Hearing Lower Pitch After Surgery, Not Sure What This Is

[acspringhill 4]

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

[Arts137 1,811]

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...

[Seela 1,187]

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

[BethinPA 305]

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!

[FRED1977 186]

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.

[Arts137 1,811]

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

[BANTOBACCONOW 0]

It happens to me every time after surgery and it's due to the anesthesia. It will wear off in a few days.

[Michael Loew 0]

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.