Up-date re holiday & meds post HA

[45sue]

Hi All - I am back from a week's holiday in France which I took 2.5 weeks post HA. It was more than manageable, the main impact being extra cost of insurance & taxis instead of public transport on the outward journey. Used public transport on the return leg OK. Had one blip when thought I had an angina pain & used 2 spays of GTN which caused me to go dizzy & pass out much to my partner's consternation. I had panicked a bit being in a small town with no local hospital plus I am new to this & find it difficult to interpret my symptoms which present as indigestion. Rang the rehab team in the UK who reassured me it was the effects of the spray & not to take 2 shots another time!

Now 4 weeks post HA & doing OK except for what I believe to be the effects of arvostatin on my bowels ( diarrhea) . Am on the highest dose ( 80mg) & hope I can negotiate a reduction after 6- 8 weeks.

[Nathan53]

Great pleased you enjoyed your holiday Sue. I once had a similar experience to you when I took 2 sprays of GTN in one go. Try some deep breathing exercises and remain sitting or lie down for a while when using GTN. I also developed bouts of diarrhoea on 80mg of Atorvastatin which completely stopped when dose was reduced to 40mg. I have read that reintroducing back to 80mg (if need be) does not always mean you would get diarrhoea again. Personally I told Cardiologist I preferred to stay on 40mg and they agreed.

[Clerkenweller]

I’m very pleased my concerns were unfounded. Sitting down quietly for 10 minutes when using spray works for me.

[CretanBob]

Thanks Sue, I needed some reassurance re hols. I'm 9 months post CA & HA ( for no apparent reason) and am due to go to my version of heaven, that is Greece for 4 weeks!

I have the odd good day but mostly restricted to what I can do most of the time. I think the meds are the main problem but I get so much from my time there, I think it will have a positive effect. I'm really glad you enjoyed your break and I hope you can do more next time. Thanks for sharing.

[45sue in reply to CretanBob]

Hi Cretan Bob- I meant to add that it helped lot to go to a familiar place where we have stayed before - found this reduced stress and any impulse to go tearing about so able to take it easy & just enjoy being there. Sounds like Greece can do the same for you.

[CretanBob in reply to 45sue]

Sounds good advice Sue. Been going for 30 years and my shoulders always drop about 3 inches when I get off the plane! Hoping it works this time too.

[Alison_L]

Hi 45. Been there with the GTN. I had a silent HA so have never had any chest pain. Took 1 squirt of GTN as I was feeling dizzy, felt worse after 5 mins so had another squirt... and hit the deck! Haven't touched it since

Re the Atorvastatin, the hospital sent me home after my HA with 80gm, but at my first follow up appointment with my GP, she was happy to reduce it to 40mg, and I took great joy in chopping 6 week's worth of pills in half!

[45sue]

Hi Alison - I also feel reluctant to use the GTN spray again. Thanks for heads up re reducing the statins . Nathan is quite right that reducing the dose cures the diarrhoea- I'm already cutting the 80 mg in half & will think about how to fess up when I next see my GP. My feeling is that on discharge from hosp we get given one size fits all in terms of meds ( & I'm not a very big size) rather than an individualised approach & it needs refining as we go on.