Is it possible CABG has cause a post op personality change

[teresam3]

My husband had a triple bypass in May and he's not the same man. Angry, resentful (towards me), reclusive and quite nasty. Separation pending so would be glad of any feedback.

[Hidden]

Oh dear so sad when couples begin to drift apart or whatever - what were things like before the operation? How long has it been since the operation. The British Heart Foundation produces small information booklets that cover all of the issues one might go through, patient and relative and this is covered in a small way.

Let me mention what I know: - The operation, although a master class of surgery and almost routine for the surgical team, it is a long and traumatic operation for the patient, with stages that carry their own risks and consequences. The most difficult to overcome is the physical trauma of having the heart stopped and the blood bypassed through a totally mechanical recirculation system. Although this is not a long process it is totally unnatural and does have significant implications to the blood, ones mood and how they react when they wake up. It is also a fact that the length of time having anesthesia.

All of this has consequences to ones personality however thankfully it lasts but a few days, maybe two weeks. But again one must consider how your husband "views" himself during his recuperation. You don't mention his age, but older people can begin to feel their mortality, younger people frightened for their well being and later life. With all of these things floating about, the role of the spouse is usually one of nurse and support and chief cook and bottle washer since the patient will not be able to lift much for about eight weeks.

My wife found the whole experience very traumatic since she also had her own fears and concerns and worries and really had no one to off load to. You should try and find someone to off load to and you both should be seeing the doctor on a regular basis, for medical check ups, checking wounds and general well being. Pain management is also critical and can also cause mood swings since restrictions in breathing and pain can cause much concern.

I hope this will in some way help and understand. I make no excuses, just possibilities that might cause these feelings. I thought I was a model patient at home but my wife would tell a completely different story.

[Hidden]

"Resentful" can pop up when the man no longer had energy and

patience to keep it down.

If he is no longer able to modulate his temper. . .

Illness also changes people.

You need to do what's best for you.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That surely is a long way off since the problem may only be short lived with no need to throw out the baby with the bath water

[Foley1]

It could be he is feeling vulnerable. My father went into denial of anything being wrong saying 'he had been told he had been ill' when anyone commented on his hospital stay, so very defensive. I know one of his fears was that he wouldn't be seen as the strong man people went to for help anymore.

Having said that whilst in hospital I told the staff he wasn't my father any more! He had changed so much, more emotional, he just wasn't himself. We found that the medication he was on was having an adverse effect on him as a person/mentally. Once changed I got my father back.

A couple of years later I noticed he was changing again. I tackled his GP and found that he had changed my fathers medication without consulting the hospital, so he was unaware of any reaction the change might have. Again once this was corrected Dad was his normal self.

I would talk to your husband's medical team before anything else, just in case there is a medical reason.

Also is he on or been on the phase three exercise classes? Many areas also have a voluntary phase 4 groups for maintaining good health but this also gives support and social connections that are very good.

When I left hospital I felt abandoned like many do after a heart event. You don't want to be in hospital but you feel safe and your family also feel you are in the best place.

At home family worry and although its important to get back to normal, letting your loved one go for a walk on their own, can be traumatic for everyone. A good support network outside of the family e.g. Phase four exercise class with BACPR trained instructors, people who have been through the same experiences and who will talk, socialise and bring back normality to your world. Some accept partners too, so worth a thought if your husband hasn't already joined one.

Good luck I hope things get better and your husbands angry heart returns to normal.

[hutch123]

Was your husband aware of heart problems or had heart problems prior to his surgery? After a serious illness it really gives you a shake up, you have to face up to your mortality and probably a whole host of medication that you have to learn to live with. You have to accept there may be things you can not do anymore that you never thought about before. There can also be added pressure if your work and income are affected.

After my nstemi and stents (totally out of the blue, I had always had really good health) I went through so many feelings, feeling terrified, upset, clingy and so angry and at times I was a total cow. All of my moods were taken out on my poor family and I still have the odd moment just over a year later and my poor husband has been my rock (I have even woken him in the middle of the night and got him up to drink endless cups of tea with me as I had a sense of doom)

Would your husband consider some counselling sessions I found talking to someone outside of the situation really helped.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

There is a massive variation in response to heart attack/surgery. What events lead up to his bypass? Some people if they were very fit before can become very angry and resentful. Have you considered Relate?

Before my bypass I had been told by quite a few people that I would be very depressed after. I wasn't and was happy to be alive and free from breathlessness and angina. Mind you some people say I am l a happy-go-lucky "positive-thinking" or "fluffy" individual!

[sos007]

I had CABG in 2015 and I did not feel myself for over a year after. Post op drugs can change your personality as can the anxiety of your life changing after the surgery.

Gut microbiome health affects seratonin level which if reduced can cause some of the emotions you have described.

The best thing for him is to go on a healthy dietary regimen like the Mediterranean Diet.

This will allow him to normalize both his weight and gut microbiome.

Daily exercise will also enhance seratonin levels.

A long term sleep-deprivation (less than 8 hours per night) can also affect mood and temperament.

I got off all of my medications in October 2016 after making aggressive dietary and lifestyle modifications. I found the statin and beta-blocker to have affected my mood the most.

The statin made me feel like I was in a fog and the beta blocker triggered anxiety.

Good luck.