a cola addict, until about 20 years ago...am now weaned off cola and set to very occasional use, maybe one per week, diet.
But coffee, all day, all of the time, right there next to my water source.
Had no coffee at hospital, just tasted bad.
re-started since home, good coffee, but still does not taste as good as pre op, so maybe consuming 30-40% , what i used to
over the years have realized that it is the hot drink i am addicted to, not really the coffee and tea just does not do it for me and hot choco too rich in sugars for daily, so.....
suggest that you get a really good insolated mug, am on my 12th generation (smile) and my latest "Contigo" about $20, has to be the best ever owned.
It will keep your drink hot for 2-3 hours and therefore, you sip vs. drink, therefore reducing consumption
not sure if coffee will ever taste good again, but it may be my last bad habit to get weened off (grin)
Gil
I was told about this.
I was never told to minimize caffeine intake. I got coffee while in the hospital. I love anything coffee -- lattes, ice cream, floats, iced coffee, hot coffee.
The first cup is always the most delicious. After that, your taste buds are on auto-pilot, not unlike driving a very long, monotonous interstate highway where you're the only driver out there.
I do occasionally drink decaf.
The first cup is always the most delicious. After that, your taste buds are on auto-pilot, not unlike driving a very long, monotonous interstate highway where you're the only driver out there.
I do occasionally drink decaf.
There was no way to get coffee when I was in the hospital; however, I whenever I asked for Sanka, I got it. I had to laugh when I asked the nurse one night for some Sanka to have after dinner (I doubt if he was even 30), and he said, Sure, but what's Sanka? I stayed off caffeine for about a couple months afterward because I didn't want to trigger any funny beats. It wasn't hard for me, and I am a Peet's coffee, freshly ground whole-bean, made in a French press kind of coffee person.
Gil, something you said reminded me of something I just figured out the other day. And I thought it might be helpful for some as I don't remember seeing it anywhere on here before. As you probably remember, I ended back up in the hospital a couple wks after surgery due to irregular heart beats (still annoying the heck out of me by the way - which is why I'm up at 2 in the am). While one of the nurses was "flushing" my IV, she said "did you taste that? Some people taste a metal taste". I said "are you kidding me!" Now it all makes sense... In my first hospital stay, I had a couple IVs collapse, I think because they weren't flushing them often enough. Well, they made up for it with that last IV they finally got to work (which was just a blast for me while the found a place where it would work, given how much I hate needles). That last IV, they flushed it long and hard, several times a day.... Towards the end of my stay there I started realizing nothing tasted good. And got home only to realize that was still the case. One doc told me it was probably the oxicodone - so I went off that. Now I know (or at least am pretty sure) - it was the flushing of the IVs with saline solution that gave me that taste.. Long story to say, if you have that metal taste while in hospital, and even after getting home, rest easy, it will go away soon. I think it took maybe 3 or 4 days once I got off those damn IVs to go away.
Andy,
you could be on to something on IV and flushes and my experiences in 3-5th day are about the same as yours.
I blew up into the Michelin man on day 4 and 5 and all needles for bloodtest and other became very difficult as they could not find my veins.
IV needed changing on 4th, burned teerribly and that was tough as after several tries, they could only finally do it in the elbow crook, which is not ideal and from theron they were better about flushing the IV
anyways on this topic, am back to sipping coffee all day long and it still tastes crummy 11 days post op, taste buds still altered methinks
do not have the ireegular heartbeat issue, but getting a full night's sleep is slightly better with OTC sleeping pills,
no daytime naps for me else cannot get the 4-7 hours of necessaary sleep
Gil.
you could be on to something on IV and flushes and my experiences in 3-5th day are about the same as yours.
I blew up into the Michelin man on day 4 and 5 and all needles for bloodtest and other became very difficult as they could not find my veins.
IV needed changing on 4th, burned teerribly and that was tough as after several tries, they could only finally do it in the elbow crook, which is not ideal and from theron they were better about flushing the IV
anyways on this topic, am back to sipping coffee all day long and it still tastes crummy 11 days post op, taste buds still altered methinks
do not have the ireegular heartbeat issue, but getting a full night's sleep is slightly better with OTC sleeping pills,
no daytime naps for me else cannot get the 4-7 hours of necessaary sleep
Gil.
I believe I had a little hospital coffee in my five days there after surgery. Once home, I resumed real coffee. You'll find many medical authorities that say to slash caffeine. I can't do without my coiffee, though I do try not to exceed 3 cups a day. As for decaf, what's the point?
Bob, you have to always keep in mind that we are each going to respond somewhat differently. Before the AVR, a cup of coffee would set off palpitations and arrhythmia which could last for hours and leave me feeling like the proverbial dish rag so I stopped all caffeine use. It did help somewhat. I was quite surprised, however, when coffee was brought with my first breakfast 2 days after surgery. It wasn't great coffee but it didn't cause me any grief and has not in the 8 months since. Probably you will be able to have coffee but you have to be prepared for the possibility that you will be one of those who cannot until farther along the healing curve.
Larry
Larry
I don't remember anyone telling me to cut back on caffeine. Have been addicted to Diet Coke ever since aspartame came on the market. And always have 3, 4 or more cups black coffee at breakfast. Also love ice tea. The last couple years we been buying half decaff/regular coffee.
But I've never had a problem with irregular heart beat.
But I've never had a problem with irregular heart beat.
philly_bob
Member
Thanks for your replies, folks. Feel quite relieved.
Coming to this discussion late and tossing a wrench into it.
My cardio is absolutely against me consuming coffee. I found this out when I was readmitted for some post-op A-fib/A-flutter and he walked into my room and busted me drinking a really delicious cup of vending-machine-brewed coffee that my husband had found for me down the hall -- of the cardiac wing :rolleyes2: I tried to obey my nice cardio but haven't done so well.
Oh, and one cold glass of iced tea bothers me worse than one nice hot cup of coffee. Something about the nerve that runs down next to the esophagus which can contribute to arrhythmias -- and I'm probably not explaining that very well but it seems to be some kind of trigger for me.
My cardio is absolutely against me consuming coffee. I found this out when I was readmitted for some post-op A-fib/A-flutter and he walked into my room and busted me drinking a really delicious cup of vending-machine-brewed coffee that my husband had found for me down the hall -- of the cardiac wing :rolleyes2: I tried to obey my nice cardio but haven't done so well.
Oh, and one cold glass of iced tea bothers me worse than one nice hot cup of coffee. Something about the nerve that runs down next to the esophagus which can contribute to arrhythmias -- and I'm probably not explaining that very well but it seems to be some kind of trigger for me.
I got coffee in the hospital, or wanna-be coffee, as Ross called it. No one has ever mentioned any retrictions, and I have high blood pressure. But I've never had afib/flutter. I've stopped coffee for varying periods and never seen any effect on my BP or heart rate, even though it is pharmacologically a decent vasocontrictor.
Ross
Well-known member
Impossible :eek2: :biggrin2:
