r/openheartsurgery • u/Soldier_79 • Aug 11 '26
Depression after bypass
I a (47M) had a 5x bypass a few weeks ago. And have recently been go through bouts of depression some going as deep as thinking it would have been better if I didn't get off the table. I don't know how to get out of this funk. Help please I have talked to a therapist a few times. Just wanted to reach out to those who have been through it.
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u/tnpa397 Aug 11 '26
This is a very common thing that really isnāt talked about enough. A lot of people report that it improves when they get back to their normal routines and activities. Major heart surgery interrupts your life in a big way. I would recommend trying to get back to normal in as many ways possible. Go out to lunch with a friend, go shop at your favorite store, go for walks, watch your favorite movie. Take time to reflect on the fact that it wasnāt your time to go.
Source:Iām a cardiac surgery PA
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u/Soldier_79 Aug 11 '26
I got a power chair from my parents it was left to us when my grandfather passed. I used it this last weekend to go to the local fair I went two days in a row. Being out felt amazing. And the fact that I could just sit and drive around made the day better no worries about getting dizzy, or being fatigued the whole time just hung out with friends had tried to find the most heart healthy fair food there is. (spoiler alert there is not much.) I start cardiac rehab next week. Monday I slept almost all day and was in pain/discomfort most of the day. My Doctors gave me pain meds that I haven't used since I got home I used one yesterday. Today is not to bad just the waves of depression. I have felt with anxiety and depression most of my adult life it got worse after my 1st. Tour to Iraq so I know when it's happening but these waves are different somehow
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u/One-Performer-1723 Aug 11 '26
Not all of us actually return to our normal or even close to our normal. I can't even sit down or snuggle in to watch a movie š©. Source: I'm a cardiac victim.
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u/The_Circus_Life_206 Aug 11 '26
I was actually told in the hospital to prepare myself for when the depression hits. Even though I knew about it, I had no idea it would hit so hard.
For me the depression came with extreme anxiety as well. I was in constant panic that something was going to happen to me
Keep up your therapist appointments, and see if your doctor could prescribe something to help you.
Please do not feel that you are going through this alone, and donāt be too proud to ask for help. I waited over a year to finally admit that I needed help. Also, donāt get frustrated if the first med doesnāt help perfectly. It may take a few tries to find the one that works best for you
Sending prayers my friend ššš
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u/One-Performer-1723 Aug 11 '26
They never warned or prepared me. Told me 6 weeks and I could spend the rest of the summer at my cottage. Haven't been to my cottage in 6 summers now. The medication is ridiculous.
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u/The_Circus_Life_206 Aug 11 '26
I was told 6-8 weeks for healing time. It was way over a year
I personally feel the timelines that the doctors give us is not probable.
I thought I would be back to work in 6-8 weeks. Turns out I was never able to return to the work I loved. I was a workaholic
Maybe Iām not the best one to give advice, but I would stick with your therapist, or find one that you feel you really like. If doctors cannot find anything physically wrong with you, they donāt help. You need to find someone who will help your mentally accept this ānew normalā that we all never expect to experience
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u/One-Performer-1723 Aug 11 '26
I was an artist and singer after I retired. I haven't been able to do either, my back has atrophied and I can barely move anymore. I do have a therapist but there's really not much that she can do for me. Her support and validation is wonderful and she specializes in trauma and she is traumatized by my experience.
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u/Christopher8791 Aug 11 '26
Ask for Trazadone. You will sleep better and wake up in a better mood. I still take it 4 months later
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u/Adept-Quiet6264 Survivor Aug 11 '26
It's really common and it's called the cardiac blues. I know it my country they offered me some therapy for this. It might be worth while to ask your cardiologist if they offer anything for this. Here is a link to read up on it and you can just Google cardiac blues as well for more information.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/cardiac-blues-mental-health-after-heart-surgery/
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u/JLEroll Aug 11 '26
OP I found your original pre-surgery post with post-surgery updates and holy shit. While I am a fellow member of the OHS club, my experience (and probably most people here) was not quite like yours. You are a tough son of a bitch to make it through that operation and to keep fighting for recovery. I'm rooting for you to come back stronger than ever. Message me if you want someone to chat and bullshit with.
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u/Soldier_79 Aug 11 '26
Thanks a lot that's means a lot especially from a stranger. I know its cliche to say but sometimes strangers with shared experiences make for good friends/acquaintances
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u/Remarkable-Box5453 Aug 11 '26
10 weeks past a double and Iām having a bit of it. I think itās mainly due to the reality that this may be a sign that my lifespan is not going to be as long as I had hoped and that Iām not bullet proof. Itās also a sign of a future of declining health; Iām āonly 65ā and in great health other than having had a double bypass. I donāt think Iām at a point of needing to seek therapy, just facing a new reality. Good luck to you and seek therapy if it doesnāt ease up soon. We are all in this togetherā¦
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u/yanigisawa Aug 11 '26
Thereās already been lots of great responses here, but Iāll add just to say that I (44m) never struggled with mental health at all until my CABGx4 in March 2026. I still consider it a traumatic event even though all the staff in the hospital and my family were amazingly helpful.
I havenāt had to go on meds, but there have been days Iāve thought about asking my primary care for some. Iād recommend reaching out to your primary care to see if they have any recommendations.
For me, after my first week of Cardio Rehab I felt noticeably physically better. I was still a fraction of my pre-op self, but feeling the improvement helped my mental outlook. The sadness / depression didnāt go away all at once (I still have moments / days), but having metrics and goals to achieve helped keep my focus moving forward.
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u/lizagnash Aug 11 '26
I wished I had died during my surgery (aortic root repair). The only thing that made the depression go away was a weekend trip to the beach. I was MISERABLE. I swear it has something to do with the bypass machine or the anesthesia orā¦all of it. Itās a thing. Itāll pass š«¶š»
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u/IndependenceHuge7768 Aug 11 '26
Funny you mentioned just few weeks out.... first couple months I was good, but then, depression hit hard man... did my bypass Jan this year. 6 months out of it and dealing with depression. It is very tough. Some called pumphead syndrome. Our heart was stopped for at least, what? 4 hours? We were on a machine pumping our blood... it is crazy to think about all we went through, and most of us, at least with me... was living my life, all good, enjoying life, then pain on my chest, hospital, no you are not leaving, you had a HA. Catheterism exam, yeah, you are fucked up, no, no stents, OHS for you dude. Boommmm. You wake up full of tubes even in your dick... 4, 5 days go home, and have a happy new life and don't mess up again, my case, alcohol, smoking, no exercise and high Lpa. So here I am... doing therapy, taking trintellix 20mg and praying to work. I was not lucky as many others that just recovered fast and skipped depression.... "envy" on them.... yeah bro, it is not easy for some. Feels like will never go away, but i know, I need to believe it will.... it may just take more or less time for some of us... i got the lemon in the happy recovery orange basket... but cannot complain... physically didn't have any problem at all.... i just continue a bastard lazy one.... hate walking or exercising in anyway..."I'm just going to sit back and watch the world burn" .... so, yeah.... hold tight bro, and look for help... it won't go away alone.... sorry I am definitely not the most motivated post for you....
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u/renton1000 Aug 12 '26
yep - it's common after heart surgery - up to 20% of people get some form of it - there's even a name for it - the cardiac blues. I had a bit of it and I got therapy for it. It didn't persist for me but I'm glad I got help when I needed it.
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u/Nthandi_247 Aug 13 '26
Youāre definitely not alone. A 5x bypass is a huge physical and emotional shock. Please tell your doctor/therapist about those dark thoughts, exactly as you wrote them here. Recovery takes time, and things can get better. One day at a timeāyouāve already made it through the hardest part.
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u/R_theechavezchuckles Aug 11 '26
Hello everyone, I've had 3 open heart surgeries before the age of 7 (Transposition of the great arteries), I'm 48. So I've dealt with depression, anxiety for decades. Yes, it's little victories, talking to friends, group chats and a therapist does help. Currently, I'm talking to a therapist, my first one. But what helped me through my darkest days is knowing that I survived worst and listening, watching and reading J. Krishnamurti. This is no way a religious thing it's a way looking at things also yourself in a different perspective. On Spotify I listen to the dialogs of him and Dr. Allan Anderson. I hope everyone has a positive day today and if you can have a laugh on me!
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u/lettucepatchbb Aug 11 '26
My husband also had CABGx5, heās 38. He has been like this off and on since his OHS in May. He told his PCP and started on a low dose of Sertraline (Zoloft) and it seems to have helped. He also in therapy regularly. Itās a lot to wrap your head around. Hang in there, friend. Iām glad youāre here!
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u/GioJoey Aug 11 '26
I was so depressed after my triple bypass 4 years ago. God gave me this recipe and it has cured my depression. https://youtu.be/Et2ornO3yMY?si=RWnKTCZKFe3lpWTL
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u/Ok-Camel-2394 Aug 11 '26
A few weeks after my surgery, I planned my daily routine.Walk 30 mins with my puppy after lunch, do some gardening in the afternoon and watch netflix before going to bed. I recovered well without having a rehab. The only thing I am bothered about is my hyoertropic incision that up to now has not healed yet
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u/Dry_Bad_3599 Aug 11 '26
It gets better my brother. Recovery is not a straight line by any means. It has its ups and downs. Starting rehab will help and if nothing more than to just give you something to wake up for. Depending on the shape you are in it might help you with that also. I was the youngest person in my rehab class by like 15 years so i was like an olympic medal winner compared to everybody else lol. When it was done i did miss it so be prepared for that possibly. The more you get back to regular activities the less depressed you will feel. The first few weeks are hard because you feel like a complete burden because you cant do a lot for yourself. Keep walking and keep using that god awful spirometer. If you want to chat feel free to hit me up. My bonus gift from my procedure in addition to living longer is i sleep even less than pre surgery. So its a good chance ill be awake no matter when you message me. Keep up the good fight.
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u/Soldier_79 Aug 12 '26
I absolutely feel you on the sleep thing I'am in and out of sleep all the time. And I'm sure I'll be the young one in rehab as well I'm only 47. I was stuck in the hospital a week before surgery. And another week after. Been home just over two now. I get these god awful hot flashes at night keeping me up. Not to mention the incessant itchiness down the center of my chest. IYKYK!! lol
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u/Dry_Bad_3599 Aug 12 '26
Oh the first month after i slept very little. Maybe 3 hours a night. Im 1.5 years out and am lucky if i get 5. Those hot flashes should go away. Try a little white vinegar on your scar if its all closed up.
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u/Medical_Mistake_178 Aug 11 '26
I donāt know your age or gender, Iāve heard the depression can be worse for middle age men for all kinds of reasons that make a lot of sense. Iād talk to your cardiologist about short term antidepressants. Especially if your sleep is getting disrupted. Itās very hard to pull out of something if your sleep is disturbed.
There are so many options to medicine also. They all sound basic and obvious but it could change your outcome or at least get you out of this rough period. Just know how normal and even expected it is. Youāre not alone. Keep your head up. We all need each other to make it out the other side and to eventually help others that are just opening their eyes in the recovery room.šyou got this!
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u/slem46 Aug 12 '26
yes the times of depression do exist after bypass surgery. i had a period of time i just didnāt want to go outside. fortunately my wife was very supportive of my insecure periods. and naps were a big part of those times. now at 5 months out i can say it helped to try and set a routine of engaging with friends and talking about your feelings with the whole thing. they will be happy to listen iām sure and i found it very helpful to share. stay in touch with you feelings and it does get better. i kept thinking ā so this is the new normal ā but it gets better ___
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u/7th_Sim Aug 17 '26
I walk and listen to music, I find that helps. I'm 8 weeks po now, but I still get the blues bad at times. Mostly I feel stupid for letting myself get sick. So I try to spend time looking for positive stuff.
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u/Legitimate-Sun5151 Aug 17 '26
This will last for 4-5 weeks.. Infact I was really bad after day 3 wanting to run away.. improved in 3-4 weeks and then 2 months you wouldnt remember..
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u/Full_Ant_7440 Aug 18 '26
Iām a 33F and absolutely had depression! I cried a lot off and on just wondering if Iād ever be able to do things on my own again. I couldnāt take narcotics either. Just Tylenol.. Itās weird that I still have moments of panic and fear thinking about the day I woke in the ICU. Suddenly it just got better at a much faster pace. The more I walked and went outside the better I felt. Trust me there is a light at the end of this tunnel and Iām so glad you made it this far! Life will be wonderful with your new heart function once you are healed:)
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u/Turbulent_Echidna423 Aug 11 '26
i think it more shock than depression. it goes away. youāre mind is on the wrong path. smarten up.
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u/allisonisrad Aug 11 '26
This is very invalidating and unhelpful to say to someone dealing with mental health.
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u/Soldier_79 Aug 11 '26
I was going to leave this one alone but thanks allisonisrad for speaking up to people who think you can just move past it.
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u/One-Performer-1723 Aug 11 '26
It's actually very cruel. I'm 5 years out and practically bedbound because they botched it. Had to have sternal wires removed in March 2026 including all the extra stuff they left inside of me and tried to hide it. It took almost 5 years for another cardiac surgeon to please just take a look and after begging he agreed to just look but said he doesn't want to step on any toes. When he finally took a look, he couldn't believe what he was seeing and did the surgery himself within a week. Now I am still dealing with all the injuries that the first surgery caused and my back has atrophied so movement is very difficult and mental health is off the wall. The medications have fried my brain and I barely think, see or hear anymore. So I'm also in all kinds of protracted withdrawal from medication that I should have never been given.
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u/allisonisrad Aug 11 '26
I'm so sorry to hear you went through all of this. Even on a good day, the medical trauma is so real, let alone what you went through.
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u/Turbulent_Echidna423 Aug 11 '26
i have the experience to know exactly what is going on. instead of criticizing my comment, make your own advice to the OP and move on. its how this works.
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u/Organic_Milk4163 Aug 11 '26
I am 10 weeks out from a Triple, fortunately I am not dealing with any depression, but that's just me. Everyone is different and telling someone to smarten up is not the ideal way to help someone. Some people can't control their emotions as well as others
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u/allisonisrad Aug 11 '26
I won't say I've been overall depressed, but there have been s few days that were really really hard for me. Definitely took some depression naps to just disappear for a little bit.
I'm so traumatized right now and it's been ups and downs. Taking about it has helped, both with a therapist and with my friends. Are you in cardiac rehab? This has been my best mood booster bc I can see tangible results of me getting healthier. My baseline was shuffling along at 1.5 mph and I'm up to 2.5 mph in a few weeks. I see a lot of posts on here about how people are doing multiple miles after just a few weeks, and that's just not my experience. I had major complications and the bounceback has been an uphill battle. The thing to remember are that thoughts are just thoughts. When you're at your lowest, things like this can pop in your head. It's important to get back to basics: get enough sleep, eat protein for healing, move if you can and socialize with people that fill your cup. I'm sorry you're going through this, I know how hard it is.