Hi
I am two weeks post triple bypass surgery. so far everything is healing well. However,I am struggling with food.
my appetite is slowly returning although taste is an issue. My biggest problem is that after I eat, I struggle. I sweat and I just feel off.i find myself needing to lie down or rest. Is this a normal side effect?
thanks
Hello 
Things not tasting the same is definitely something a lot of us get but that does come back over time
I never felt like you do after eating but others may have
Do you have contact details for a Rehab Nurse is so I would give them a ring and ask or you could phone the BHF Nurses who are very good to x
Heart Helpline team on 0300 330 3311
I didn’t eat anything for a week after my bypass and if I did it came back up. When I got home I started eating little bits but was having to take anti sickness meds, it took around a month till I was back to normal eating but I’m finding I’m eating smaller portions and more fruit but I think that’s a mental thing and trying to be good, I still haven’t but the stone back on I lost at the start still sitting bang on 60kg 9 stone.Hope you feel better soon.
I was off my food for a while, lost half a stone in hospital. Back to normal after a few weeks though.
I found I needed "easy" food like omelette, custard, jelly and vegetables boiled to death as everything seemed to get stuck on its way down. Soups and stews are a great way to get nutrition into you but not conducive to this weather!It will get better but if you start to lose a lot of weight please go see the GP who can investigate further.
Yes. Same here. After my heart op I could hardly eat at all as everything tastes horrible and made my want to throw up. I took anti emetics and lived on soup,jelly,ice-cream etc. Took about a week before I could start eating more substantial food. I'm 3 weeks post op now and I'm eating more normally but there is still a lot of wierd taste to most things so I'm eating for fuel rather than enjoyment. I'm on a big cocktail of heart pills and lanzoprazole but I'm hoping it will all settle with time
Just to add some balance, I had a triple bypass here in Thailand 3 years ago and I don't recall that I had any issues with food/stomach/taste etc. I was surprised how well my recovery went. Lucky me I guess.
Yep same here, especially sweet things didn't taste right. Even tea that I drink by the gallon tasted bad for a while. I think it is the effect of the anaesthetic and subsequent pain killers that cause it, so you might find that your taste comes back as you wean yourself off the pain killers.
This is normal i was weeks before I fancied food and you will need to take the rest when feeling tired I'm coming into my 12 week after heart attack and stent fitted. I'm starting to feel so much better. Keep asking questions 😊
Thank you for all your comments.
It's just been difficult to eat and I'm noticing I'm losing weight rapidly. Nearly 1.5stone in the two weeks since the operation.
Thank you for the advise on small meals and softer food. I'll try that.
Hi Carlg, I was the same after my bypass. I could barely eat anything more rich than a plain sandwich or a small bowl of baked beans the first couple of weeks post op. My appetite did return though after about a month post op by which time I had dropped over 2 stone in weight.
Good luck with your recovery.
Hi Carlg,
Don't forget your cardio-vascular system will be greatly improved by the operation and you may need less food to fuel your system which will be more efficient. It will take time for your body to become accustomed to its new self. Some things may not be exactly as they were before the op, but given time you will return to what you consider to be normal.
When I had my heart attack and stents 5 years ago, I lost 1 stone in the first week and it has stayed off. Having a bypass 11 months later did not significantly alter my cardio-vascular system, so there was much less effect, but I still lost a few pounds.
Your body has been through a major trauma and you are most likely not doing as much physical exercise as you may have been pre-op. Both these things will affect your desire for food, but in time your appetite will return. Initially I went for quality, not quantity. I had a craving for poached eggs on toast and I scored a personal victory by preparing this lavish dish all by myself just 1 week post op. I sat outside in the morning sun enjoying my breakfast fully aware of the fact that on the same day the previous week I had been in a totally different world.
Give yourself time and as I did go for what food you fancy. It is early days for you, so keep thinking positively, it is so important.
With my very best wishes,
Gerald
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