Is feeling dizzy normal after surgery?

[Bobspur73]

Hi. It's been 3 weeks since I had my Aortic Valve Replacement surgery and yes, pains etc are there for which I'm taking Shortec and Longtec tablets. But I have been feeling dizzy and nauseous for the last 3 days. Physically being sick twice. Today the dizziness was so bad I nearly fell. Granted, I haven't been eating as much as normal but I do eat. I take my tablets 3-4 times a day. Any advice would be grateful.

[Healthyheart1]

Hi Bobspur73, hope you don't mind me saying, longterm and shorter are strong opoids. Please contact your doctor or hospital consultant for the best advice. Sorry I couldn't help. Regards Sheena x

[080311]

Hi, as Sheena says think you need to contact your cardiologist/surgeon 3 weeks isn’t long since your op, but those are strong pain relief. Tell them how many you are taking, I had my Aortic valve replaced and bypass nearly 4 years ago, and it just takes time to get going again. I don’t think we realise how long it takes for the anesthetiser to finally leave our body,

Hope your feeling better soon,

Best wishes Pauline

[Hidden]

Do you think you’re sufficiently hydrated? Not drinking enough makes me dizzy enough to wobble/fall quite often. Many things increase dehydration, from exhaling & sweating during exercise, to eating less, to some meds.

If you don’t think it’s that, I’d speak to the cardiologist. Sometimes dizziness is related to ability of heart to pump blood to brain, but it can also just be postural (mine is when I stand up).

If you’re still needing opioids 3-4 times daily after several weeks, yes I’d discuss with a doc. Things I’d be curious about are, could it be that (1) the pain is not decreasing because maybe something needs investigating eg scar (2) you’re doing too much physical exertion and that’s driving pain up (I only did walking for a few months) (3) your body is becoming accustomed to the opioids. If 3, Doc’s may suggest alternatives or a wean-off plan (I started slowly replacing some tablets with paracetamol & in time, I was on just paracetamol 4 times daily, I got better sleep & felt better in myself, including fewer tummy troubles).

[LHDLondon]

It's normal to feel dizzy but often this is caused by the wrong dosage of drugs. Best to talk with your doctors and have them review. Painkillers should normally be back down to a regime of paracetamol as soon as possible after surgery. 2x 500mgs, 4 x per day, min 4hours apart. Worked for me after my 2 open heart surgeries. not pain free but certainly able to cope without heavy pain killers. My dizziness though was cause by too high a dose of bisoprolol which 3 years later I am still on, only on the minimum dose of 2.5mgs per day whereas they started me on 10mgs!

[jdege]

I was feeling exactly that, three weeks after my OHS.

I checked my blood pressure, and found it was very low.

I contacted my doctors, and was told to reduce the blood pressure meds I had been prescribed.