my father has been taking atorvastatin(20mg) for several years without issue, however following valve surgery(TAVI) in January his mental and cognitive state has severely declined to such an extent it is difficult for him to function. He has no history of mental health previously. He also takes:
bisoprolol 1.25mg, edoxapan 60mg
any advice, similar experiences gratefully received
Thank you
Hello 
There could be all different kind of reasons why your Dad all of a sudden has started to feel this way
The best thing to do is speak with his Doctor or be with him and go and see the Doctor
I could give guesses to why he feels this way but they will be the best ones to give an accurate reason and he does need to get this sorted so I hope you can get him an appointment and will let us know how he gets on x
I had OHS which is probably more severe than TAVi. I was 73 so one of the elderly brigade. I was thrilled by the success and the fact the op was done.
The recovery time was three months but I felt a little better every two days.
Maybe his GP could swap one of the drugs.
Or your Dad could then have some therapy.
He should not be depressed at all, let alone as severe as he is suffering right now.
Best wishes
Sooty
You don't say how old your father is, but major heart surgery can have an effect on both physical and mental health. He needs to see his GP to evaluate what is going on.
81, we have seen the GP. They are not providing any answers
If he had taken the Atorvastatin for a number of years previous to the TAVI it sounds like it would be unlikely that the statin was the cause, although you could ask the GP about a change of statin to rule that out .The new medications may or may not be having an affect as well and so discussing those or if your father needs a dose or drug change is also important.
There so many other possibilities that could have caused a mental or functional decline since surgery and the most common of these may not be related to the heart or the surgery itself but the effect that recovery has had on your father's general health. Which is why it's really important to get your father to the GP to rule out the various causes.
First step is to ask to have a set of general blood tests done to rule out more common causes like electrolyte imbalances , vitamin or mineral deficiency ( which can happen even with a good diet ) and blood changes.
The baseline of tests to request are a full blood count, liver function, kidney function ( including sodium , urea , potassium), Diabetes , Ferritin/ Iron ( to help rule out anaemia), Vitamin B 12 , Folate and Vitamin D and Cholesterol.
Simple Deficiencies and salt or insulin imbalances can happen during recovery , especially if the patient is older or their diet and medications have changed after surgery. But simple salt imbalances and particularly low or Deficienct Vitamin B 12 and Folate levels can cause Fatigue , Thinking difficulties, forgetfulness , brain fog, drowsiness, listlessness, and trouble with balance, coordination and muscle strength . Luckily, if these are the issues supplements and diet changes can usually bring recovery very quickly.
Salt imbalances or anaemia can also occur with reduced kidney, bladder or liver function which can happen for various reasons including simple things like low level infections , inactivity , slow bladder emptying , dehydration, on new medications and diet issues , but they can have quite alarming affects on brain function and mobility. Yet again , if these are found they are often easy to treat and with that successful treatment normal brain function returns.
So blood tests could quickly solve the problem or help point the GP in the right direction for other health issues that could be affecting your father since surgery.
Your GP will also be able to test other things related to the heart doing BP/ HR tests and an ECG , checking oxygen volume levels and refer your father back to Cardiology for more tests if they are required. You father could just require some additional cardiac support or therapy to improve the problem.
So get your father to the GP and ask for a face to face appointment explaining that you will need to attend with him to help ensure that he doesn't forget the details he needs to share or questions that need asking ( get your father's permission to be in the consultation first) .
It would be handy to get your father to keep a diary of his symptoms or for you to note in a diary what symptoms your father is having and how often , as well as noting what he was doing for anything significant ( in case it shows a pattern that you may not have noticed).
Note all the symptoms not just heart or mental ones and tell them to the GP as less noticeable symptoms like frequent use of the toilet , nausea, joint pain , how much he drinks or eats may actually be the clue needed to help find the solution.
Hope you get some answers soon and please let us know how things turn out , take care , Bee
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond it is very much appreciated. We have appointments with GP planned. So far they haven’t been very successful.
Are there a number of GPS at the practice? After my triple hb my GP got me on the maximum dosage of my meds ( 80 mg statin , 10 bisop etc) I felt awful. I decided to see another GP at the practice and he is slowly reducing them and I've started to feel better.
I had open heart surgery 2 years ago and it took me a long time to deal wiht it mentally. the hospital I had it done at offered psychological counselling, however it never materialised. My Gp referred me to some therapy but it wasn't with someone who really understood what it's like to be assualted by surgery by surgeons you don't know. the lead up to my surgery was an absolute nightmare, I couldn't talk to the surgeon and was often simply ignored. I felt like I knew my postman better than the man who was cutting my body in two. In fact that was the case. the stress was off the scale and I was overwhelmed with panic at regular intervals for at least a year following the surgery. What I am saying is that having major surgery can be a major shock to the mind. I recommend you seek someone who can halp your dad talk about what he's going through, it's not easy for those who haven't had the experience to understand the impact. All the best Tim
Hi I'm no expert but I totally agree with some of the replies regarding how heart surgery can affect out mental well-being.I was warned of this after my heart attack by a Paramedic who had had a heart attack and it really affected him mentally and emotionally for quite a long time.
Hopefully your dad will be able to get the help needed
I had OHS for an AVR in Nov 21 and subsequently was on Atorvastatin and 1.25 Bisoprolol and other meds. I agree with what has been written already. There may be many reasons for your dad’s mental health but, more important than sourcing the reason, is focussing on how to alleviate it. A full physiological check is important as is giving him the opportunity to talk and process what he may be feeling. It is not at all unusual for trauma to resonate long after the event- all those ‘what ifs?’ can reverberate for some time. I do hope he gets the checks and help he needs and this will also lessen your worry. Best wishes
I'm sorry to hear about your Dad"s difficulties. I taken10 ml of Atorvastatin at bedtime. I do not seem to have any side effects. Best thing is to check with his physician. Tom Keville
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