Vitamins, Nutrition And Tired Valve Surgery Patients

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A

Adam 12-21-05

Hey everybody,

Happy weekend.

I was curious to know if any of you experienced a general, lethargic malaise following your valve surgery. It seems to me that there are two distinct responses to this.

First, some patients notice an immediate boost in energy following surgery due to the proper flow of blood through the heart and body.

The other group of patients experience a tiredness that can continue for several months, if not years, following surgery. I recently interviewed a patient who noted that she didn't feel the same until 18 months after her valve surgery.

That said, I fell into the tired category. I noticed it most when I returned to work, four months post-op. Once 1pm came around, I was pooped.

To counter this lack of energy, I saw a nutritionist who placed me on a user-friendly eating plan to re-energize me. It involved snacking at the right time with the right foods (carrots, almonds, humuus, fruit smoothies). And, she put me on three different supplements - a multivitamin, a special fish oil and coenzyme Q10.

Needless to say, the nutritionist got it right. Energy returned. Thank god.

So, I'm curious to know if anyone else on VR.com resorted to a nutritionist to help them with their energy levels. If so, what was your experience? Good? Bad?

Cheers.

Adam
 
I eat pretty much what I want when I want. As I have stated before life is short. No self denial on this end.

I noticed a much improved mental and physical state when I started exercising daily. In my opinion one does not work without the other.

Tom
 
I felt very normal after 3 weeks, although I did not push myself, and since I had already taken early retirement, I didn't have to worry about work.:D

I take a multivitamin, Omega 3 and CoQ10, so I am happy about seeing what your nutritionist recommended.
 
Well, I didn't fall into the boost of energy category, nor did I fall into the tired category....I was in the "total wreck category".

I have terrible reactions to anesthetic; post op I lived in pyjamas for 6 weeks.

Fortunately my neighbour (bless her) was cooking organic meals for me every day, I was eating like a queen!! I do believe that was a huge help in my recovery even though it took so long....
 
Adrienne said:
I felt very normal after 3 weeks, although I did not push myself, and since I had already taken early retirement, I didn't have to worry about work.:D

I take a multivitamin, Omega 3 and CoQ10, so I am happy about seeing what your nutritionist recommended.
Click to expand...

Hey there Adrienne,

Are you on any specific type of Omega 3?

My nutritionist shared with me that there is a vast spectrum of good and bad products on the market. She suggested a brand called Nordic Naturals. They are independently tested and contain some of the highest levels of EPA and DHA.

Cheers,

Adam
 
Adam 12-21-05 said:
Hey there Adrienne,

Are you on any specific type of Omega 3?

My nutritionist shared with me that there is a vast spectrum of good and bad products on the market. She suggested a brand called Nordic Naturals. They are independently tested and contain some of the highest levels of EPA and DHA.

Cheers,

Adam
Click to expand...

Although I sometimes change brands, I usually buy HealthBalance Omega-3 with 400 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA. I have never seen the brand Nordic Naturals.
 
My husband was asymptomatic before surgery (he only knew 2 months that he will be facing mitral valve repair) so he sure didn't feel a boost in energy following OHS:)
Aside from the first two weeks post-op he had a fairly smooth and easy recovery. He was drinking lots of fresh pressed organic veggie juices and eating nutritious meals.
As soon as he was off Coumadin (at 3 months post-op) he went back to his full supplement regime as before surgery wich includes: Multi-Vitamin, Fish oil, ground Flax seeds, Q10 an L-Carnitine.
Except for Coumadin he was off all meds 2 weeks post-op and pre-op we had discussed all supplements with his allergy doctor who is a MD with a more holistic approach. Cardio doesn't care what he is taking as long as BP and pulse are perfect which they are.
He has awsome BP readings post-op (was pre-hypertensive before) - not sure yet if it is a healthy life style (working valve, low sodium/high potassium diet, supplements and daily exercise) or is he still in the 'honey-moon period' others so often describe....So far so good though:)
He will have an echo soon - if all is well (hope so!!) he will be reducing dosage of Q10 and L-Carnitine. The L-Carnitine he is only taking 5 days a week to give the body a break. Fish Oil and Flaxseeds he needs to keep his cholesterol down.

The only tiredness he has comes from not sleeping as well as before surgery but he is trying acupuncture for that and 3 treatments have definately improved sleep cycle - just not perfect yet.
 
:D Chocolate:D and lots of it!

Seriously.. I do eat quite a bit of dark chocolate daily.. I dont take vitamins, but I should. I take calcium daily.
I fell into the tired catagory too. At 1 year post op I am just now feeling pretty energized. However I suffer from teh winter blues, so some of my new found energy could be that it is sunny and warmer out too?:cool:
 
Cordyceps

Cordyceps

The name Cordyceps relates to a wide group of fungi - so please ensure you have the right one, as one can have a suppressive efect on the immune system. ->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

Another form, mentioned here, seems to improve the oxygen carrying ability of the blood. ->http://www.jcm.co.uk/product.php?catID=301&opener=0-301&productID=1331. This is obviously a commercial page, so it would be interesting to see if it is backed up in independant studies

Whatever the case, it has long been used in chinese medicine as an energy booster. I might be trying it myself soon, once I've done the appropriate research, so I'll let you know.


Here's some to be going on with, anyway.


http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cabi/bjn/2000/00000083/00000002/art00013

http://www.cmjournal.org/content/2/1/3
Warning - seems to mention a fair bit of Yin and Yang, but whether this is just referrring to the traditional metaphors, or actually represents the researcher's bias, I don't know. Judge for yourself.
 
Nordic Naturals and Carlsons brands of fish oil are very good. They can be purchased in most health food stores.

Recommended dose; at least 1,000 mg of DHA and EPA combined. You figure this by adding the amount of EPA and DHA and making sure the amount of fish oil ingested in a day gives at least that amount.

Both of the brands I listed above are quality tested for purity. Never use cod liver oil. Too many contaminants.

here is a paper on Q10:http://www.americanlongevity.net/misc/CoQ10_000.php
 
Sound familar?

Sound familar?

I considered paying a private nutritionist to help with my recovery. I called a professional who came highly recomended. I told her that I had been tired, surprisingly so, after an initial peak of energy post-surgery. I talked to her by phone and described my symptoms. She very kindly suggested we speak two weeks later. But lo, and behold, all of the information we discussed arrived by email moments after we hung up the phone. That was very helpful.

So you know, I am not a born skeptic:eek: :eek: but I am reluctant to believe most alternative therapies.

Well?

I must tell you that I started to notice a difference. It wasn?t immediate. But, by the fourth day after following the nutritionist's plan I was more active gardening, and I was staying up later at night.

Even my hubby, Bobby, said to me once, ?What?s gotten into you? You?re supposed to be asleep. It?s past your bedtime!? purr, purr;) ;) :p

Now, it?s almost a year since I?ve been on the plan. Unfortunately, I?m back-sliding, and haven't been able to resume skydiving, and my travel plans for fun and business have been reduced to excursions to the zoo.:mad: :(

Therefore, I don't believe that supplements (vitamins) and proper nutrition can help this tired heart valve surgery patient. I do believe that caffeine CAN!
If anyone is interested in joining a coffee club with me, please send me a private message.
Keep on tickin,

Mary




















--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
It's now over a year post-op and I still need more rest than I did before. However, I was asymptomatic pre-op. I take a multi vitamin. Did so pre-op, too.
 
This thread is looking more and more like an advertisment for Nordic Naturals. Slick way of presenting it, I must say.
 
Ross said:
This thread is looking more and more like an advertisment for Nordic Naturals. Slick way of presenting it, I must say.
Click to expand...

Wow that's funny you mention that, I was looking on their site yesterday to try to figure out why it seemed like an ad, I thought there might be a new partnership I wasn't aware of
 
While good nutrition is important, and I do take a number of vitamins and supplements, I do not believe that it has an energizing effect, beyond whatever psychological effect it has on the partaker.

I take salmon oil from wild-caught salmon (fewer toxins than farmed fish). Nordic Natural and Carlson's don't have a stranglehold on 3rd-party tested fish oils. There are a number of other brands with that distinction, including the one I take, which is very reasonably priced and shall remain brandless for this post.

I also take magnesium, which I believe is an important supplement for many valve recipients. Magnesium and salmon oil have each been shown to be helpful for limiting arrhythmias in some cases. They're both pretty inexpensive (especially magnesium), so there's no reason not to.

The Chinese often use hawthorne for the heart, which I also take. It's also quite inexpensive.

Best wishes,
 
tobagotwo said:
I also take magnesium, which I believe is an important supplement for many valve recipients. Magnesium and salmon oil have each been shown to be helpful for limiting arrhythmias in some cases. They're both pretty inexpensive (especially magnesium), so there's no reason not to.
Click to expand...

I also take magnesium which is part of my calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplement.
 
tobagotwo said:
While good nutrition is important, and I do take a number of vitamins and supplements, I do not believe that it has an energizing effect, beyond whatever psychological effect it has on the partaker.

I take salmon oil from wild-caught salmon (fewer toxins than farmed fish). Nordic Natural and Carlson's don't have a stranglehold on 3rd-party tested fish oils. There are a number of other brands with that distinction, including the one I take, which is very reasonably priced and shall remain brandless for this post.

I also take magnesium, which I believe is an important supplement for many valve recipients. Magnesium and salmon oil have each been shown to be helpful for limiting arrhythmias in some cases. They're both pretty inexpensive (especially magnesium), so there's no reason not to.

The Chinese often use hawthorne for the heart, which I also take. It's also quite inexpensive.

Best wishes,
Click to expand...

Magnesium? Interesting. I had heard similar things about its effect on the heart as well. I had never heart of 'hawthorne' before. Thanks for the reference!

Cheers,

Adam
 
I hesitated to post to this, but my son also sees a nutritionist. I was/am willing to try anything to save/help him. He takes hawthorne (also called cretageous), magnesium, fish oil, b vitamins etc. I can't tell you whether it helps because he has been on it pretty much from his first surgery. He went off of all the nutritionist "stuff" for a month before this last surgery. That was the only time that he showed any symptoms so who knows. His recovery is a miracle, so again, who knows. I am quite skeptical also, but we can afford it, so I figure it is worth a try.
 
I'm pre op and think i have a reasonable diet, but while reading this thread i started wondering if taking vitamin/mineral supplements before i have my surgery (probably later this year) would be good idea. What do you think?. Deanne was there a reason Brian went off his supplements before his surgery ......mary
 
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