Loss of appetite, change of taste, and sleeping problems following heart surgery.

[Tweedotter22]

I am new here. Had aortic valve replacement end of September 2020. Severe complications five weeks later led to fitting of a pacemaker and change of medication. On Bisoprolol 5 mg and Digoxin 2.5 mg and doing well. Great problem with appetite initially with rapid loss of weight. Disturbed sleep pattern still. Is this a common problem after heart surgery?

[Fredders]

Hi, yes to all of your questions. It is very common for your sense of taste to be off after open heart surgery, with me everything tasted like cardboard and I struggled to eat much for several months. It’s also common to have trouble sleeping for a while, initially because it’s so uncomfortable but I think also you subconsciously worry about doing some damage whilst asleep so keep waking up. My sleep pattern has never been great anyway and I can’t remember when I last slept through the night. Might be worth having a word with your GP regarding the sleep problem as he/she might be able to give you something to help get you settled.

Take care

Wendy

[Blackcatsooty]

Dear Tw i had AVR last May, aged 72.Taste buds did take a battering, for me this was short lived. Sleep was uncomfortable. I used five pillows, then reduced gradually. I also took to the spare bedroom for a week or three. And used a softer mattress. I would also go to the sitting room and watch tv. Rather than lie awake.

I trust you take the full compliment of painkillers, whatever was prescribed, not just before sleep, the whole compliment.

We have had massive operations. The anesthetic will have been in our system for several weeks.

We are recommended to hardly use our upper bodies for 8 weeks. Now i had two gout flares. You had serious issues and thus we are both needing to get over the fact that we didn't do the rehab as prescribed. So we need to work around that. No magic wand. Just take that in to account. As the warmer weather approaches you should get back on track.

On the plus side. Our lengthy period out of action has covered the covid crises, so two birds, one stone.

Good luck, please smile a lot, it fools the brain into thinking all is well.

Colin

[Hearthrob]

I had the same in April, and only just becoming stable. It seems to take a long time to recover..Sleep being a major problem, but Doc gave me Mirtazapine which now works well (it takes a few weeks to do so) but does help a lot.

[Ianc2]

As your heart grows stronger and your bones knit together you will improve. You will be able to gently get out and about and begin to feel better. With regards to your drugs Bisoprolol in particular has some very strange effects which a lot of people find difficult to handle. Did you get a chance to do rehab?

[Tweedotter22]

No chance for rehab unfortunately. Had problems with Bisoprolol until doctor reintroduced Digoxin as well. Side effects improved significantly and no more heart racing. Still anaemic but gradually iron tablets taking effect. Long slow road to recovery after the heart surgery.