Extreme Hot sweats/Cold Post-Op - HELP!

[Moose228]

My husband had open heart surgery on 11.11.11 and they repaired his mitral valve and replaced his aortic valve with a bovine. Since returning home last Wednesday he has been experiencing extreme hot/cold flashes. To the point that he has the night sweats and has to change clothes/sheets etc. Then he goes to the opposite extreme and is shivering to the point his teeth are chattering (which of course hurts his chest). I have put a heating pad on his feet during the day when they turn into icicles but not sure what else to do... Does anyone have any pointers/tips to help us get through this? How long does it last etc?

Thank you so much for any advise in advance!!!
-His caring wife Jessica

 

[Fundy]

This happened to me yesterday, the day I left hospital. It happened after I skipped lunch and pushed pain pill timing past their limits. Forgot to use spirometer at all. Then took the pills. Center of room felt like 100 degrees and near windows felt like 40 below.

Since then I've ate well and made sure dilaudid pain med was taken within the 4-6 hour range of last pill, I kept up with the spirometer. If I get warm I pace the room moderately with deep breathing.

So is your husband eating well and taking morphine type pain meds within time limits, maybe even ensure taken with food.

 

[yotphix]

Hi Jessica,
I'm sorry that your husband is having so much discomfort. I recall that I had a very difficult time staying warm for a couple of months post surgery. (My family and friends had a few good laughs at me as I shuffled around in my wool hat and sheepskin coat in July and August.) I don't remember hot flashes though, and that makes me wonder if your husband mightn't have caught something? Our immune systems are somewhat depressed by the trauma of surgery, and so we are more susceptible in those early weeks. There is no need for alarm but an email to your docs, or a visit wouldn't hurt, unless you are sure there are no infections of any sort. I was a little surprised when I was in shortly after my surgery, to discover that I had quite a nasty infection hiding in my incision, which required a strong course of antibiotics.
Best of luck with your continued recovery though, and I hope your get past this little hiccup soon.

Paul
P.S. Just read the post above and I have to say that I don't really have much experience with pain meds. I was on Hydromorphone 4 days in hospital, then just Tylenol 3 when I got home, with no real side effects. Perhaps the pain or even other meds cause the flashes?

 

[Luana]

Check his temp to be sure he's not running a fever. If so, call cardiologist's office right away.

 

[AgilityDog]

Def. check his temp. He could have an infection.
Otherwise, some pain meds do make you hot and sweaty, as does getting the anesthesia out of your system.
It can take a while.

But when in doubt, check it out. Call the doctor, to be safe, maybe go in.

 

[bradvo]

I agree with checking temp and letting docs know to be on safe side, but admit I never did myself.
I'm getting close to 3 weeks post op now and the first week I had terrible sweating which then would lead to freezing my butt off.
Most times this happened when I would sweat hard, then get up to use the bathroom. The walk from being away from covers would get me cold as all heck.
At the time I was taking percocets 2 every 4 hours around the clock for pain.

Forgot to mention, I kept our thermostat at 72 degrees and would also run our living room fireplace round the clock. Can't wait to see what this gas bill is going to cost me.

Is your husband keeping up with his walks ? I think I have been improving since taking longer walks, but we don't all heal at the same pace.

Hope he feels better soon .

Brad

 

[scott.eitman]

I have had similar sensations after both surgeries. For me it lasted about 1-2 months post-op. It sucks to go through, especially the shivers.

 

[Bina]

The first week post op I woke up in the middle of the night sweating to the point that my hospital gown and
sheets were soaked. Nurses had to change everything and suggested it could be due to the anaesthesia or
the pain meds which I stopped the next day anyway and switched to regular Tylenol. No trouble after that with
heat, just ccccold.

 

[traveler]

I had the same thing. The good news is the cold part only lasted a week or so. The sweats lasted several months and fully went away.

 

[DanielB]

I'm about five weeks post op and have also had some swings in being hot and cold. More so earlier in my recovery, but am still seeing it,though less these days. Just last night I awoke very hot and wasn't able to get comfortable in bed at all until I actually got up and cooled off then used a lighter blanket over me for the balance of the night. This after being cold all evening prior to going to bed. I do think it has something to do with pain meds and the recovery in general. Still a good idea as others have suggested to be safe and keep an eye on your temperature and keep the doctor in the loop. Hang in there, it does seem to get better.
Dan

 

[Rocky]

I never experienced either being to cold or night sweats in the hospital, but once home I had very significant night sweats for about a week or two. To the point where I had to change the bedding in the middle of the night. Mine went away.

 

[Moose228]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. The sweats have seemed to end, 4+ weeks post-op! Keeping the fingers crossed....

 

[Rocky]

Nice to hear. Recovery takes time. It has been almost a year for me, and I still feel the effects of the surgery. But it lessens over time.

 

[Mentu]

Ripples on the pond

Ripples on the pond

I think this is a pretty common experience. Starting just after surgery, I began waking in the morning to find the sheets of my bed soaked through. My family doctor checked me over and said that sometime temperature regulation can be effected by surgery or drugs but it was probably not anything to worry about. In September, I passed my two year mark and the early morning sweating is now a familiar annoyance. It seems to always occur around 04:00 am. Until a few months ago, I used to wake up at that time although I never did that before the valve replacement. Around the time I stopped waking in the early morning, I noticed that the sweating was not happening every day. It now seems to be tapering off in intensity, as well. I've come to trust my family doctor a great deal as we have worked together for the past decade. Things such as the night sweating she says are like the ripples on the surface of a pond when a stone is cast in to it. We all experience some ripples after surgery and most will fade with time.

Larry
Tulsa, OK