Question:
Any bipolar patients post op that had problems w/ getting stabilized after surgery?

My psychiatrist says to cut down on my meds for bipolar illnes one wk prior to surgery. I am not allowed any kinds of meds for the wk after surgery. Then I can go back on my regular meds. W/ the anesthesia, surgery, lack of meds..I am wondering if I will have problems gettig stabilized w/ my moods after surgery. My shrink says there shouldn't be much of a problem, yet another psychiatrist tells me that the outcome can be uncertain. I am taking a great risk in going off my antidepressants for the wk of surgery due to the fact that it took my doctor a long time to find a medication that would work for my depressive part of my bipolar illness. I guess the risk is worth it. any comments from other that went thru this?    — [Anonymous] (posted on May 13, 2000)

May 14, 2000
I can understand your concerns, seeing that you are getting conflicting advice. I can only speak from my own personal experience. Here is how I dealt with my bi-bipolar illness pre-op and during the 8 weeks I've been officially post-op: I did not discontinue meds before surgery. The nurses continued to administer my before-surgery dosages of medication while I was at the hospital. My psychiatrist is monitoring my liver profiles and keeping an eye on me to know when my weight drops enough that I will need a decrease in my medication. As far as the depressive side of the bi-polar coin, I am using Prozac and have not changed that dosage as yet since I've only lost 40 pounds. I'm laughing! Forty pounds in eight weeks. Nothing to sneeze at. My moods are stable and I feel great. Please feel free to email me privately to find out what meds I take, they may be entirely different from yours and the protocols may be different for pre-surgery prep. Whatever happens in your situation, I wish you luck and hope that you find your journey to the other side as wonderful as I have found mine!
   — f M.

May 14, 2000
I am bipolar also. At the time of the surgery I was taking 1200 mg. of Tegretol, 600 mg. of seroquel, 4 mg. clonazepam, 100 mg. of zoloft. I was told to discontinue the pschotropics the morning of surgery. After the surgery I was in "wonderland" because of no psychotropics. I had complications and a repeat surgery was done 5 days later. This time I seriously tripped thru wonderland. An acute care physician gave me IV Haldol. I got mad, and called in my own psychiatric consult. As soon a I did, the problem got straightened out and I emerged from wonderland. I admit wonderland scares me to death. But after surgery my meds were reduced to 300 mg. seroquel at bedtime, and 150 mg. Wellbutrin SR and that is it. I am very happy and the surgery was worth it. My starting weight was 419.5. Now I weigh 253. This is why I need so much less medication to control the problem. LOL Beth.
   — Elizabeth H.