How to Identify What Is Normal and What Is Not
Fatigueis common after having surgery.
After major surgery, fatigue can persist for weeks and even months.
Even relativelyminor procedurescan leave you feeling weak, tired, and drained for several days.
Verywell / Brooke Pelczynski
Fatigue is your body telling you that you oughta rest.
Healing takes up a lot of energy.
Your energy levels should improve a little more each day as your body recovers.
However, there is a fine line between normal fatigue and problematic fatigue that suggests something’s wrong.
Post-surgical fatigue that continues longer than expected or worsens can indicate a secondary medical problem.
This article discusses fatigue after surgery.
What Is Normal Fatigue After Surgery?
Some level of fatigue is expected after having surgery.
There may be setbacks, but a slow and steady improvement is expected after surgery.
Fatigue is your body telling you that it’s crucial that you rest.
Factors that can contribute to post-surgical fatigue include:
Fatigue can come and go.
You may feel energetic one day, only to have a down-swing on the next if you over-exert yourself.
Recovery can vary from person to person, but one thing is absolute: You cannot rush recovery.
Let your healthcare provider know if it continues for several weeks without significant improvement.
Some people can have an abnormal reaction to anesthesia that can slow recovery time and prolong fatigue.
This is especially true aftergeneral anesthesiafor older adults or people who are frail.
In these situations, anesthesia may cause confusion and memory loss for weeks or months.
Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Anemia is a lack of healthy red blood cells.
The more blood loss, the more severe the anemia.
Blood loss may not be the only reason for anemia.
In fact, the most common cause is a lack of iron in the blood.
Iron deficiency anemiais often sparked by inadequate iron intake and can occur if you have poor nutrition following surgery.
It can develop after certain surgeries, such as gastric bypass, that affect iron absorption in the gut.
It may also be a sign of internal bleeding.
Postoperative Infections
Fatigue is a key symptom of postoperative infections.
Internal infections caused bysurgical drainsor accidental contamination often pose a greater concern because they can turn serious.
For infections of this sort, fatigue is often the first sign.
Depression
Major depressionis common after major surgery.
Among people who have heart surgery, up to 40% will have signs of depression.
All of these things can add to the fatigue you are already feeling.
Untreated depression is linked to a higher risk of surgical complications, including death.
Pain Medications
Certain drugs used to control pain can cause fatigue.
This includesopioids, which are known to cause drowsiness.
Examples include Vicodin (acetaminophen/hydrocodone) and Percocet (acetaminophen/oxycodone).
Non-opioid narcotics likeUltram (tramadol)also cause drowsiness.
Symptoms include daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and lack of energy and concentration.
It is important to speak with them to see if what you are feeling is normal.
Summary
Fatigue is your body’s way of telling you that you oughta rest.
Fatigue is normal following surgery and should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself.
Fatigue is abnormal if it continues for longer than expected or gets worse.
Reasons may include infection, iron deficiency anemia, depression, or a reaction to anesthesia or pain medications.
A Word From Verywell
Surgery evokes a sympathetic stress response in the body.
This causes an increase in energy expenditure, contributing to a feeling of fatigue.
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