Hope fpor pumpheadedness?

[Mara]

hi guys.
I am posting this with the caveat that coumadiners might NOT be able to use this medicine.
As a lot of you might remember from earlier posts of mine, I see this MD who is into nutrional medicine. He has put me on a drug, really an amino acid, call Piracetam, to help with that pumphead feeling. It is supposed to help with oxygenation to the brain. So far so good.
But, I do not do blood thinners because I have tissue vavles.
My gut feeling would be Coumadiners would not be able to use the medicine because of possible effects on red blood cells. I will check with him and see what he has to say.
I started on it about a week ago with the promise that it would make game shows boring, and help me be able to concentrate...all in preparation for returning to work. A lawyer who can't concentrate is not much good.
I am feeling less spacey...don't know if it's the drug or 3 1/2 weeks post-op.
-Mara

 

[Perrster]

Hey, Pumphead!

Hey, Pumphead!

Mara,

Your thread about pumpheadedness is interesting to me. Although I am a "Coumadiner" (great description!), my MD is a proponent of natural and nutritional medications (he has prescribed Red Yeast Rice for my cholesterol battle currently in progress).

He said I have a "bounding pulse." He said it's a side-effect of having prosthetic valves and described that the valves open and close with more "force" than a normal or tissue valve. I'm noticing it even more predominantly now and I am 16 months post surgery! My head throbs and I sometimes think I could take my pulse without ever putting my finger on a vein! Is this the same as the "pumphead" symptoms you describe?

Please let me know. I am curious about this and will ask my doc about Piracetam and see where it leads me.

My INR's haven't stabilized since I started the daily Red Yeast and Soy Protein supplements. So what can another natural ingredient do? The vampire bats will love it!

Thanks.

PerryA
[email protected]

 

[Jean]

PerryA

PerryA

PerryA...a year and a half ago after my surgery, my heart was vigorously pounding away too and the doc said it was due to the fact that it had been used to working so hard for so long that it needed help calming down. He put me on Lopressor for a year...I am now being weaned off...hope to drop it all with my year and a half visit next week. I have a homograft aortic valve so don't know if it is different for mechanical? Good luck.

 

[Mara]

Perry

Perry

Perry-
The "Pumpheadedness" I am talking about is that fuzzy brain feeling, inability to concentrate, loss of memeory, from the by-pass pump.

I have experienced the bounding heart thing too, even 4 weeks post -op. The doc said the same thing Jean said...my heart was so used to working hard that it needs to calm down. it has gotten better, and hopefully, I'll be off the Toprol at my check-up.

So far a lot of the nutrional medicine stuff has really helped! but, those Iron shots hurt like a Moe. ugh.

Good luck wiht the high cholesterol. I guess we all need to pay attention to that now, even if we never had prohblems before...don't want to go in for a by-pass graft!
-Mara

 

[Perrster]

Pump(kin)headedness!

Pump(kin)headedness!

Mara-

Thanks for your reply. I got the pumpheadedness thing wrong, but now I note you take Toprol. I am on this stuff too. I have cut it back to 1/2-25mg pill as a full one was a bit much.

I will keep at the cholersterol war and let you know in a couple of months if the nutrition, exercise and supplements are winning.

My INR has finally stabilized since I started (changed my diet) with Soy Protein supplement, Red Yeast Rice and severe cutbacks on dairy and red meat. Boca burgers ain't too bad once you get used to them!

Thanks again.

 

[Peter Easton]

Cross-clamp time?

Cross-clamp time?

Am I right that "pumpheadedness" correlates roughly with time on heart-lung pump or "cross-clamp" time -- i.e., other things being equal, the longer one spends on the heart-lung apparatus, the greater the degree of later fuzziness and the greater the likelihood (even if it's still small) of incurring other related complications?

What weight do people think that cross-clamp or heart/lung-pump time should have as a factor in the choice among valve replacement procedures -- from mechanical and stented tissue valves (shortest operation and time on pump, I gather) through stentless xenografts and homografts (longer) to RP (longest)? Are these tradeoffs different for people in different age groups?

And finally, just what is the difference (if any) between heart/lung-pump time and "cross-clamp" time?

As they say in Haitian Creole, "Behind mountains, more mountains." (Really true in Haiti, figuratively and literally!)

Peter

 

[Mara]

Peter

Peter

Peter-
The main problem with the heart-lung by-pass machine is that it destroys red blood cells. The longer you are on it, the more get ruined. I was on for 5 hours, which I consider a very long time, especially since the surgeon told me 2 hours max. But, he wanted to cehck some bleeding and do some fancy sewing. He said he was not as concerned about the effects of the pump on a person my age, 33, who is in otherwise good health excepot for a bum valve, as making sure there was no bleeding.

To me, pick the valve you want, that is much more important than time on the pump. You will live your life with your valve, the pumphead stuff can be easily dealt with. Also, do your research, talk with your docs, and make your choice. don't get involved in second guessing yourself. If you want a tissue valve and it's right for you stick with it. If you want a mechanical and the docs say that's best go for it.
Sometimes, there is way too much info on this site and you can get lost. As they say..valve choice is personal.

Any way, the pumphead feeling is an aggrivation for a bit, but getting better. Perry and I have been discussing nutritional medicine and for me it was very helpful. I was off the respirator the night of the op and drain tubes and catheter pulled that night too.
I can't complain. I went home 3 1/2 days after surgery! Except for a bad reaction to Oxycontin, it was pretty decent. the pain stinks but is manegable. I am glad I pursued the nutritional med thing. It has really helped me.

Good luck Peter, you will do great. And you get to be a grouch for 2 weeks and sleep all day and not feel guilty.
-Mara

 

[Peter Easton]

Time on the cross clamp

Time on the cross clamp

Thanks, Mara!

I gather from what you say that the principal issue in increased pump time is only a temporary one: i.e., though more red blood cells are destroyed, these can be replaced in time and there really aren't any appreciably increased dangers of permanent or structural jeopardy in the longer operations. Wonder if this varies at all with age of "operee."

You're absolutely right: one researches what one can, then makes a personal choice (which this website happily allows us to share with -- and "bounce off" -- others and their experience). But I'll have to admit I enjoy the researching of it, too. And maybe learning is good heart therapy!

Peter