Normal?

[JodyC]

I will have been home a week tomorrow and I have strange aches and pains but maybe it is normal? I have chest pain similar to what I had before surgery only a little bit worse. My heart rate is still high ( in the 100's) and at night it seems to be the worst. My heart will beat with such force that my valve is twice as lound and it makes my throat ache and I can feel the valve tick at the back of my neck. Pain is more in the chest and collarbone area this time as last surgery it was my back and shoulders that really hurt. I am still on pain killers and I wish I could get off of them but the pain is too much. I know the fluid in my left lung causes alot of the cramping on that side but I am surprised at how much my heart seems to still be kicking hard. Did anyone else experience this? I have told my regular doc about it and he said with 2 ohs in 4 weeks I should expect alot of pain. I wish my heart would slow down at night because the veins in my neck actually get sore and I can't sleep. I am still on 25 toprol twice a day. I take oxycodone for pain along with tylenol. I really don't want to have the fluid taken from my lung with a needle so I keep walking and using my spirometer trying to clear it out. Water is still an issue so I am on Lasix 20mg twice a day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I can deal with pain as long as it isn't anything to worry about.

 

[njean]

Having OHS is often compared to getting hit by a Mack truck.

And in your case having 2-OHS in a matter of 4 weeks, it's like getting run over by a Mack truck twice!!!

I echo everything Oaktree said & you may want to ask the doctors if they may need to increase your lasix dosage in order to get rid of that fluid build. But whatever you do, don't try doing this without consulting w/your doctors first!

I hope you get to feeling better soon. You've been thru an awful lot but I'm sure w/time, you'll be feeling better, just don't get discouraged --- give yourself time to heal!

Best wishes to you!

 

[Bina]

My second week post op I also had the HR of 100 whenever I tried to get up and move around.
Pounding, pulsing, it drove me nuts. My heart was exhausted and so was I.
My surgeon put me on Metoprolol 100 mg per day and when I got home I lowered it to 75mg per day and my HR was more reasonable.
Now I am on 50 mg per day. Don't be shy to ask for a Beta Blocker.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Greetings Jody,

A "Pounding Heatbeat" is fairly common following AVR when there was a stenotic Aortic Valve. The Heart Muscles are used to having to pump HARD to get enough blood through the narrowed opening.

It takes several weeks (to a few months sometimes) for the Heart Muscles to "recondition" to your new valve. Do a SEARCH on VR.com for keywords "pounding heartbeat" and you will find links to several posts on the subject.

An elevated Heart Rate is also quite common following OHS. Most Doc's don't get too worried as long as your resting HR is below 120. Typically they prescribe a Beta Blocker to help get it down under 100. Even with Beta Blockers, 80 to 100 is fairly common.

You may want to call Dr. Bove's office and ask his Nurse or Surgeon's Assistant about your chest pain. The surgeon may have a better feel for that issue than most PCP's and even Cardiologists.

You will definitely be more comfortable when the excess fluid is drained off or absorbed by the rest of your body.

If you have any Sudden or Overly Intense Pain, you should probably go to your Cardio or PCP or ER to get it checked out.

Best wishes,

'AL Capshaw'

 

[JodyC]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I don't mind pain or discomfort as long as it is normal and nothing to worry about. I am fighting every day to keep the water off. It is nothing to gain 4-5 pounds from the time I wake up until I go to bed. The Lasix takes a while to work and when it does it is all of a sudden and then I sometimes get a little dehydrated. I am careful to take potassium to replace what I loose during the day and that helps alot. Last night was the first I have had irregular heartbeats. They woke me out of a dead sleep. I drank a bottle of Propel and they went away. I assumed I was a bit dehydrated and that is what caused it. I will mention it to my doctor when I see him on Wednesday.

 

[Jkm7]

Hi Jody,
I just want to mention you should be very careful to stay hydrated. I am sure I have read that dehydration can be a cause of a-fib which you surely want to avoid.

I agree with what the others have written. You've been through so much and your body has lots of healing to do. But you are young and strong and will do fine. Take it slow and easy.

 

[Bina]

A couple of mornings ago I was awakened by some very nasty PVCs.
Maybe I was over tired, needed more minerals, needed more liquids, who knows, but I really thought I would be going to ER.
It passed by quick enough, I took my BB, and life goes on!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

When you get dehydrated, perhaps you are also low on magnesium which helps maintain a regular heartbeat. Ask your doc's about electrolyte imbalance with your roller-coaster fluid levels.

Were your "irregular heartbeats" 'regularly irregular' or totally random?

When I get PAC's or PVC's, they are 'regularly irregular'.
PAC's and PVC's are generally considered to be benign.
Beta Blockers usually control these.

Atrial Fibrilation can be fast or slow and high erratic.
Since you are on Coumadin, you are 'probably' protected from possible clot formation. If you do have A-Fib and it does not clear up on it's own, your Cardio will probably want to try medication. SOTALOL (generic for Betapace) works well for MANY VR.com members.

If anyone suggests AMIODARONE, ask them to try less drastic medications first. (Do a Search for "Amiodarone" to learn about this 'medication of Last Resort" which is the Sledge Hammer of antiarrhythmics and has a host of undesirable side effects if used in too high a dose or for too long).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[JodyC]

heartbeats

heartbeats

AL,

I have had them again twice this morning. I admit they scare the crap out of me. My heart will be beating nice and steady and then all of a sudden I will have 5-10 REALLY fast beats and then it will go back to normal. That was the first one today. The second one was after breakfast and it was more fast then slow and some hard kicking.
My fluid builds up during the day but the Lasix even though I take it by 4:00 doesn't work until night. Last night I went to bed weighing 122 and woke up at 119. The day before I went to bed at 123 and woke up at 121. I am taking 1 potassium pill a day but no other types of vitamins because I didn't know if I was allowed. My thyroid med was just increased too. I am slowly going from 125 to 175. I am taking 150 now. My TSH was 30 last week. I am going to my regular doc on Wednesday for INR check and I will be calling my cardio on Monday but I don't know how fast I will get in.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Bina]

The run of fast beats sounds like SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia). I have that occasionaly. When it is a short run it is harder to catch on an EKG. If you get a longer run of it go to the ER and let them get it on tape.
My low dose of Metoprolol controls it for the most part, and I am not very active anyway.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Irregular heartbeats can be 'disconcerting', especially if they persist for hours on end.

If they do not clear up in a short time, it may be a good idea to get to the ER (or Doc's office during business hours) to get them recorded on a monitor. Once your Doc's know what type of arrhythmia you are experiencing, they will have a better chance of finding a medication to control them.

Ask you Cardio (or PCP) about getting a Holter monitor for 24 or even 48 hours to capture your arrhythmias.

You will probably just have to 'put up with' those 'pounding heartbeats' until your heart reconditions which can sometimes take a few months.

Hope you have a better day today.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bonzo Dog]

I will have been home a week tomorrow and I have strange aches and pains but maybe it is normal? ..................................................................................

Anything can be normal at this point. ................................................. ........................

This is an extreme event that you are going through, and extreme reactions are to be expected.

Yeah that about covers it.

 

[MNmom]

I was just going to ask the same question

I was just going to ask the same question

I am almost 5 weeks post op, and i still hear and feel the pounds of my new heart valve- had severe stenosis prior to surgery- I believe the gradient was over 55. The other odd thing is that anyone can put their hand right at the base of my throat between the collar bones and FEEL the pounding. It usually creeps people out- good times. Also, I have a resting HR of around 95-105. I wonder about this too, but assume it is due to healing, etc. I will see my cardio on July 30th, and ask him about it then. In the meantime, no one (Cardiac Rehab therapists, or general PA) seem to be concerned about the high resting HR.
Good luck with your recovery- Im sure all will be well soon!
Ingrid

 

[gerrys]

I am almost 5 weeks post op, and i still hear and feel the pounds of my new heart valve- The other odd thing is that anyone can put their hand right at the base of my throat between the collar bones and FEEL the pounding.

Ditto at 11 weeks - so let's say the majority rules and it's normal and will be a get better thing. When I inhale deeply I feel the pound in my throat near where the collarbones meet.
I was originally worried about such matters, but I am convinced with the trauma given our hearts with all that brutal but loving treatments that it will take some healing time to return to the point where my body again becomes normal.

 

[JodyC]

update

update

Thanks for the response everyone. It is reassuring to know other people have had the same symptoms. I just get a little freaked when my heart kicks around like that. I expected the pain but figured my heart was "fixed" and wouldn't do that anymore.
Oaktree- Pain is the same today. It goes from my chest all the way down my left arm. My arm is more of a constant ache than a pain. I am still taking the Oxy and tylenol.
I am watching my fluids even more carefully if that's possible and walking more to try to avoid taking Lasix today. I could use a good nights sleep without my heart waking me up. Should I be watching my blood pressure at home? I know mine can get low sometimes but the doctors didn't mention that I should monitor it or anything. Just wondered.

 

[brd]

Hi Jody, I've just caught up on your posts and am sorry to see you are so worried. I know just what you mean about being able to tolerate a lot if you know it is to be expected. It's fear that gives us the most pain sometimes. I hope very much that you will press the point with your cardio and insist on being seen tomorrow. Good luck with that and hope to hear tomorrow that you got in and got the reassurance you need.
With positive thoughts and prayers, Barbara

 

[hall]

I can ditto everything everyone else said. Sorry you are having so much trouble. Sure hope you get straightened out. Let us know.

Deb

 

[lcwhitney]

You kind of sound like me after my first surgery when I had fluid in my chest.
I had to have a liter of fluid taken out of my chest after my right lung collapsed. After the fluid was gone the valve quited down and the hard pounding stopped.
Lettitia

 

[JodyC]

sleep at last

sleep at last

Oaktree..... I was waiting till the pain got bad. I tried what you said and slept 9 hours last night. Thanks!
Still having irregular heart beats and now I am wondering if the increase in my synthroid is causing it. I didn't take lasix last night so I know it isn't dehydration.
I see my cardio July 23rd (soonest I could get) so I will see what he says. I go for a chest x-ray today to check for fluid and see my regular doc wednesday. I will let everyone know what he says.