Dan's Posts

6-Month Post-Surgery Update: After lying under knife 6 months ago, I’m not fully back to “normal” and am very annoyed about this and many other things. Two cardiologists tell me that, after six months, I must look elsewhere for answers. Both treat me kindly and both dismiss my various symptoms as: “outside their expertise.” Asymptomatic, I reluctantly elected surgery based on increasingly ominous echocardiograms & advise of 3 cardiologists & 2 surgeons. Surgery & immediate post-surgery went fine, described as “uneventful.” My worst surgical fears were not realized: These fears included: death, life-long paralysis, months of dependence on others, waking up during surgery, waking up with the breathing tube, torturous pain, surgical complications or various other problems involving, sex, excretion or losing my sense of humor. However, I do feel like surgery, while saving my life, changed & aged me, from 69 to about 75. My incision still pinches while driving or unscrewing a cap. My hair is significantly thinner, even balding in spots. I’ve lost 20 lbs that I think is a good outcome, but my wife and children think is too much. Mostly, I’m tired and irritated. Sure, I like to read, listen to music and watch TV/Movies, but I’m unproductive - doing things is a real struggle. Even after a rare 8 hours sleep, I wake up tired until I take medications (tramadol & cannabis). While still retaining the capacity to occasionally be a nice person, I’m meaner, angrier & more annoyed than ever. Despite regular boring exercise, I’m exhausted with everyday life. I’ve seen a $200 cardiac therapist (covered under health care), who told me I’m clinically depressed and recommends a $425/hr psychiatrist (only 20% covered) who told me that at my age “people start coming to terms with the world.” She wants me to stop taking tramadol, cannabis, and Xanax; she substitutes her prescriptions for Wellbutrin (for depression), Gabapentin (for fibromyalgia in legs) and Doxepin (for sleep). I cannot afford this doctor and her prescriptions help less than my current medications. So, I’m frustrated & wonder if this is still post-surgical blues or simply old-age depression or some other mental deterioration.

Tramadol withdrawal? Tramadol has become the drug of choice for post-surgical pain. It's an Opioid whose use has become widespread because it's supposedly non-addictive although it can be habit forming. I'm heading into my 14th post-surgery week & stopped taking it a week ago. I did keep taking it even though I wasn't feeling pain because I thought it helped me sleep. Knowing that I can't take it forever, I stopped. Since I stopped, I feel like I've relapsed several weeks. I'm tired all day, but I don't sleep well, Once I lie down, I feel uncomfortable and agitated. I sometimes nap during the day which I hate doing because I feel like my life is slipping away. I have little motivation other than rest even though I have been forcing myself to go to cardiac rehab 3 times/week. But I'm exhausted afterwards. I'm sure my family and friends are tired of my hearing how tired I am. My doctors say: "You are 3 months post-surgery and should be feeling normal or better than normal and your tiredness is not the result of tramadol withdrawal or metoprolol (which I'm still taking): you should see a therapist." But there's lots of anecdotal evidence online that relates to both 'tramadol withdrawal.' Have any OHS veterans or medical personnel have any experience or opinion about tramadol & any negative side efforts or withdrawal symptoms?