Fatigue

[caterb85]

Hi everyone! I would like to ask you all who have had a valve replaced a question. How did you feel 8 months post op?
My husband had his aorta replaced with st jude valve plus dacron graft with root replacement, and pacemaker 4 days after surgery. Everything seems to be doing ok but he is always tiered, even shortly after a good nights sleep. I was just wondering if this is par for the coarse? He doesn,t get short of breath or fatigued in doing steps or anything like that he just doesn,t have the energy he had before surgery. Also on a very personal note he seems to have lost his lust for life, including things that he used to enjoy. (if you know what i mean) he has been on an antidepresant med for the past year but this all seemed to start in the last few months.
He was a the doctors today and they did alot of blood work but we won,t know anything for a few days.
Thanks so much for your time and listening

[Ross]

Can you list all the medications he's on?

[Cooker]

It took me a year to feel 100% and a year and a half to start feeling “better” than before surgery … It takes time … Also I did not suffer any post operative depression but many do … As far has his lust for life, it will return … Make sure his doctors are aware of all of his and “your” concerns …

[caterb85]

Ross he is on warfarin, celexa,zocor,diovan andnorvasc.

[Ross]

I'll have to look most of those up before I can place blame on any of them. As Cooker said, make sure you mention your concern to his Doctor. It's probably a combination of things that he's going to have to work through.

[Bina]

8 months post op I was also tired alot, which made me sad, and I had a TON of arrythmias.
Maybe you could interest him in a very relaxing massage...nothing sexual, just a quiet, soothing time for the both of you.

[catwoman]

The depression can leave him tired. He could also have some borderline anemia, not unusual.
What is your husband's usual sleep schedule (time asleep & how many hours a night?)? Does he have sleep apnea?

I have hemolytic anemia and take vitamin B-12 tablets -- 16,666% the RDA (nope, you didn't see a typo in that percentage).

[Bina]

Marsha, would that show up as a low RBC?

[caterb85]

The doctor was going to check for aniema. I read somewhere that aorta valve replacement can sometimes cause you to have long term aniema. Does anyone know why this is? Also i know that they usualy treat this with iron. Can you take iron when you are on couminin?

[Bina]

I think for some people the new valve is extra hard on the blood.....basically, bashing the blood cells.
Iron with Coumadin is fine.
Can cause constipation, eat fibre.

[AgilityDog]

You might also want to make sure his pacemaker is adjusted properly. Mine was set too low for my normal activity level and I slept like I was drugged, all night, all weekend. About 4 months out from surgery we adjusted it to respond more quickly, and that made a world of difference.

[WayneGM]

At 8 months I was still tired and didn't have the stamina I had pre-op. It was a year before I could honestly say I was feeling 100%.

[caterb85]

He had his pacemaker checked a couple weeks ago and it turns out he is only using it about 15% of the time. Last night when he was feeling pretty tired i took his blood pressure and it was only 106/50 which is low compared to usual(120/75). They have his pacemaker set to drop to 60 from 10pm to 6am then 70 the rest of the time. I also he is always yawning, i don't know if this means anything or not. Thanks everyone you don't know how much i count on you guys, you are my main support team!!!!!!!!

[marie]

I will be 7 mts on the 22nd. I do still have a lot of fatigue and I am anemic. I take both iron and B-12 shots.