normofthenorth
Well-known member
6.5 d post-op, generally very pleased, but I've got a puzzle with my metoprolol B-blocker:
1) My HR has been much higher than normal (and much higher than "symptomatic-defective", too!) since my surgery -- like 90-something resting, vs. ~60. I've also felt a lot of "my heart beating out of my chest".
2) Partly(?) in response to a ~2-hr episode of A-fib fairly early post-op, I was put on 12mg x 2x/d of metoprolol B-blocker.
2a) I've also had fairly frequent PVCs, averaging ~10/mins, which often corresponded to "my heart beating out of my chest".
3) A few hours after I popped the first tiny metoprolol pill, I awoke with neurological symptoms -- only time post-op, touch wood! Dysphasia and a bit of general IQ loss. An hour later, I awoke again and I was cured.
4) They ran a brain CT, found nothing. Most of the Docs suspected a TIA. One crusty-pushy post-op Cardiologist (and I, esp. initially) suspected the metoprolol B-blocker caused my episode.
5) While I was on the metoprolol, I still had 90-something resting HR (vs. ~60 pre-op) with quick trips up to 105-ish from very litle activity. (This is, admittedly, in the first week post-op.)
6) I was supposed to go home yesterday, with ~5-6 prescriptions, including one for metoprolol B-blocker. Instead, there was a SNAFU with my INR -- too much Vit. K before the wires came out, so it was still too low the next day to send me home -- and I had to stay another night.
7) Today I DID get sprung, with TWO prescriptions -- Coumadin and baby Aspirin only!
8) It turns out the crusty-pushy post-op Cardiologist had decided to wean me off the metoprolol B-blocker (just in case it raises my risk of neurological symptoms) -- AND TO WEAN ME OFF IT AS I WENT THROUGH THE EXIT!
9) I've got way less monitoring here at home than I had in the Cardiac ward, and I'm not sure I'd even notice if the w/d of the metoprolol caused me cardiac problems, unless they were emergency severe. I have a little $20 "Chinese toy" BP & HR monitor, and it says I'm 123/82 BP (high for me) and 105 HR (silly high), while sitting here in a comfy chair typing.
Basically, I'm looking for any info or reactions I can get. Anybody heard of this kind of "cold turkey" treatment, at the exit? Should I be worried? Should I be taking some of the spare metoprolol pills we have in the house from somebody else (tonight), then phoning my own Cardiologist for advice tomorrow?
1) My HR has been much higher than normal (and much higher than "symptomatic-defective", too!) since my surgery -- like 90-something resting, vs. ~60. I've also felt a lot of "my heart beating out of my chest".
2) Partly(?) in response to a ~2-hr episode of A-fib fairly early post-op, I was put on 12mg x 2x/d of metoprolol B-blocker.
2a) I've also had fairly frequent PVCs, averaging ~10/mins, which often corresponded to "my heart beating out of my chest".
3) A few hours after I popped the first tiny metoprolol pill, I awoke with neurological symptoms -- only time post-op, touch wood! Dysphasia and a bit of general IQ loss. An hour later, I awoke again and I was cured.
4) They ran a brain CT, found nothing. Most of the Docs suspected a TIA. One crusty-pushy post-op Cardiologist (and I, esp. initially) suspected the metoprolol B-blocker caused my episode.
5) While I was on the metoprolol, I still had 90-something resting HR (vs. ~60 pre-op) with quick trips up to 105-ish from very litle activity. (This is, admittedly, in the first week post-op.)
6) I was supposed to go home yesterday, with ~5-6 prescriptions, including one for metoprolol B-blocker. Instead, there was a SNAFU with my INR -- too much Vit. K before the wires came out, so it was still too low the next day to send me home -- and I had to stay another night.
7) Today I DID get sprung, with TWO prescriptions -- Coumadin and baby Aspirin only!
8) It turns out the crusty-pushy post-op Cardiologist had decided to wean me off the metoprolol B-blocker (just in case it raises my risk of neurological symptoms) -- AND TO WEAN ME OFF IT AS I WENT THROUGH THE EXIT!
9) I've got way less monitoring here at home than I had in the Cardiac ward, and I'm not sure I'd even notice if the w/d of the metoprolol caused me cardiac problems, unless they were emergency severe. I have a little $20 "Chinese toy" BP & HR monitor, and it says I'm 123/82 BP (high for me) and 105 HR (silly high), while sitting here in a comfy chair typing.
Basically, I'm looking for any info or reactions I can get. Anybody heard of this kind of "cold turkey" treatment, at the exit? Should I be worried? Should I be taking some of the spare metoprolol pills we have in the house from somebody else (tonight), then phoning my own Cardiologist for advice tomorrow?