Fluid in the lungs

[james]

So I have been in a bit of pain this week and after an Xray they noticed fluid in the lungs. I am on Lasix and Potassium. How often do we get this after surgery and could it be caused because I felt too good last week and over did it? Why do I hat seeing the phrase "Heart Failure" when I look up the symptoms?

 

[Guest]

Hi James,
I am 5 weeks post-op for aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair. About the 3rd week I started getting more SOB and a pain on the left side when breathing deeply. Yep...same diagnosis as yours. I was put on lasix, but after a couple of days decided to just have it drained out. It was a relatively simple procedure, and I think it cleared up the problem much faster than if I had just used the lasix. I don't think you did anything to bring it on....
Pat

 

[Bina]

Some people get these "glitches" from over-doing things....others just have bum luck. Good thing you are taking Potassium with the Lasix.

 

[ctyguy]

I had a bout of pericardial effussion about 3 weeks post op. Ended up in the Emergency room actually. Pulsing pain under my left collar bone was flat out nuts ! Fortunately within a few days with advil it passed.

 

[realkarl]

I was feeling so constipated and at my 1st clinic check about 2 weeks out they drained 1300cc from below my left lung. After the drain, I can not remember so much pain as then, as the inflamed lung started scratching against my chest wall! But I felt I could breathe easier. A few days later I went to the ER since the pain would not go away. I received a strong anti-inflammatory and x-rays showed some fluid was back. Still, they decided to let the diuretics work. It did, and I was soon off Lasix, and only on Spironolactone.

This was fluid outside the lung though. If you have fluid in the lungs, it's probably something different. I had that before surgery after working out, less so but still after surgery. After my bivent pacemaker, it's completely gone. This is called cardiac asthma, as it sounds and feels like asthma, but is due to fluid backing up in the lungs due to insufficient cardiac capacity.

I expected to not be in the "CHF" category after my big surgery, but still is, I am afraid, due to reduced EF, and still on all the same medications . My symptoms are all gone, and hopefully, with my pacemaker and better EF, I can get off some of the medication.

Please check with your doctor.

 

[james]

Well I have my first post op echo scheduled at NW Hospital on Wed and the Lasix will be over by then. I guess we will know more at that time. If it can't wait till then I guess that would be serious....

 

[Lynlw]

So I have been in a bit of pain this week and after an Xray they noticed fluid in the lungs. I am on Lasix and Potassium. How often do we get this after surgery and could it be caused because I felt too good last week and over did it? Why do I hat seeing the phrase "Heart Failure" when I look up the symptoms?

Is the fluid In your lungs or in the sac (Plueral) surrounding your lungs? It is pretty common to get fluid in the plueral sac or pericardial sac (sack around your heart) after heart surgery. If you search for plueral fluid, you should get a few threads about it. IF it is in the plueral sac, did they tell you to take Motrim or something like that beside the lasix/pottasium? Often they will start you on Motrin or other over the counter NSAID to help with the inflamation which is part of the reason the fluid comes.
Justin has got pericardial fluid after almost every heart surgery, (the first time it was very bad) There isn't anything you can do to not get it, just one of those things some people get. BUt keep walking, doing your breathing excercises to get your lung open ect usually helps. Hopefully they caught it soon, we know what justin is lik e when he is getting fluid and when it is caught early it is usually much easier/quicker to take care of.
Hopefull they can control it with what you are on, but keep an eye on it, sometimes they will use prendisone or IF it gets too bad they have to "tap' i t where they put a needle in and draw the fluid out.
Don't you hate when the speed bumps come after you think you are "safe"

I just want to say I was writing about fluid around lungs, not IN them. IN the lungs is different and I don't think is as common post op as around them.