I signed up to this great site 5 weeks ago as a newbie and put a short post about my history with heart attacks, I spent some time looking through a lot of posts particularly in relation to people that have had a heart attack caused by a blocked artery and then have angioplasty to sort the problem. So without meaning to put the fear of god into anyone I thought I would give you my experience first heart attack 10yrs ago no symptoms straight out of the blue, 2 arteries blocked and 5 stents put in 3 in one and 2 in the other, I was only 42 at the time so physically I would say I recovered pretty quickly and was back at work as an hgv driver/ removal man but mentally I was on my arse but I got through it and just got on with it, so jump forward to 24 July 2017 I remember it well !! out of the blue I start to feel some strange things happening inside me that immediately I remembered from my 1st heart attack so I thought I would pop into see my GP and have a discussion in relation to this matter, don't want to make this to long so this is the short version lol over the next 4 months I visit my GP 3 times and admit myself to A/E 3 times due to having these symptoms that I remembered from my first heart attack as you will never forget them ?? anyway each time I was in A/E I was well checked over and they could find nothing un towards but you know your own body so goes back to my GP and I was insistent that something wasn't right so she agrees to get me an appointment at the cardio clinic, 4 weeks later I am at the clinic and have Ecg, ultrasound, chest xray and on the treadmill for 16 minutes and they found nothing and that was that. 5 weeks later out at my work and boom another heart attack so another blue light ambulance to the hospital and straight into angioplasty and turns out that the artery that had 2 stent put in it from the first hear attack 10yrs previously had become blocked so they sorted that out and I was put onto the cardio care unit for 4 days and during that time I was so angry that during all the previous testing that had been carried out that nothing was picked up because 2 stents don't just become blocked in a matter of 5 weeks, I knew all along that something was going on inside me but because the test results that I was having were coming back ok I was being told that I had nothing to worry about so I have came to the conclusion that the test results are only ok on the day that you have them?? when I returned to see the cardiologist 6wks later I let him know that I was angry and felt that throughout the previous 7 months from first visiting my GP and A/E that know one had been listening to my concerns and his reply to me was that sometimes these things happen and I was just under the radar? WTF !!! I have been trying to tell use that something wasn't right for sometime now, I also mentioned to him that one test they didn't carry out was an angiogram which in all likelihood would have shown that the stents were becoming blocked and he agreed but because all other test results were coming back ok then there was no need for an angiogram, so here I am with 8 stents in now and even more medication which I had been taking for the last 10yrs which didn't stop the stents from blocking up anyway and live with the fact that the other 3 stents put in my other artery from 10yrs ago might also suffer from a blockage as they don't last forever as the cardiologist put it??? time has passed now and I just get on with my life still working as an hgv driver which I love lol I just don't worry about it anymore as I have realised that worrying about it doesn't change anything and I know that there is a lot of people on here that are scared stiff about what's happened to them I know because I have been there and figures show that people who have suffered from near life death experiences go all the way down before they get back up again it's all part of the recovery process it's not the end of the world for you?? people all over the world are having a heart attack as I write this and they will get better to keep your chin up and embrace the life you have now . Thanks for reading my tuppence worth and if you want to ask anything then feel free and I will try my best to help you out!! thanks Charlie
Stents @ medication: I signed up to... - British Heart Fou...
Stents @ medication
Sorry to hear that Charlie.
I'm interested in this comment that you made,
"turns out that the artery that had 2 stent put in it from the first hear attack 10yrs previously had become blocked"
Can you tell us, did you make any lifestyle changes following your previous heart attack, or basically were you relying on the medication?
I'm not having a go by the way, I would have thought it extremely difficult as an HGV driver to consistently achieve a healthy diet, I know whenever I'm doing a long car journey any hopes for healthy eating goes straight out of the window, plus I get zero exercise and loads of stress when sat at the wheel!
Hi fella
Yip done all the lifestyle changes biggest one was giving up smoking cutting out salt and eating more healthy food gave up eating all the shit from burger vans which truck driver do, I am a removal man as well as an hgv driver which is the best exercise for free lol
Thanks for that. It's something I hear fairly regularly, even with lifestyle changes it's often about ten years after a stent or a bypass that a second intervention is required. (without lifestyle changes of course it can be much, much shorter).
I find that concerning as I've just had a bypass at 61 years old, I don't want another in my early 70's, so I'm asking myself how extreme are the lifestyle changes needed that will last 20 years plus?
Personally I think you can make all the lifestyle changes to reduce your risks but as time and time again shows even the fittest of people suffer from heart attacks?? I personally think that life style is just a small part of the risk and genetics and family history play a bigger part only my opinion though.
I hear that and you may be right.
However, the strongest evidence to the contrary is this, there are parts of the world, with different diets and lifestyles, where heart disease is far rarer. What's more, even in this country heart disease (along with diabetes, obesity, and many other problems) has exploded in the past thirty or forty years. That would suggest that genetics plays a secondary role, and lifestyle choices are the primary determinants of heart disease.
But who knows, I'm taking educated guesses like everyone else.
I blame cheese & eggs. I have never eaten much meat, didn't like it much. I stopped having milk apart from brews years ago after a year with sinusitis. It went away but comes back if I get a cold. What's left? Cheese & eggs & fish. I did eat plenty of these. I have always eaten lots of fruit, veg and wholegrain stuff.
Heredity could be a contributory factor but that could mean that I get my love of cheese & eggs from my dad.
I understood that, too. But would just add smoking to the list of big risks.
Wow really interesting post Charlie. Good luck and health to to you
I had 4 CABGs before stents were in wide use, 1997, when I was 41.
The ideal BP is below 140/90. Mine has been as high as 240/140 in 2016 but went down to 190/100 with treatment. I still had a mini-stroke in 2017 though. My BP is now 120/80. I keep a daily record and these are the averages, rounded up.
I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet since March and the evidence of my blood pressure, cholesterol and pulse (50-60) indicate that my arteries have cleared. So, it took only 8 months. My doctor is gradually taking me off all the meds, the diuretics and statins have gone.
The ideal cholesterol is below 5. Mine was 6.5 for years, nothing budged it until this diet. It is now 3.7. My weight was 14.5st and is now 12.5st, the same as when I was in my twenties.
I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It is on Netflix and YouTube. It is about global medical research, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did. It will show you that you can clear out your arteries. In the film, there is a bloke with 27 diseases. After 6 months on a WFPB diet he was down to 1.
"I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet since March and the evidence of my blood pressure, cholesterol and pulse (50-60) indicate that my arteries have cleared."
Jimmy, I can't tell you how much I want this to be true. But I'm deeply sceptical.
-The overwhelming consensus amongst medical professionals is that you can't reverse plaque build up in your arteries, the most you can hope for is to prevent it getting worse.
-There is no large scale, scientific study that offers any evidence for reversing plaque build up. On the contrary there's plenty of evidence (not least from post mortems) that people take their damaged arteries with them to the grave.
-What is the actual mechanism through which plaque is removed from arteries? If this could happen then wouldn't it be extremely dangerous as it would risk pieces of plaque breaking off and causing blockages leading to heart attacks and strokes?
I don't blame you being sceptical, you should be because there is so much BS out there. I am only talking about my experience, not giving medical advice.
To address your points:
I was told by doctors that there was no way of cleaning out my arteries but here I am, with (possibly) clean arteries. They had probably not heard of the WFPB diet. In all the years of training that doctors get, only a few weeks of that is nutrition.
No study has been done as far as I know because no drug company would be willing to pay for it. Who would? Our government? If all the hearties went on the WFPB diet and got "cured", the drug, meat, dairy, egg industries would be furious.
I asked on the Nutrition Facts website about the mechanism, because I was worried about having another stroke. I was told by one of their doctors that the plaque melts and does not break off in lumps.
You could have a look at the Plant Based Health Professionals page on Facebook for more info.
Ornish, D., Brown, S.E., Scherwitz, L.W., Billings, J.H., Armstrong,W.T., Ports, T.A., McLanahan, S.M., Kirkeeide, R.L., Brand, R.J. and Gould, K.L. 1990. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? The Lifestyle Heart Trial. Lancet. 336 (8708) 129-133.
In a prospective, randomised, controlled trial to determine whether comprehensive lifestyle changes affect coronary atherosclerosis after 1 year, 28 patients were assigned to an experimental group (low-fat vegetarian diet, stopping smoking, stress management training, and moderate exercise) and 20 to a usual-care control group. 195 coronary artery lesions were analysed by quantitative coronary angiography. The average percentage diameter stenosis regressed from 40·0 (SD 16·9)% to 37·8 (16·5)% in the experimental group yet progressed from 42·7 (15·5)% to 46·1 (18·5)% in the control group. When only lesions greater than 50% stenosed were analysed, the average percentage diameter stenosis regressed from 61·1 (8·8)% to 55·8 (11·0)% in the experimental group and progressed from 61·7 (9·5)% to 64·4 (16·3)% in the control group. Overall, 82% of experimental-group patients had an average change towards regression. Comprehensive lifestyle changes may be able to bring about regression of even severe coronary atherosclerosis after only 1 year, without use of lipid-lowering drugs.
Thanks for posting Jimmy, I had read that study previously. At first glance it's pretty exciting, but the fact is it was just 28 people over just 12 months. That's an awfully brief and tiny test! There was a similarly sized test that was conducted in the US, I think from memory only a very few of the participants reported any improvement in stenosis.
I accept that it's directionally encouraging, but I would have hoped that it would have been followed up with a much larger study, however, no one seemed interested enough in pursuing it.
There is also plenty of evidence to the contrary, which is why the overwhelming medical consensus today (and indeed the message you'll get from your cardiologist, from the NHS, and from the British Heart Foundation) is that reversing atherosclerosis isn't practical.
In many ways that's also a safer message. What I mean is this. If people believed they could be total couch potatoes, stuffing themselves with takeaways and smoking forty a day, but if and when they contracted angina it really wasn't a problem. Because they could then diet and exercise their way back to arteries that were clean as a whistle. Well that would be a very dangerous supposition. Because it would give people permission to follow an unhealthy lifestyle against the prospect of reversing themselves out of a problem at some future date.
Hmm? Nice idea, but real life just isn't that forgiving, by and large once you've made your bed you have no choice but to lie in it!
I was going to ask if you really thought people would do that but then remembered that my sister-in-law "uses" her diabetes to stay slim.
I fully see where you are coming from. I realise it's not a viable option to have regular angiograms to check the latest position on stents etc however where someone like yourself is experiencing regular and significant heart related issues I would have thought it would make sense. I really think that some Cardiologists rely too heavily on the result of echos and ECG's which often only report findings at the moment of the test. I think it's governed by the pressures within the NHS of lack of capacity. Waits to see Cardiologists are often 6 months and there are waiting lists for angiograms where known problems exists so it is my view that most Cardiologist s would not recommend an angiogram in your circumstances. I don't agree with that and as your story clearly shows the human cost is not factored into that approach. In addition the financial cost of someone having a preventable HA is not thought about enough. I don't blame NHS workers in any way I feel we need to pay more to fund a more responsive health service which can be more proactive. F... sorry if my list has turned into a rant but I feel for you
Hi Nathan and thanks for taking the time to read my story, firstly I totally agree with your point on the NHS workers I can say with no doubt that on the morning of my attack from the paramedics to the angioplasty team the cardiologist and nurses the care and treatment were first class, I find that it is once you leave hospital that the care just seems to disappear its like they have saved your life got you back on your feet again and left to get on with it. I can fully understand their reasons for no angiogram test being carried out due to the other test showing everything came back ok? or as my cardiologist said we cant carry out angiogram testing just willy nilly especially on someone that's already suffered a heart attack, this for me is where I agree with you again on some of the testing methods in that they are only good on the day that you have them because the very next day or the following week these test results could actually have a different outcome, Now the big one for me is the exercise test on the treadmill which I have done more times than I care to remember lol this is the same test that DVLA require you to have to get your HGV entitlement back after a 3 month suspension which is standard procedure after H/A ? so after my 1st heart attack I got my licence back based on the good results from the treadmill test which was great for me subsequently I had to pass it every 2 years over the next 10 years which I got through no problem, so as I stated in my original post I had been to the cardio clinic 5 weeks prior to my 2nd H/A and had the treadmill test with many other tests and everything came back OK plus I did 6 more minutes than the standard requirement, 5 weeks later I have the H/A. So loose my licence again for the standard 3 months then back for the treadmill test again which I pass with flying colours only this time round rather than be happy that I got my HGV entitlement back I am rather concerned about this test in regard to it being the only requirement to getting back behind the wheel of an 44 ton vehicle. This issue constantly praise on my mind and I have now decided to give up my job as an HGV driver firstly for the piece of mind and secondly for the consequences that would occur from having a 3rd H/A whilst out driving.
"as my cardiologist said we cant carry out angiogram testing just willy nilly"
There's always the option of a private angiogram. Before anyone states the obvious, I agree, it absolutely should not be necessary to pay.
In Hampshire where I live the wait for an angiogram is only a couple of weeks, but in many parts of the country the postcode healthcare lottery can mean waits of many, many months.
The cost of a private angiogram, including consultancies, is just over £2,000 (at Nuffield Bournemouth). Let me emphasise again, it shouldn't be necessary to pay for angiograms, but £2,000 is actually less than I thought.
I'm likely to find myself in the position of wanting to precisely monitor how lifestyle changes are affecting the plaque levels in my heart arteries. I believe an angiogram is the only accurate way of doing this, if I can't get this procedure on the NHS then I'll probably make savings elsewhere, or save up over a period of time, and get it done privately.
I'm in a similar position to many people on this forum, I've had a bypass or stents, but we're young enough that we want to survive for twenty or thirty more years without further interventions. I'm currently sticking to the BHF recommendations regarding weight, diet, and exercise, as well as taking doctor recommended medication. But if that wasn't slowing the plaque build up sufficiently then I'd like to get an early warning that gave me the chance to raise the exercise levels, move to a completely plant based diet, drop another stone (no matter how uncomfortable that was), and discuss with a doctor the options for increasing the medication. But the current restriction within the NHS is that you can only get the angiogram if you present with quite serious symptoms, not if you're just trying to establish if your life style changes have been enough to make a difference.
Very good points here Chappy. I am now slightly concerned at the longevity of the stents. Is there any evidence or statistics to suggest how long they are expected to last? However, as I write this, I am thinking that it is very subjective and will depend a lot on the individual concerned, but there might be some pointers. Probably like you I have fairly dramatically changed my diet (not that it was that bad before), cutting out a lot of dairy and no meat, along with regular exercise and a reduction in alcohol. I am slightly sceptical regarding any reversal effect, but the Forks over knives film makes a lot of sense and is also a massive incentive to cut out eating meat if only for the global implications. The fact of the matter though (Maybe not in the OP's circumstances), the NHS is just too overburdened and underfunded to be able to fulfil a preventative role - we ARE left on our own to a large extent. You have to weigh up the arguments against the huge numbers of people who abuse themselves over many years in many ways, and then expect to be fixed when it all goes pear shaped, just look at the number of people now who are overweight or obese, or continue to smoke or even, incredibly, start smoking at a young age. Anyway to get back to you point about paying for an Angiogram, firstly I agree that this should not be how things are, however you have to live in the real world. The cost you have mentioned is no more that a half decent holiday in Spain (I think, I don't tend to do that myself), so as you have said maybe it is something people in our position should seriously think of saving up for? Not too difficult in a lot of circumstances over say 10 years? Two things though - do you know how much it would be to fit a stent (or stents) should it turn up more problems, and is it worth the risk? I still have a 50% blockage (or 50% unblocked as I prefer to call it) in my right artery, but have been told it is not worth fixing as the risks outweigh the current need. I guess this may be the actual PCI procedure rather than just the Angiogram, however at the end of the day they are still guiding a bit of plastic pipe through your arteries and possibly heart.
"I am now slightly concerned at the longevity of the stents. Is there any evidence or statistics to suggest how long they are expected to last?"
This seems to me to be the critical unanswered question for anyone who has had stents or a bypass. We had heart disease before the intervention and we've still got exactly the same heart disease now. The stents or bypass didn't cure us, they simply bought us a second chance. So how long before our heart disease gets back to where it was before, if we A) do nothing and rely on the medication, B) make moderate changes to our lifestyles, or C) make extreme changes to our lifestyles?
I appreciate this will be different for each individual, but some average, normative data would still be very helpful in planning a strategy for surviving the next twenty, thirty, or forty years!
The problem is I can't find much at all. Here's the sort of comments from medical professionals that I've uncovered,
"a bypass on average extends life expectancy by slightly over five years, adding life style changes can add about two more years to that"
"the mammary artery often used in bypass surgery has an 80-90% chance of being open ten years after surgery, but the vein grafts (ie this taken from legs) have a 40% chance of becoming blocked after just one year and a 50% chance of becoming blocked within ten years"
I found those comments a bit bleak, but when I put this question to my cardiologist he was more optimistic; saying this is old data and medication has improved and is likely to improve still more in the future, furthermore he said if you add sensible changes in lifestyle then life expectancy for bypass patients without secondary conditions (ie Diabetes) is no different to people who never had heart disease.
To be honest I find the cardiologist's assessment a little too rosy to be plausible. I suspect that if I'm to survive 20 plus years into my 80's I'm going to have make serious and enduring lifestyle changes (despite my lifestyle not being particularly terrible before).
One thing the cardiologist did say is that in his experience patients with stents are back in the hospital quicker than patients with a bypass, and he believed that was because bypass patients tended to be more committed to lifestyle changes than stent patients.
Guidelines in the USA and Europe ( not just the NHS) recommend against routine angiographic surveillance of stents and bypass in the absence of symptoms - it has been shown by trials not to help. I think the most important thing is to recognise stents and bypasses are not a cure for atherosclerosis - it is the diet, exercise and medication that control the disease.
Thanks for your answer, you wouldn't have a link to those trials by any chance? I've tried google but can't find anything for bypass, only for stents.
My concern is this; diet and exercise aren't binary, it's not a case of either dieting and exercising or not, there's an infinite range of options. Furthermore, beyond a certain point that diet and exercise might become restrictive or a burden to the patient or their family.
It's easy enough to measure weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, waist measurements, and even cholesterol. But all these things are just proxies for the thing that the bypass patient really wants to know, namely are the new bypass veins and arteries remaining clear, or are they becoming contaminated with plaque? As far as I know the only way of answering that question is with an angiogram.
A very plausible scenario is this, a patient has a bypass and then changes their lifestyle in line with British Heart Foundation guidelines, say 210 minutes of moderate exercise a week and a low fat diet but one that includes small amounts of red meat and quite a lot of white meat and fish. I for one would not find that regime burdensome. The patient may then see their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels etc all falling. That's all very reassuring, but it's still not an absolute guarantee that atherosclerosis isn't attacking the new bypass veins and arteries. However an angiogram, say six months or a year after the bypass, might show that the new veins and arteries are clean as a whistle, in which case just carry on as before with the new lifestyle. Or it might show the first signs of problems, in which case the patient then has a chance to up the exercise level and maybe move to a strictly plant based diet before he or she is again struck down with angina and is facing stents or a second bypass operation.
I've got a post operative meeting with my cardiologist in December and I'll ask this question and report back the answer I receive. If it's simply down to NHS capacity constraints then I'd be tempted to dig deep and spend the £2,000 required for a private angiogram.
I don't think you would even find a private cardiologist who would give you an angiogram without symptoms or signs of ischemia. It's not good practice or seen as in the interests of the patient - an angiogram is not without risk. Perhaps you could pay for a non - invasive stress test. I have a left main stent and understand your wish for guarantees, but sometimes we just have to do our best and live without them. However, if you need to lose a stone I'd do it anyway!
In general what matters is our usual habits rather than what we eat occasionally. I go by the Mediterranean diet myself.
Definitely ask your cardiologist though, all questions are good!
"I don't blame NHS workers in any way I feel we need to pay more to fund a more responsive health service which can be more proactive. F... sorry if my list has turned into a rant but I feel for you"
Please do rant away, it does not like a rant at all, though. You make a very realistic observation.
"I don't agree with that and as your story clearly shows the human cost is not factored into that approach. In addition the financial cost of someone having a preventable HA is not thought about enough."
It's a fact that the UK is not even at the top 10 within the international league table when it comes to the healthcare. If someone saw a Cardio elsewhere, you are probably likely to be on far more preventative measures/medications as I am aware. They probably see you as "carrying the high/moderate risks" and they would rather intervene well before "anything nasty" (i.e. invasive procedures) happens. The medics there understand that it would disrupt your life, career, family life or enjoyment of life, generally. My observation is, (I am not saying I know I am right), maybe, there's more Cardiac money in A & E departments. They sort of look at each case, and might say, "ok, this one might end up at A & E next week, let's send him away because he gets a much better care there (including ops/procedures) and we have got no money here to provide that".
"It's a fact that the UK is not even at the top 10 within the international league table when it comes to the healthcare."
But is it "a fact"? That depends which study you look at. Here's one from 2013 that has the UK at number one.
internationalinsurance.com/...
Interestingly in this survey the UK does very well on healthcare but appallingly badly when it comes to the lifestyles of its citizens. That raises an interesting point, if a country is growing ever more obese, then should it spend more on health care, or should it just tax takeaways and red meat?
These two links might give you some realistic ideas:
a new study of international health ... Britain comes 24th in a league table of ... mental health nurses and other types of health professionals. NHS unions ..
theguardian.com/society/201...
he increase in spending that has shoved the UK up the international league table is ... UK falls short of other countries’ health care ... behind our neighbours on ...
kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2018/...
I haven't really looked at the figures for Cardiology, except other patients experiences and comments on. Enjoy!
Credit to you Chase for making a difficult decision to give up your career. I was recently reading on ncbi.nln.nih.gov (It a US library site of medical papers and publications) that MRI can play a role in being a non invasive method of showing the health of arteries and stents. I think it may not be widely used but worth pursuing if you have any concerns in the future. The BHF also have some info on MRI scans to assess heart problems. It reminds me of a prostate issue I have. It's benign but PSA level was raised. Urologist thought I was crazy when I expressed concern about his decision to go straight to biopsy. I pushed for MRI which showed no suspicious areas. I am not avocating that it's etc can be a substitute for every other test or investigation but sometimes the ways of the past are continued despite research showing there are alternatives ways to investigate. My reason for concern over biopsy was the increasing occurrence of infections that are occurring after these procedures. Consultant told me not to read articles about this as they were rare. But then I have 2 friends who have persistent problems after biopsy with infections. Good luck maybe leaving driving might open other avenues to you or retirement if that's an option
In my own experience of having suffered from bad angina, I mean, very bad one over 15 years without getting anywhere under Cardiology, there is a certain degree of dishonesty that goes on behind the scene. Cardiologists are accountants, they know their NHS boss AKA fund manager wants less money/time being spent on each patient. They rarely do 'let's monitor these and keep a close eye..we'll take good care of you". So you get discharged after they have finished running routine tests, mechanically, like lab techs, without examining you, properly and listening to symptoms, purposefully. They/these doctors can diagnose and notice things that they should have acted on, but they actively choose to put ethics aside and choose not to diagnose you. It's because they don't want to keep you under their care. It costs too much. These go around, but their colleagues side each other to keep these hidden, thinking patients wouldn't find out or patients aren't medically trained etc.
As it will cost too much to keep the old referral, hanging around in their clinic, "oh, well, no more money is coming in". Whilst they know there are issues with older referrals, their focus is swiftly moved onto new referrals to keep the cashflow going. Essentially, they are cutting corners at your expense and at the expense of your long-term outcome. If you can prove the damage and causation, you can go to no win no fee solicitors for legal advice.
While I sympathise with your difficulties in diagnosis, I can't say I agree with this conspiracy theory of the NHS.
A really interesting post. Thanks for taking us right through your experiences. So good you’re reaching a good place.
I’ve had lots of the same experiences, lots of blue lights and admissions, HAs and stents. I now think the A and E Drs are very focussed on making patients safe, and getting them home quick, rather than getting to the bottom of what’s going wrong,
‘A and E is not a quick back door into treatment’, I heard one say recently.
The long waits are one way the service and it’s spending is managed.
Omg reading this post is sending me into overdrive. I had a heart attack 6 weeks ago. But also feel something is still not right in my body doctor doesn’t agree with me. Cardiac nurse wanted to up my blood pressure tablets as blood pressure remains high but doc has disagreed and said I’m on the highest dosage and doesn’t agree with the nurse grrrr
morning Kimberly sorry to hear of your heart attack, sorry if my original post is making you feel anxious as it wasn't my intention, your body will still be in recovery mode at the moment, what is it that you feel isn't right if you don't mind me asking? one of the big thing you have to consider at this short time since your heart attack is keeping control of your mind set as it will be all over the place with all kinds of thoughts its only natural and everyone goes through it I know I did, from heartburn, indigestion, any chest pain that might just be muscle pain then your mind will go into overdrive that there is something wrong, you will still be scared at this moment in time and probably will be for a while yet best advice I could give you is to just be aware of your mind running away with you. anything you would like to ask then feel free.
Ahh thank you wee chaz your so right I do hAve to take control of my mind, it does run away with me at times especially in the middle of the night when I have no one to talk to. Thank you for the reassurance thats helped me to feel better. your very kind
Hi Bee70 thanks for reading my story and your reply, the whole point of my original post was to really point out that I knew something was wrong with me and it was cardiac related just as you have stated with your experience, but although I spent 7 months suffering from these symptoms admittedly not every day but when I was having these feelings a knew straight away they were cardiac related as they were some of the same symptoms that presented from my first heart attack, and during that period of time I just felt that know one was listening to my concerns and lets face it you know your own body and eventually I got an appointment at cardiac clinic where numerous test were carried out and nothing un-towards showed up and I remember my cardiologist saying to what ever these symptoms are that your having are not heart related so get an appointment with your GP to look into getting further testing, 5 weeks after that as in my original post I had a heart attack in the street, I was left feeling so angry that this had happened !!!! 10 months down the line now and it still bugs me but I have been back at work now for 8 months!!! as the Verve song lyrics say (Slave to the money then you die) lol gave up worrying about my condition a long time ago as it just brings you down.
Completely understand your point - I had emergency angioplasty with 1 stent after eventually being admitted to hospital following earlier diagnosis of ‘chest infection’ once at GP and then at A&E. It’s not to complain it’s the frustration and chance that seems to run through some of our stories.... I was told that going away on a weeks holiday would do me good 😖
My flashback now is managing the slog through airports and two flights with my ‘chest infection’.
Looking back I can see some clear indicators linked with visits to Dr that weren’t picked up, some of my reluctance to present with what could be attributed to my thyroid condition, some complacency on GP’s part, my inflammation markers have been raised, an earlier chest x- ray 2 years showed a slightly enlarged heart - I have only just found this out. I suppose what we can all take from this is that we are better informed and hopefully can be stronger advocates for ourselves. Unfortunately although medicine has progressed - time is tight and expensive there doesn’t seem to be room to listen to the patient! I has excellent Oxygen and pulse and 2 ECG’s and was on the point of discharge when angiogram showed 99% LAD blockage. I knew I wasn’t right.
Keep well
Thank you, a fascinating and poignant story. I have gone through a similar need to understand what causes plaque and how to prevent or reverse it. After my initial diagnosis of a 40% LAD blockage (a private CT calcium scam which I paid for, about £700) 10 years later whilst on statins and beta blockers and standard low fat diet another private CT scan showed blockage now 80% I ended up needing a bypass. At this point I really took control and heavily researched how I could prevent or reverse the blockages. Found Ornish and Esselstyn and adopted the WFPB diet,100% compliment for 6 months, 2 months before and 4 months after CABG, but I re-introduced fish and have continually modified my diet based on what I have found to be the latest thinking amongst the key opinion leaders in the field- Aseem Malhotra, Malcolm Kendrick, Zoe Harcome Texas all - I have bought and read all the books and attended many conferences. The upshot is we have to take control of our own bodies and do what we believe is right for you as an individual. Unfortunately the BHF, NHS, NICE and the establishment seem to be way behind the curve in adopting the latest research.
Let’s keep sharing our experiences and knowledge via this excellent HealthUnlocked forum - even the BHF came to it and hopefully are beginn to listen to us.
Thank you to all who posted to this thread - it summarises much of what I have come to understand about heart disease over the 15 years.
There are many factors that effect us living with heart disease, but I now concentrate wholly on lifestyle - diet, exercise and reduce stress a healthy body weight and have come off all meds apart from aspirin.
Good luck to one and all.
I am working in a group called the Cardiovascular Care Partnership who are an independent charity but with links with the British Cardiovascular Society and BHF - we have an annual patients day at the BCS conference in March in Manchester and it would be great if those who have posted here were to come and share their experiences at our March 2019 conference.
Some very interesting and thought provoking responded here which I have found both supportive and informative. My final thoughts are that ultimately we need to ensure we take as much control of our situations as possible. This ranges from asking to view test results if we are not automatically given them to questioning medical opinions if we are in doubt. Last year my GP practice allowed those registered for the practice online service to view their test results. I found this useful to be proactive and take control which is what the NHS want us to do. A recent change in the system means this facility has been removed!!. Six weeks ago I had a routine blood test for liver function. I called the following week and was told result was normal. Then 2 weeks ago I received a letter asking me to have a blood test. When I queried this I was told my last test was slightly out of range and Dr wanted to repeat the test. When I spoke with the Dr he told me he hadn't wanted to worry me and that my test was only marginally over. My point here is that I my only worry was the manipulation and being given incorrect info. This time I asked for the blood reading and was told 'its normal' I was told I would have to see the GP if I wanted the reading. So I had to waste the GP's time. For those of us who can afford to I fully support previous comments of seeking advice privately. It doesn't sit easily with me (not because of the cost) but because not everyone can do that. Nuffield / Bupa etc will quote you costs if you call them and tell them you are self funding. Thanks for your initial post Chaz which has resulted in wide ranging valued opinions.
I’ve had loads of stents and on Heart meds no issues. My issues lie wiv my crap lifestyle that is hurting my heart. I was born with a heart condition so I’m more likely to get stents yet live like I’m not. They aren’t easy but worth it.
Wow your story really shows how many of us, are actually ill and get miss diagnosed.
I’ll try and make mine quick.
20 years ago age 40 unstable angina couldn’t even talk without arm pain etc, was kept in hospital told I would have massive HA
Had stent fitted felt great. 10 yrs later another stent hole left in artery resulted in repair 5 hours op mths of nurse visits etc.
7 yrs ago was told 1 stent 50-70% blocked put on adizam then on isosorbide another angioplasty and told both stents 50% blocked??
Then put on nitrate patch then ranexa plus regular meds asprin stats
5 weeks ago felt really ill chest aches and been ill since been to A&E was told ecg was reasonably ISH ? Lost bloods !!
Feeling really peed off
Sorry for long post,
I wish you well
Yes I follow Ivor Cummins and have met Ivor and Asseem talking at the same event and I beleive very with similar views. I have not heard of Dr William Davis, googled him and is he the 'undoctored' guy! I know nothing of him but he seems to be selling an online course - is this the person you are following?
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