I am a 54 year old female and had a heart attack in November. I have had an angiogram, and although they found a slight narrowing in one place no stents fitted. I am on 6 tablets a day and had a MRI scan with no obvious reasons for the heart attack. I don't smoke, have normal blood pressure, no diabetes, eat fairly healthily, but probably don't exercise as much as I should. The letter I received said I will be referred to the cardiac rehab team. I am back to work, but feel emotionally fragile. I get bit panicky about any ache or pain although I am getting better and trying to be level headed. My fear is having another one, although my husband assures me now I am on medication I am more protected than before I had my HA. In summary, I feel isolated and frustrated that no reason has been found. Has anyone else been through this?
Another newbie!: I am a 54 year old... - British Heart Fou...
Another newbie!
If you are on a statin and a beta blocker your husband is right. This is a nervous time for everybody. We have all been through it. Look at it this way: You have survived, phew! It could take a long time for you to come to terms with what has happened to you. You will have good days and days when you will feel down or frightened. We (and your husband) are here to help you through those days.
Dear Hensl
I am sure you will feel emotional and a bit nervous for a while after a heart attack, and I see lots of posts that describe this so you're not alone. I think that your husband is right in that the meds will make it less likely that you will have another and also the rehab will help with confidence in working out exercise routines. I hope your workplace is sympathetic and you're able to take it a bit easier than usual there! I hope that some more information about the 'why' will come to light soon! I'm sure there are some others on here who've had similar trouble finding out why they had a HA. x
Like you Ihave a healthy lifestyle plus I exercised a lot; in fact I ticked every box not to have a heart attack but had one in October. It knocks your confidence, changes your self-image and leaves you feeling very vulnerable. I thought every twinge was a heart attack! I'm still feeling very emotionally fragile but this forum has been a massive support and I read the posts every day. I also trawl through the older ones because there are some very positive stories to help you.
I have just been re-reading "A Thief in the Night" by John Cornwell an investigation into the death of Pope John Paul 1
His conclusion was that the death was not what it said on his death certificate "myo cardial infarction" or heart attack but pulmonary embolism or blood clot
The point is that even at the top of an organisation with access to all the best medical advice and support things can go badly wrong
Apparently his personal medical records were left behind in Venice and he did not have a doctor who knew him and his history of swollen legs and an embolism in the eye
There were medical staff in the Vatican on call but his health and care were neglected by his staff with tragic results
Thankfully you have support from your husband who seems to know what he is talking about and of course on this site
Hi, if your health is ok and there is no answer to your HA why are they putting you on statins? Please google them before swallowing them.
I have another quite controversial stance - Doctors know best and if I have been prescribed statins, then I should be grateful enough for the advice and comply with it. Google is a company that has many fingers in a huge fat pie - there are MANY other search engines to choose from other than Google. Did you know that Google records every key stroke you make and records every web page you visit - all helping them to tailor your needs - what a load of old rubbish - it's to get lists together to sell to others. Have you ever noticed that after using Google, you begin to receive spam emails from .com companies it the USA? Thats all because your favourite firm has no bounds in the US, where they have no rules to help keep citizens lives private.
Unfortunately I’ve witnessed quite a lot of doctor doesn’t know best so I’ve learnt to research everything now. I do use other search engines, and yes I know what google do with data, all of them do the same. If they are controlled medical studies they will appear on all search engines. The big pharmaceutical companies are the ones in control of our doctors and us, in a much much bigger money making fatter pie . If I had blindly listened to what doctors have told me over the years and just popped whatever pills they had prescribed I wouldn’t be here now. I’m happy that you have so much faith in yours.
All of the search engines do not do the same -If you use a GB search engine, they have to comply with the data protection act! The reply to my statement about medication was in relation to the questioner and not to you!
That should have been quite clear to someone with your obvious experience
And those same search engines will come up with the same studies if they were published medical studies 🙄. People should inform themselves of what they are putting in their bodies is all I am suggesting.
Also your post about google and doctors know best was in reply to me, it says so on this website if you look. No need to be sarcastic, specially when you’ve got it wrong. Have a nice day.
Sometimes some doctors do not know best. Especially when you live with an unusual not well understood or recognised condition.
I have had to become an expert by experience into my condition. There are so few Cardiologists who have any expertise in Vasospastic and Microvascular angina.
I work in partnership with those who are responsible for my care. I have co written my Admission Plan with my Cardiologist and Pain Management Team overseen by a several Professors of Cardiology
A severe prolonged Coronary artery spasm can lead to a heart attack , cause arrhythmias and a cardiac arrest.
10% of heart attacks are thought to be due to MINOCA Myocardial infarction non obstructive coronary arteries. Coronary artery spasm, Takostubo syndrome or Spontaneous coronary artery dissection all possible causes.
Beta blockers should be used with caution with this group of patients as
Beta blockers can make coronary artery spasms worse.
I spent 5 days in CCU after being precribed beta blockers they made my coronary artery spasms much worse.
I got a lovely letter of apology from my Cardiologist afterwards and it lead to the writing of my Admission Plan.
I take statins to help reduce my chances of developing Coronary heart disease which my Prof has said would further increase my risks of a Cardiac event.
Everyone here has felt as you are now - that is natural. A simile to this feeling if regarding the car of your dreams - you save for years, it's perfect. it's new, the best colour and it's fast. You buy it new, initially, everyone around it looks after it and polishes it. Over the years of your ownership it gets stone chips, has the odd puncture and occasionally needs a bit more than TLC when some idiot in a supermarket car park dents the car. Never more than an overnight stay and following day it's back to the lovely shiny car it always used to be. Over the years it is well serviced and looked after - but sometimes when too busy, you skip a service but the car never lets you down and the next time, just to keep the service record up to date, you call into a tyre depot and give your beloved a cheap oil and filter change - no luxury oil this time, I just can't afford it. Sometimes I drive too fast and abuse the road handling and do try and keep up with more powerful sports cars - sometimes I do succeed but sometimes I feel the car stuttering a bit - it worries me but the car has never let me down and I just dismiss the warning signs.
My pride and joy, my beloved car, looks just as beautiful. The seats are a bit worn! but still comfy. Decided to take a trip to France to get some cheap wine and have a few days in Paris to boot and to save on money, am taking the car since it is always reliable and gives good mileage.
What a disastrous trip, I was sea sick on the ferry, the car decided not to start first time getting off the Ferry. Ten miles down the road towards Paris and I get stopped by the French police and am fined for not having any spare bulbs a yellow reflective jacket or any European Insurance card. Then I get a roasting for not making better plans to meet the need of the journey. Wish I'd never began.
Well you'll never guess, on the way back from Paris my beloved car has had a catastrophic break down. The mechanic says it could be the cheap oil changes, the delays in servicing, the speeding or even the heavy loads I sometimes have to carry. No one really knows, but it means I will have to have the engine looked at - once I can get my beloved back home with the RAC whisking him at top speed back to the garage at home - oh my goodness what will I do without my car - should have taken better care!
Well what luck, got the head off the engine and one of the cylinders arr furred up and the main reason was all that junk cheap fuel I had used - not the correct additives to keep the pistons in tip top condition. So after the piston rings replaced and a de coke, the engine is now as good as new. I have to promise to keep adding the fuel additive to ensure it never happens again and if I can do that, the car will last all my life!
I sure as hell will look after the car, my beloved car and do all the things I have been told to look after him. I just hope I don't meet a boy racer at traffic lights - I wonder if I will be good and do nothing?......
Will you?
It is all up to each individual to do as much as we can to ensure a good "sensible" balance in life and do the appropriate thing and take the advice
I've read your post about your car a couple of times. I think a lot of people take better care of their car than their bodies. The hospitals are full of people who abuse thier health but I've not seen figures for those who neglect their health. When put on the spot very few admit to the neglect but boast about over indulgence. I fall into the neglect category but because I thought I was Wonder woman and could care for heart failure husband, heart failure mother and stepfather with cancer all at the same time. I did not listen to friends who warned me. I wanted to be appreciated! What a mistaka to Maka!!!!
I want to reassure you that there is a lot still within your control.
Heart attacks occur because the arteries have been inflamed. Cholesterol in the blood can inflame the arteries. Even small narrowings (plaque build up) in coronary arteries can cause a heart attack if we keep inflaming our arteries daily with the food we eat because the plaques are like a boil that can pop and leak into the artery.
See this helpful video:
nutritionfacts.org/video/ar...
Keeping our LDL cholesterol below 1.8 prevents further plaque developing. It is even possible to reduce plaque that has already built up.
nutritionfacts.org/2017/03/...
I highly recommend Dr Gregor's How Not To Die book, and Dr Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease to regain some peace of mind and hope, because with the right changes your body can heal and your risks of a further heart attack will be near zero. It is an effort to make the changes but so worth it. Many of us here have done so and some no longer need any medication.
The added bonus is that any arterial plaque in other parts of the body such as the brain, will also stop piling up. A stent or bypass can't do that.
Good luck with what you decide.
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