Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Hearing Lower Pitch After Surgery, Not Sure What This Is



Recommended Posts

I was discharged from the hospital Friday after having gastric sleeve surgery. The first afternoon after having the surgery, I had a strange observation. I had my phone with me in the hospital and noticed that tones I was used to hearing were lower in pitch than normal. I have no idea what caused this and it hasn't happened before. Luckily, this is the first major surgery or procedure I've had requiring an overnight hospital stay. I was wondering if this could be a side effect of the narcotics? I was on a Dilaudid PCA while in the hospital then given a Loritab Elixir Rx for pain, taken every 4 hours. It's been two days since I was discharged from the hospital and I still hear everything in this frequency lower than I normally hear it. When my phone rings or chimes (I have a work phone and personal phone)I am hearing the sounds off key, or perceive them that way, in a lower pitch than normal. Has anyone at all ever experienced this? I am not worried about it yet, but it is something I am not used to because it makes listening to music intolerable. Voice frequencies sound the same to me, but music and tones I hear from the phones and tv are off. This might be one of the most unique side effects anyone has ever had, but I have never had any hearing or tonal problems like this, not since I ruptured my eardrum when I was 14 from a bad bout of the flu. That only affected one ear, and it was madness as I would hear two different pitches in the good and bad ear, but it went away when the eardrum healed. 25 years later, I am in a similar situation. I had no pain in my ears before and after the surgery, and wasn't sure if this was something that is a known side effect from medicines, IVs, etc. Can anyone shed a little light on this, I'd be relieved to know this is not just happening to me--and will go away! Thanks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

News to me. Never seen anything about this in my research. Give it a week till all the anesthesia and pain meds have cleared and see...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ahh.. yes the drugs are fun! I didn't have any changes in hearing but I had a super human sense of smell for a while

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't noticed a change in pitch when taking narcotics for pain, but I have noticed that everything sounds louder to me. It will pass!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ahh.. yes the drugs are fun! I didn't have any changes in hearing but I had a super human sense of smell for a while

I too suffered this and I hope it never comes back, it was so annoying and my wife thought I was crazy until the PA told her yes that does happen to a lot of people. It's just weird if you ask me but it will pass.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had GREAT dreams for at least the first week after surgery... Some Fun!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is exACtly what happened to me. I have perfect pitch, and yesterday I had knee surgery with general anesthesia, and today and yesterday everything sounds about 1/3 of a step lower. like A440 seems like a432. weird. hopefully it'll wear off.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • BlSm12

      27 Pounds down!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      I ordered the Barbecue Protein Crisps here from BariatricPal, and find them quite tasty. The Ranch flavour, not so much. They are very filing and have a satisfying crunch.
      I continue to shrink, and am amazed at the changes all over my body. Visually, it is striking to me. In the mirror, I look thin to my eyes, but I don't feel thin, although I can see more bones and veins and tendons and floppy skin. Cardio-wise, It takes a lot more effort to get my heart rate up and I'm now monitoring which heart zone I can get into and for how long. My resting heart rate is the lowest it's ever been.
      If I think about it, and I left myself feel it for a time, I weep (like, boohoo cry) with joy. I am so grateful to myself, and proud of myself for having the courage to have taken the leap to better health.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Yearofme43

      Well round 2 fight, second attempt at this sleeve surgery.  First attempt found out i have situs inversus that was a year ago, so after another long journey i received a new date for December 1, 2023 for the sleeve. Started pre op diet Friday going well just waiting for the big day, for any tips for newbies look at my prior post alot there of what not to do under temptation,  lol 😆 😅 😀 hope everyone has a great outcome
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • NickelChip

      Feeling a little sad today because a few weeks ago I had a call from the surgeon's office and they had a last minute opening on November 20 because of a cancellation. I am not scheduled until December 27, which is way later than I had expected when I started all this. My "ideal" date in my head had been November 13. I was so ready to jump at the chance, but I just couldn't make it work. As soon as I mentioned it to my mom, instead of being supportive, she had all sorts of reasons why I shouldn't move the date. Some were valid, like my teen daughter has a special (but not super special) thing going on later in the week that I would probably have to miss, and others were less valid, like she didn't feel ready and it might ruin everyone's holidays. Um, excuse me? It's not about her! And how would I single handedly ruin both Thanksgiving AND Christmas for my entire family by having a surgery? But she had informed me when I first got the December date that she planned on getting a hotel near the hospital and staying that night to be nearby, despite the hospital only being about 40 miles away from home. I didn't ask her to do that, but that's her plan, so there you go. She didn't ask me if I felt ready now, or what the wait through the holidays felt like for me with the surgery looming. So that was the part that hurt. I felt like I was having to make sure everyone else was okay with my choices instead of me, which is a theme in my life for sure. Don't get me wrong, my parents have been there for me so many times, and I don't want to sound ungrateful. But this really made me sad that what I wanted simply didn't factor in. Basically, I passed on what felt like a dream come true to get that call, and I've had to reconcile myself to it as best I can. I've found some silver linings, like more time to clean my house and test some recipes. But if I hadn't, I would be on my pre-op diet now (my surgeon only does a short liquid diet beforehand, so a Monday surgery starts the pre-op diet on Saturday morning). Instead, I'm getting ready to make dinner for myself and the kids, and I still have 39 days to go...
      · 2 replies
      1. New To This23

        I can relate to the parent's situation. I am 42 and still struggle with pleasing them. Yet they do whatever they want with no concern for how it affects anyone else, so why do I feel so obligated to them? I wish I had some advice that could help. One thing I have tried to do is stop sharing things with them that I really don't want to hear their opinion on. (like the business I am starting)

        Like with this surgery, I knew I was going to need their help getting to the appointments and back from the surgery, so I knew I had to tell them. But I did not tell them until I was almost at the point of getting surgery that I was doing this.

        I got hard judgment from my father, which I expected, I made him promise not to share this with his brothers (who are assholes) I told him whether he likes it or not I am an adult and I deserve respect and privacy especially when it concerns my health. (he begrudgingly agreed)

        My mom on the other hand was supportive, but she has the tendency to add some dramatic flair about everything. her typical M.O. is to pop onto social media and rattle on about how something that is not happening directly to her, is affecting her ( I get it there no talking to the man she married about this stuff, so it's nice to have someone to listen).

        I know they both struggled with trying to respect my wishes, they looked shocked when I told them that if I lived somewhere else, I would not have even told them I was having this surgery.

      2. NickelChip

        I'm glad your father did agree to respect your privacy by not sharing with your family. And I guess I should be glad my mom keeps the dramatic flair off of the socials!

        I'm both lucky and unlucky that my brother had VGS 15 years ago. On the one hand, my mom understands the concept and has seen my brother's good results from it, (we inherited the obesity from my father's side, and Mom has never dealt with more than those pesky 10 lbs average weight people always want to lose). On the other hand, my brother took exactly the opposite approach from me. He didn't live near family and told no one, had no support. He went to Mexico as self-pay and didn't say a word until about 4 weeks after when he was having some serious emotional struggles, living alone, and compounded by the fear of realizing that to get family support, he had to "confess." So his recovery was very different than what I anticipate for me. But because of all that, my mom definitely sees this as a "REALLY BIG DEAL." Which it is, but not the level she's at with it. Like, it's not an open heart surgery being performed in 1982, or experimental cancer treatment. I've also noticed that as my mom ages, she takes change a lot harder. She doesn't have the mental flexibility anymore to make an instant change of plans and roll with it, whereas I do that probably a dozen times a day.

        I'm grateful for their help, but it comes at a price.

    • Heidi911

      Has incorrect surgeon but won’t let me fix
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×