Heart Attack Support Group
Heart attack is a serious, sudden heart condition usually characterized by varying degrees of chest pain or discomfort, weakness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and arrhythmias, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. It occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted, causing death and scarring of the local heart tissue.
Jan 3rd I had a 98% blockage in the LAD and wound up with a stent and angioplasty on 3 others. On a follow up appt yesterday I told my cardio doc that I still get minor chest pain from time to time. Nothing like the HA but more of a discomfort and only once in a great while . I was thinking angina? She said I should not be having ANY pain or discomfort. But in talking with others, some tell me they still have minor discomfort now and then. I do have some mussel damage caused from the HA.
She told me that the bare metal stents are prone to blockages or clotting.
She said she has no idea why the doctor who performed the Cath used that kind of stent. She then told me she thought I should go back to the Cath lab again. I feel good, and see no reason to put myself through that again just on a whim .
So I asked if there was any other way. Long story short, she wants me to do another stress test with echo. I just did one a couple months ago and aced it. Anyway, I told her no problem I'd much rather do that than another visit to the Cath lab. If for some reason the stress test shows an issue, than I will have to bite the bullet. I really don't expect any problems.
So my questions are, has anyone else gone through a similar issue? And does anyone else ever have any discomfort?
She told me that the bare metal stents are prone to blockages or clotting.
She said she has no idea why the doctor who performed the Cath used that kind of stent. She then told me she thought I should go back to the Cath lab again. I feel good, and see no reason to put myself through that again just on a whim .
So I asked if there was any other way. Long story short, she wants me to do another stress test with echo. I just did one a couple months ago and aced it. Anyway, I told her no problem I'd much rather do that than another visit to the Cath lab. If for some reason the stress test shows an issue, than I will have to bite the bullet. I really don't expect any problems.
So my questions are, has anyone else gone through a similar issue? And does anyone else ever have any discomfort?
As far as post HA pain is concerned, I too had some issues for several months, It seemed like every ache and pain from my belly up scared the heck out of me. I know I had a lot of heartburn because of all the additional meds they put me on. To this day I have some unusual pain from time to time they scares me a bit but I learned to deal with it which you'll do as time goes on.
I think the stress test you aced tells you that you're doing well, interesting that she wants you to go thru another cath, those are usually not done unless necessary because of the risk involved.
Hang in there, you've been thru a lot!
Thank you for your reply. It make's me feel better knowing I'm not crazy. My wife also had a HA about a year and a half ago, and said she still gets minor weird feeling discomfort every now and then.
I feel like you, that it' really isn't worth the risk of another cath just to satisfy curiosity at this point. So I'll do another stress test and compare it to my last one. That should tell us what we need to know.
Thanks again.
Best of luck, I'm going in for a long overdue stress test myself first week of August.
Good luck to you as well.
I know mine are "medicated". I had some strange discomfort for 3 to 6 months after the stents. It wasn't the sharp pain or squeezing of angina. It felt like some one was dragging something across my heart..
like an irritation feeling it would only last about 5 or 10 seconds but would happen several times a day. It eventually stopped and I haven't have it now for years. The only thing I can attribute it to was maybe the stents scarring into place which takes about 6 months.
That's a good way to describe the feeling. I have been unable to put it into words. When I get those feelings they don't last long, and I only get them once in awhile. Not every day and in fact, haven't had it for a couple weeks now.
or inflammation of the rib cage. It is a very different feeling than the
irritation feeling I had the first few months after my stents. I agree..might be time for a new cardiologist.
I went for another stress test and just got a call from the hospital telling me everything looked good. No changes from the last one I had 2 months ago. Great news !
Only issue I had was fatigue. I was just barely able to do enough time on the treadmill for them to get enough info, but I made it. I have a follow up in 2 months with my doc, and we'll take it from there.
Vic
Several months ago I had a drug eluting stent placed following a 100% occluded RCA. I still get sharp aches in my chest daily. I have some tightness that shows up in my back as well. I work in an emergency room and have access to testing. My troponins always come back negative when I check them.
So I think those chest pains we are getting are just part of the experience.
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Thanks for sharing that with us. Even though my doctor says I shouldn't get these feelings, I see that many of us do from time to time and that I'm far from the only one who has this. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but still makes me wonder sometimes lol
Vic