Feeling terrible after angioplasty.

[Zukan]

Hi

It has now been 12 days since I had 4 stents fitted. I feel terribly tired, have anxiety attacks and am scared I will have another attack. I understand the panic and depression of this huge life changing experience for me but because I feel so poorly every day I am in fear of having another attack. I am 56 years old and have just been diagnosed with Crohn's disease which is so painful. That the stomach cramps are affecting my chest pains. I am lost.

I am also experiencing erectile disfunction and I am not sure why?

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Pop along to see your GP who may be able to offer a short course of antidepressants (if appropriate) or counselling. An alternative would be to talk to the BHF nurses. You could also discuss the ED which made be a side effect of your current medication. DO NOT buy anything of the web as some "performance" medications can have a dangerous interaction with one or more of your meds!

Have you been offered cardiac rehab? Many people find the supportive atmosphere beneficial and can also discuss things with others in a similar situation - some clinics also have counselling available. Good luck!

[Zukan in reply to MichaelJH]

Yes, in two weeks time I meet with aftercare.

[Zena166]

Hi Zukan. 12 days isn’t very long at all. As you say it’s a major event and takes a while getting used to the physical and especially the emotional and psychological impact. Try and focus on small achievements each day like increasing the amount of exercise you are doing. As Michael says you should be offered rehab and that will help with exercise tolerance and confidence. As you gain confidence and increase exercise then you should start to feel improvements. Feeling scared is natural and for me I saw both a health psychologist and a counsellor who helped me with coping strategies which I still rely on today. As Michael says see your GP and if ever you are in doubt about chest pains then always seek help immediately. You may also like to try meditation/yoga to help with relaxation. When rehab is finished and your fitness is improving and anxiety improves then ED may well also. But ask your GP as sometimes it can be a side effect of medication or could be that your tiredness and anxiety are in a viscous circle at the moment. As to tiredness I still have naps some afternoons/early evening 10 months on! So listen to your body immediately post HA I had naps every day. It helps recovery. Remember to eat well and drink lots of water so that your diet is healthy and gives you a good boost. Take care and keep us posted. Zena

[Zukan in reply to Zena166]

I am finding this whole thing overwhelming with so many factors that could cause these types of effects. It is both confusing and disheartening. My life has been centred around music as I am a technical author but I don't even feel like listening to music anymore or even putting pen to paper. With my other conditions it is very hard trying to hone in on a cause; one ailments could have an indirect effect on the angioplasty.

Thanks for all the advice and comforting words.

[Zena166 in reply to Zukan]

Hi Zukan. Talk to your GP. Try and find medication to control the Crohn’s disease. That will be making you feel miserable and in pain. If that can be sorted even a bit I think that will help the chest pains. Do seek help to be able to talk about your emotions and feelings. You can access talking therapies as a self referral or perhaps talk to one of the men’s charities about your anxiety. Your pharmacist will also be able to talk to you about the best medication for your crohns. As Michael has said the BHF helpline will be able to help as well. I was sad to hear you say about not listening to music. I sat and cried to music for nearly the first month post heart attack and whilst you don’t feel like it now at some point maybe your writing will help. I found that writing poetry helped me. I needed to get out my emotions my anger my fear my upset and poetry helped me. Not immediately but when I picked up my pen I was able to channel my emotions. So in time I hope you find the same. Do take care and keep in touch. Zena

[Hidden]

Hi Zukan

what you are going through is a very natural response. As a cardiologist told me ' we are very good and mending you physically, much less so with your mental fix' everyone on here gets darker days, but with the help of the forum, BHF nurses and in my case Rehab then they become less and less.If you can get rehab, take it. Its the best fix for our conditions and the people are wonderful.

I too have suffered with ED and after talking to my wonderful GP he explained it as the arteries down there are much narrower than most so they can block up more easily, it could also be tthe cocktail of drugs we all take now, you just cant tell. I had hormone tests just to see if there was another cause. He then said that the little blue pills may help HOWEVER and its a big however, if you've had a HA then the cardiologist will not allow them to be prescribed for 6 months. Luckily I have a wonderful other half who is grateful, as am I , to have me still around. So in my case hopefully it will get sorted sometime soon. I would suggest you chat with either BHF nurse or your GP they will know how best to proceed for your circumstances. Good luck trust me it does get eaasier it just takles time

[Zukan in reply to Hidden]

Was the ED problem ever resolved Fred?

[Hidden]

Hi Zukan. Not yet another 4 weeks and i will be 6 months post HA. My GP says to give him a call and he'll prescribe the little blue pills straight away.

I will keep you delicately advised as to outcome. But please speak to BHF nurse or GP. They're very understanding and discreet

[Presco]

Hi Zukan .....I only had 1 stent fitted 12weeks ago ...but ...like you I felt unwell bit depressed ...and did not trust my body ...thought I may have another attack ..I think this is normal and part of the recovery program ...you need to rest and I mean rest ....you have the added problem of Chrones to ...you will feel lots of twitches ...aches ...pains as the stents bed in ...your only a phone call away to speak to someone if you feel scared ...I know I did ....but in time you will get better ....I found the Cardio Clinic 6weeks program that I have nearly finished was Amazing.....exercise and group chats. Really helped me ....Also this web site is very good for sharing our journeys to recovery ....best wishes to you x