Temperature regulation post surgery?

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pem

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
301
Location
Virginia
Hi. Does (or did) anyone else have trouble regulating body temperature after surgery? If so, for how long?

I am 3 months out as of yesterday (yay!), but I seem to have bouts of feeling like I've lost my core heat and can't get it back. I don't seem to have a fever during these times - in fact, my actual temperature seems about normal, so I guess it is a perceptual thing.

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear about anyone else's experiences related to this.

Thanks a lot,
pem
 
Oh yeah, this one's fairly common, according to what others have posted here. In fact, even four years later, I swear it still happens, although I have the opposite issue of you, it sounds. I'm frequently hot, regardless of temperature, and I don't recall that ever really happening before surgery.
 
Yep, I had the exact same thing. I figure it was a combo of losing 30 lbs as well as the fact that my 'plumbing' was finally working correctly. I had always been one who LOVED air conditioning, but found that I was constantly adjusting the AC temp upwards against my wife's wishes. For the first time ever, I found it enjoyable to drive home from work (21 mile trip) with the windows down and no AC in 90 degree temps here in Florida. It felt like I had traded in my old carcass for a new, improved version. Then my appetite came back, I gained 20 lbs, and I lost that need to be heated vs cooled. It will probably fade for you by the 6 month mark...
 
I can relate to this on two separate levels. First - for the first two or three months after surgery, I was cold almost all the time. I walked around the house wearing normal clothes and a Polar Tech vest - I just couldn't get warm unless I wore extra layers of clothing. A trip outside in the late winter/early spring required several layers of clothing. Not at almost 8 months post-op, I'm back to where I was pre-op.

As for the long term description, for the past several years I find that I do not tolerate extremes of temperature in either direction very well. I probably do better in the heat than I did the year immediately before surgery, but so far I do about as well (or badly) in cold as before. Living in Chicago, I have to keep clothing for several seasons handy all the time.
 
Thanks - sometimes it's just helpful to know that what you are experiencing is a normal part of the recovery process.

pem
 
Thanks - sometimes it's just helpful to know that what you are experiencing is a normal part of the recovery process.

pem
 
And another one here! Actually in the hospital they decided to diuretic/ thing me-kinda to the max, overnite one night. Woke up with my consciousness somewhere near -my-? Thorassic area (?) decide perhaps they'd dumped my electrolytes, too(?).friend brought pedialyte. While I was waiting, sitting on the bed, probably a 68-70degree room- began to as I put it, assume room temp(????!)- looked at the monitor and I think it was 96degrees or even less(?). Now having been colder than THAT during surgery I think just didn't have any bells go off in my body sensory system or something(!). So I yelled for a nurse, she brought me hot apple juice and I saw later the thermostat had been turned up nicely. Getting home my house was 76-77degrees, thank you! With a heater in my room at night, too!! I'm only now, 6mos out, getting more able to generate-and-keep my own heat...a bit. And thisbis with a less fat layer than before ( kinda skinny) so I'm doing well in the thermogenesis dept....you will too! Michelle
 
It seems like "Murphy was an optimist", since one of the more reliable symptoms of (the dreaded) Endocarditis is wide swings in temperature, like chills and fever -- not exactly what people are describing, but maybe close enough to be confusing. I'm just sayin'. . .
 
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