Terrible pain in chest

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Smiley2000

Smiley2000

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
186
Location
South Africa - Pretoria.
I am 10 days post-op after OHS to repair mitral valve. Ever since the op I have this terrible burning pain in my chest area that does not want to go away! I did not sleep last night because of it and I am living on Painmeds, but get no relief. I am also cold and sweaty and Tachycardia.

is this normal?
 
Hi there Smiley - although I don't think your smiling now. ;)

There's a saying around here when some of us don't have the answers....

"When in Doubt....Get it Checked Out"

Rather be safe than sorry girl, go get it checked out.

Remember you have to be good to yourself.
 
I am going to see him today to remove the stitches. The burning pains started while I was still in ICU and continued every day. I thought it is normal to have so much pain. He knows about it - they called him out one night cause I was in such pain he just ripped off the plaster and said matter of factly that there is nothing wrong with the inicsion and that he would expect a much higher BP if I really had so much pain - so he just prescribed stronger meds.
 
Feeling cold and sweaty, and having Tachycardia (rapid heart) seem to be fairly common experiences post-op. They usually subside with time. Everyone's pain threshold is different but usually the pain meds are good at managing it. If you are not satisfied your surgeon is giving this the proper attention, get a second opinion. My GP looked after my general post-op recovery. My Cardio and Surgeon were mainly involved with just the heart related issues. I hope you feel better soon.
 
To concur what others have said, being very sweaty and having a elevated heart rate seems a normal byproduct of surgery. My resting heart rate was 100 for the first several days after surgery and then they put me on Metoprolol (beta blocker) to help lower it. It took several weeks but my resting rate now is about 80bpm, probably in the 70s when Im actually sleeping. I also sweated buckets it seems for at least 4 weeks at night. Also I would be cold and under a blanket one minute, sweating the next. That has all pretty well leveled off.

I had issues with pain also when they first moved me out of ICU into the stepdown. I don't remember what they had me on initially but it was a self administered drip and didn't dot the job at all. When they switched me over to Percocet that seemed to do the trick.
 
So sorry you are suffering so much pain. I agree that at this point, it's unusual to still have that amount of pain.

What stitches? I've had two OHS and never had stitches. The only stitches were a stitch at each drainage tube slit....three tubes my first surgery and four the second. No surface stitches at all along the sternum

Hope you get some answers (and relief) when you see you doctor.

Please let us know.
 
Did you have a Sternotomy (through the sternum) or Thoracotomy (through the ribs)?

Maybe the Pain Med he has you on just doesn't work for you. Some of our members reported they had to be switched to one or two other meds until they found one that worked.

Hope you (and your Doc) find something that 'works for you'!

'AL Capshaw'
 
I had a Sternotomy. Surgeon removed stitches today and then I realized where all that burning pain was coming from! As he was removing the stitches I could feel that same pain again - so, I can link it directly to the stitching. He told me that I am just a cry baby and that it will be over soon. but he took bloodtests and will let me know if there are anything significant on there. oh goody!
 
Crybaby! You are not! :mad: I don't believe that is appropriate to say to someone who's just been cut open like a split chicken!
Get someone to prescribe another pain med. Whatever you're on isn't working.
10 days out I was still in ICU, weak as a kitten, and still had drains--talk about drain pain! I didn't go home until about day 14 or 15, and remember being afraid to go to sleep because when I woke up my pain meds would have worn off.
 
Smiley2000 said:
I had a Sternotomy. Surgeon removed stitches today and then I realized where all that burning pain was coming from! As he was removing the stitches I could feel that same pain again - so, I can link it directly to the stitching. He told me that I am just a cry baby and that it will be over soon. but he took bloodtests and will let me know if there are anything significant on there. oh goody!
Click to expand...


Ask him if he's had a sternotomy and stitches. If he hasn't tell him to get them before he calls you a cry baby again.:D

(Or you could hit him in a strategic spot and then when he doubles over in pain, tell him to quit being such a cry baby!)
 
For months after OHS, my incision felt as if I was sewn up too tight. I'm not I would have described it as a "burning pain", but whenever I moved and the skin pulled around the incision it was very tender. Perhaps what you are experiencing is similar.
 
Everyone's pain tolerance is individual and it is not something over which any of us has control.

I think it awful for any care provider and particularly a heart surgeon to call a patient a cry baby...... after all an OHS patient endures! Shame on him. IMO

I hope your pain has lessened and you are now more comfortable and can get on with your recovery.

Wishing you all the best.
 
Terrible pain in chest

Hello Smiley 2000 !

I believe it is normal to have pain only 10 days post-op. I had minimally invasive for aortic valve replacement and felt aching and burning pain. I had no stitches either. Everyone recovers at a different rate, and has a different pain tolerance. Unfortunately, I could not take any pain meds that were completely effective for the pain, because of nausea. Don' get too alarmed, it will eventually pass.

Good luck on your recovery! Kathy
 
Hello Smiley,

I had minimal invasive surgery for MV repair and I had all kinds of strange pains. Clothing just touching my chest hurt. I felt like bees were stinging my back and there were times I seemed to have blood everywhere.If anyone had told me to stop being a crybaby I guess I would have had a broken hand also (assumes my very quite,timid wife did not hit him/her first). I think your doctor needs to adjust your pain meds.
Sorry you are in pain but you are here. Glad you are on the way to recovering.
 
I'm with Karlynn about hitting the doc in a strategic place. My son's docs were adamant that his pain be controlled no matter what it took. They lectured me about the value of the better healing that you get without pain. So don't let him intimidate you! Make sure that he gets to the bottom of it. Another thought about how you describe the pain - could it be esophageal reflux? Have you taken any antacids? The stress of the surgery is bound to cause a lot of stomach acid.
 
Karlynn said:
Ask him if he's had a sternotomy and stitches. If he hasn't tell him to get them before he calls you a cry baby again.:D

(Or you could hit him in a strategic spot and then when he doubles over in pain, tell him to quit being such a cry baby!)
Click to expand...
See, this is why I love you. Your so violent. :D
 
I would have beat that......... He is glad I'm not his patient. I am sorry you have had so much pain. That I can relate to, unfortunatly I also have pain, post op, that has stayed with me since surgery. Norco is still part of my daily routine, the pain feels like a hot ice pick through my chest from front to back and incredible pressure, probably related to my chronic aortic dissection. As others have said we all (OHS) patients experiance pain and recovery differently. So I wish you the best, and get another MD opinion on your pain management. Mike
 
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