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Recovering from anesthesia and surgery

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Hi everyone,

Many know I had surgery last week. The surgery was three hours long so I was under anesthesia for three hours. I had three nerve blocks, versid and and I am on Percocet and tramadol. I came home after being in the hospital for three days.

I have a lot of reason to feel depressed. But, I feel there is depression going on that could be caused from the anesthesia, or the medicines I'm on. The depression, I feel, is out of hand. I have a lot to be grateful for. Let me rephrase..there are things to be grateful for, but a lot went wrong. Too much. I have to be in touch with the hospital for wrong doings. I can't seem to get a grip on the depression. I was told today that I might not be able to drive for six weeks. Also, I've had no help from family. But I have had a lot of help from people that I least expected from. I can't seem to feel the happiness I should for that.

So, like I said the surgery was more extensive and I have to keep taking Percocet. Strangely, for whatever reason I'm able to tolerate the narcotics. I'm also on Antibiotics. I am usually allergic to all narcotics so I don't know why I have no problem with them. I feel that my body is protecting me because i'm in a great deal of pain and so my body is saying...."let her be okay on this right now." A major positive. Normally, I itch from head to toe.

I know many here know a lot about anesthesia and those of us with chronic fatigue syndrome; meaning many with ME or CFS know what it can do to us more so than "normals." Is it possible that with all the anesthesia and the medications that it has affected my neurotransmitters?

I wish I could take antidepressants because I feel so depressed. I'm trying to drink green tea or dandelion tea hoping that I can get rid of whatever it is I'm holding onto via my liver, or kidneys. Maybe the depression is an allergy to the percocet, but its manifesting in this way.

I need a brain detox or reset.
 
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Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Thanks, Sushi! Yes, I hope so also. Another thing that's going on is my memory is gone. That could be the percocet. All systems down.
 

maddietod

Senior Member
Messages
2,859
My Mom lost her memory for a while after a knee replacement. It had to be from the anesthesia, because she got off pain killers very fast, but had cognitive issues for longer. Whatever they put her on at first, post-surgery, had her hallucinating. I think she switched to tylenol with codeine. I hope the depression is from the meds and that it lifts quickly.

What a rough patch! I echo the happiness that people have been showing up for you.
 

Helen

Senior Member
Messages
2,243
You are really having a hard time. Depression and lost memory makes me think of B12 deficiency caused by anesthesia. If it contained nitrous oxide it "consumed" B12. It is a wellknown fact but often neglected that it can cause a severe deficiency. I hope you can discuss this with your doctor and get help, maybe MeCbl injections. Best of luck
 
Messages
88
Location
NJ
It's good that some things went well to offset those that didn't go as well as you hoped. I know the anethesia drugs have gotten much more depressive to the CNS over the years. I think the cholagogues (bile stimulators) should help detox the anesthesia. You could try some common kitchen spices like ginger, turmeric or cilantro. Hang in there.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
Hi @Misfit Toy, sorry to hear about the depression. I am glad you are able to name what it is. Many just can't when it's happening to them.

Surround yourself with beauty and distraction. Be kind to yourself. Get some sunlight exposure. Vitamin D works wonder for me for depression (I take 4000 IU a day in the wintertime) (your dosage may differ) . Breathe. When time is right, speak to someone about the experiences you have had that were traumatic.


Remember that this too shall pass.

Hugs to you, Kati
 

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
It's common for some people to experience delirium after surgery. It happened to a friend of mine who had heart surgery. She had horrifying hallucinations.

That being so, I'm not surprised that you are experiencing psychological efects. This facet of surgical care is undertreated in hospitals, who often respond to it with sedation, which makes everything worse. Also, opiates sometimes cause depression.

So once you get off the drugs and start to heal you should start feeling better.
 

SDSue

Southeast
Messages
1,066
Sorry to hear you're struggling, @Misfit Toy, but thanks for keeping us updated. I found the following on Mito Action, and think it explains quite well why many of us (me included) do poorly after anesthesia. It will pass, but unfortunately it takes us longer sometimes. Hang in there!

The Impact of Anesthesia (and Surgery) on Mitochondrial Function

Anesthetic agents themselves may impair mitochondrial electron transfer chain function directly. These medications may also exacerbate cellular dysfunction that results from ETC dysfunction causing energy deficits and or reactive oxygen species generation (ROS).

Persons with poor health or multiple health problems prior to surgery can expect to have more problems after surgery than those who enter surgery in good health and have few if any health problems. Beyond that, surgery itself generates an inflammatory response locally which in turn generates inflammatory cytokines which can act systemically. These inflammatory cytokines can impair mitochondrial ETC, exacerbate cellular dysfunction, and generate ROS. A common complication of surgery is infection, and infection can maximize production of inflammatory cytokine.

- See more at: http://www.mitoaction.org/blog/anes...ondrial-disease-patients#sthash.0oPHEoPh.dpuf
* I don't know how to do quotes anymore, so I indented.
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
Good to hear your update Misfit Toy. I hope things settle for you soon. I don't think I've ever had a straightforward visit to hospital and at times have had to intervene for my children and my parents. It's always demoralising to realise how many mistakes are made in hospitals, and so frustrating when we have so little energy that we have to use it for unnecessary extras!

I am an emotional mess on Endone (Oxycodone) and my daughter has the same effect from Codeine and Pethidine, so it is entirely possible that the pain meds are interfering with your mood. As well as that, it is well known that surgery that can affect your emotional balance. Whether that's from the anaesthetic or simply the trauma to the body I don't know that they understand that yet.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
good to hear from you, Misfit Toy. Glad some things went ok and sorry others didn't. Hope things improve soon. Hugs.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
I am glad you are through the surgery itself. I hope the depression goes away soon.

I am not sure that depression is particularly abnormal after surgery. Post surgical depression usually goes away. Rest, eat as well as you can, is what my advice is. Do a little light activity as and when you are able. Mostly you are playing a waiting game. If you are still depressed when your surgery wound is healed that might be the time to be more concerned. Waiting for it to heal can be a negative experience though. I would suggest finding some people to chat with here on PR, or whatever you do that pleasantly passes the time.

Both B12 and folate are used for healing, but then so are a lot of other nutrients.
 

Tammy

Senior Member
Messages
2,181
Location
New Mexico
Misfit Toy.............glad you are done with that ordeal but sorry you are feeling so low. Just a thought............in the past when I've been on certain antibiotics they have made me depressed..........REAL depressed............this could be a contributing factor. I'm glad you aren't having any issues with the pain killers....because you really need a break. Sending you many hugs and well wishes.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Thanks everyone for your comments. I saw the surgeon the other day or I should say his associate. Anyway, this is much more of an ordeal than I had thought. I'm not allowed to drive for another five weeks. And I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy for five months. He never gave me all the specifics or told me all the specifics when I met with him about the surgery or the post surgery. So that's another reason I'm feeling so low.

I can't get out. On top of that, they took the cast off and put a splint on. I was so out of it the other night, I put the splint on backwards and it went over my wrist and the front of my arm. I was in excruciating pain. I woke up the next day and I called them and told them I don't know what's going on and yesterday a friend rushed me over to see the doctor. They told me I had the splint on backwards. When they took the splint off, my entire wrist and arm was so swollen. I feel so stupid. My brain just isn't with it. :( There are periods of time that I can't remember.

Feeling slightly better now that I am done my menstrual cycle. But I just feel disconnected. I'm taking sub lingual B12. And I'm also taking some milk thistle.

Still on Percocet. A lower dose, but still on it. Yes I agree that being sick already and undergoing surgery is a nasty combination.

A friend took me out for lunch the other day. That was the highlight of my week. I'm so grateful for that. But the next day, I was so sick from the outing.