light Headed and Dizziness 12 weeks post op.

[Patrick Haley]

I am now 12 weeks post op. AR/MR and Maze procedure, and started experiencing light headed and dizziness issues about ten days ago. Up to that point everthing seemed to be healing right on schedule. I had to be cardioverted 18 days ago due to an AFIB relapse, and I have been in NSR ever since.
My cardiologist has pulled me off most of the meds, Toprol, Digoxin, Cardziam, and I am now down to less than 80 MG of Sotalol per day. I was on a very light dosage of Xanax (.125 - 2 x per day) and Ambien for sleeping. I am now off the Ambien and down to (1) Xanax per day.

My question is, could the daily bouts of dizziness/light headness be caused by all the medications that I had been taking since surgery, or their discontinuation? This has become disconcerting, and starting to affect my return back to a normal life.
I have also been advised that this issue could be and inner ear problem, which I feel is not the cause, although I will be talking to an ETN Specialist tonight.
Has any one out there experience these dizzziness/light headed issues during their recovery from OHS?

 

[Tony]

The following is a copy of a Feb 2005 posting by me.


I had feelings of lightheadedness during weeks 6 to 12 post surgery. I felt so bad one day that I went to emergency during the seventh week. They reported all tests were within norms. My doctor would tinker with meds but I got no relief.

Also I had several episodes of the room spinning violently. I was wearing a 24 hour Heart monitor during the worse episode but there were no blips on my record.

Gradually it went away.

Today I am fine except for an occasional ocular migraine.

Hope your condition clears up soon.
__________________

 

[JimL]

My cardiologist told me I could stop taking digoxin, so I did. A day later, I had quite an experience of lightheadedness. I decided then to wean myself off it gradually, something a whole pill one day, a half pill the next. If your lightheadedness is caused by stopping all these medicines, it should go away by itself as your body adapts. But the cards really should tell us which medications need to be stopped gradually!

 

[hensylee]

the others have given good posts. It is good that you are keeping in touch with your drs. Don't leave it alone til you get answers. Xanax could possibly make you dizzy. What time of day do you take it? Maybe at night would be best because the initial effects would happen when you are asleep and there would still be the med in your body in the morning - or maybe half a pill in a.m. and the other half at night - but check w/your dr about it. Our meds can make us sick.