Post-surgery breathing question..

Hm, maybe I should be posting this on the post-op forum. OH well!
Just wondering if anyone knows how normal it is to have breathing difficulty after surgery?
I had a laparotomy (to remove cyst and stage 4 endo) in 2004, and I had some breathing difficulty in the recovery room and then again in the middle of the first night. I woke up gasping. Both times I called the nurse, who said that it was a normal reaction to morphine and no worries. When I woke up gasping that night, the nurse didn't even come in to check on me! Granted I was ok, but she could have at least alleviated my fears! I didn't touch my morphine button after that moment.
So I will talk to the anesthesiologist about this - I'm having my TAH-BSO on Monday. Just now starting to get nervous!! I have my pre-op appmt in 2 hrs, so maybe my doc can also reassure me about that.
Maybe the breathing difficulty would not have been such a panicy moment for me if someone had forewarned me about it. Thoughts?

TIA!

Hi Maija,

Be sure and discuss your previous experience with your surgeon and your anesthesiologist. There are options to morphine and they can also provide breathing treatments if necessary. I had morphine through an epidural. I also had breathing treatments and was on oxygen for 2 days after surgery.

,
Kay

i had breathing issues post-hyst due to the morphine. Once everyone realized it was the morphine causing the problem, the pain med was changed (to Demeral injections).
I had surgery 8 months later and explained to the anes that the morphine caused breathing issues and nevermind that it didnt touch the pain. He decided to try Dilaudid, and it worked wonders! I woke up completely pain-free (adhesiolysis, TVT placement, exploratory lap), completely alert and no breathing issues.

Wishing you an uneventful surgery and recovery.
diana

I also had problems with morphine and breathing i have requested no morphine and i have it on my permanent record definately speak with your doctors about your concern alot of people cant have morphine do to its sedation and the effects it has on breathing.....one of the nurses at the agency i work for also has this problem and she takes a non narcotic medication for her surgeries and i am waiting for her to get the name of it from her doc......she says it works wonders and when she gives me the name ill post it here for others.....Take care.

~Bayb

Thanks so much for the info! I had my pre-op and actually asked the pre-op testing nurse about this when we discussed anesthesia issues. She told me that it likely was a breathing issue due to the tube scratching and irritating my throat during the surgery. I find that odd though, as I would assume the breathing issue would have remained constant and not improved and then gotten worse. Anyhow - thx for your info, it helps me feel more confident that it was a morphine issue. I'm going to talk to the anesthesiologist Sunday night.

(((Maija))),

I had a severe asthma attack when the tube was removed from my throat. This may be what your nurse is talking about. However, I also had morphine induced breathing issues which caused them to put me on supplement oxygen until I discontinued the morphine. As soon as the morphine was discontinued, my oxygen level came right up.

Do mention it to the anesthesiologist. He is the one who makes the decision about pain relief.

,
Kay