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Fainting since surgery last week? Dehydrated? I'm confused. :(

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Posted 3/26/2010 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

I had my proctocolectomy and permanent ileo a week ago and since then I've had two different fainting episodes! One was in the hospital when I was learning to change my appliance, so I chalked that up to being overwhelmed/on drugs and anesthesia and just having had surgery. Then cut to now, it's almost a week later, and I was feeling shaky this morning...then I went out to run errands with my mom and almost fainted twice! Barely made it back to the car and back to the apt.I am definitely really weak and underweight, but I've been eating more this week than I've eaten in the last month, so I know it's not that...could I be dehydrated? Could it be the effects of the surgery? I'm so confused and I just want to feel normal! I know it hasn't been long since the surgery so I need to be patient but this is so frustrating. Does anyone have any ideas of what this could be caused by?

Posted 3/26/2010 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
80sChick
  So happy that you made it through the surgery well and good.  Good grief woman give yourself a chance to get all that anesthesia out of your system plus all the drugs...your probably just need to take it a bit slower..

I too am very under weight but I eat tiny bits all day long, lots of stuff that would normally pack on the pounds but no ..last week at my doc's appt I had lost 4 more lbs..yikes...my bony but hurts to sit on the pottie....feel better my dear.

Leslie,  thank god for surgery....turn

Posted 3/26/2010 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. You are only a week post surgery!...and this was major surgery! SLOW DOWN. And really work on keeping hydrated. I would probably mention it to my doc but I imagine you are just over-doing things. nono
Posted 3/26/2010 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Slow down Stephanie!! Holy smokes!! Relax, feeling better is going to take time. Sit down and enjoy the crummy day time television!! *hugs*

-Allie
Posted 3/27/2010 1:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi 80'schick

I fainted alot too my first week after surgery. I ended up having a blood transfusion, felt amazing after. (Well as amazing as one can with staples, new bag and sore all over) The fainting freaked me out, but I just was low on blood and not building it back up quick enough. I would go talk to your doctor.

Sue UC2003, Ileostomy 2009
Posted 3/27/2010 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
Happened to me about two weeks after the reversal. It was a Wednesday morning. Had a bout of diarrhea in the middle of the night and by myself. My legs came out from under me three times. Dragged myself on my butt to the fridge and gulped a bunch of Gatorade and then laid flat on the floor for about twenty minutes. Felt good enough and got myself into bed for the rest of the night. Visiting nurse came first thing in the morning and checked my pressure which by then was fine. Went to the MD, my white cell count was up and received an antibiotic.

Friday morning, nurse is there to change the dressing. First thing she checked was the BP, 150/80, high for me. When she finished and I stood up, felt dizzy like the other night, BP was 100/80. The technical term is orthostatic. This time I end up in ER and then spend weekend receiving IV for dehydration in hospital.

Two things. Like the others stated, take it easy. The surgery is a bigger ordeal than the MDs let on. The other is our metabolism and absorption functioning changes and the body has to learn anew. Part of my problem was attributable to varying my diet while adjusting to the new me.

One other piece of advice I learned from someone who has dehydration problems, keep a small bottle of water, juice, or Gatorade and the like, in every room. As you walk around, take a sip from each. You'll stay better hydrated than making specific trips to the fridge.

Hang in there. This too shall pass.
Posted 3/27/2010 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
yes take it easy!!!
Its very common to feel faint after surgery, just cause you get warn out so easily.
But you could also be dehydrated.
you may think you are drinking enough,but you now need to drink about twice as much as you did before.
Posted 3/27/2010 2:06 PM (GMT 0)

I don't think you are overdoing it but I do think you are dehydrated.  Remember to drink more than just water; you need salt so either incorporate a hydrating beverage like Vitalyte or drink bouillon. Snack on pretzels.  Mere water is not enough to keep you hydrated.  I recommend Vitalyte because it's lower in sugar and higher in electrolytes than commercial beverages.  Their citrus flavor has very little flavor if you don't like flavored drinks but orange is my favorite.  www.vitalyte.com

Sue

Posted 3/27/2010 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys for all your replies. You've made me feel much better. I think I really am just so dehydrated becuase in the weeks before the surgery I was not eating AT ALL and now I'm shoving food down my throat! I went into the surgery dehydrated, and now I'm not drinking enough. I feel stupid for not having watched out for that. I am resting and drinking water and then also a little gatorade and pedialyte. Is 8 glasses of water a day enough now? I am trying to get that much but I feel like I'm drinking constantly and it's making me nautious.
Posted 3/27/2010 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
80sChick
  Hi if your severly dehydrated where you need a IV fluids, because you cannot drink enough water not even 8 glasses....  So if your dehydrated bad go get some fluids at the er..because drinking water does not do the same as having a IV, it gets right to the problem...that is what the doc's have told me..

He says when your so bad you cant drink enough water to cure the problem...

Leslie   take care hun, you need to hydrated you just had surgery...

Posted 3/29/2010 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
You should probably call your doc's office (the on call resident) and get their opinion. You sound like you should get some IV fluids before things get worse...water won't get you back to normal and sugary drinks can make things worse:(
Posted 3/29/2010 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
I appreciate all your advice, guys. I have been reading a lot on here and online and stuff, and I think the fainting might have also been attributed to dropping my steroids. The first time I fainted I had gone from 40 to 25 mg (!!!) and then the second time I went from 25 to 20 that day. I have not been as low as 20 in at least 8 months, and I think my adrenal glands are just freaking out. I've been drinking aaaaaa loooottttttt and will continue to, but I have been doing better and I'm taking it easy. I will call the dr if I have another spell for sure.
Posted 3/29/2010 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
8 is what a coloned (i just made that word up) person needs, we need ALOT more than that, i try to do about 5 or 6 bottles a day which is 120oz.
Posted 3/29/2010 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
Stephanie  Happy that your aware and taking things cautiously as you should..feel better....we are all pulling for you..

 

Leslienono

Posted 3/31/2010 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
80's chick,

DEHYDRATED! I passed out twice when ileo was new too. Once seriously after changing pouch for first time. Then another time. Until your body adapts and your output slows you will be dehydrated. I'm "adapted" and I still passed out in a hot climate on vacation. Without the colon to do it's job of reabsorbing water into the body (the small intestine can only do a small percentage of this job the colon did) we ileos are actually in a permanent state of dehydration. You should be drinking 2 to 3 quarts of water per day (and some hydrating solution without sugar and without fake sugar.) The more water is lost in your effluent, the less water will go back into your body to be excreted by the kidneys. Even now I have to go for a pick-me-up IV every once in awhile even if I'm not passed out dehydrated. If you are only a week post-surgical, it's too soon to be doing errands with your mom. Slow down.

I wish you all the best. This is just my take on what is going on with you; but do take it easy. Wish you a good recovery. Rosemary
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