Tenerife

[Mark62]

Hi I had a heart this year on jan21st in Tenerife ,which I ended up having a stent put in.i came out of hospital felt quite well for the week I had left there .and for the first four weeks after returning home.but now just seem to have no energy ,get breathless and have no go in me.mood swings and feeling down.how long does it take to get back to normal.

[Nathan53]

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum. I would say the symptoms and the way you feel are very common illustrated by many of the posts here. Following my stents last April I felt exhausted and drained from day one and I would say it was at least 2 months until joining rehab that I started to feel less tired. My partner also had a heart attack a few weeks ago while on holiday in Spain. He also had a stent and following discharge from hospital felt really good for the remaining 3 weeks of our holiday. Since returning to the UK he has struggled with feelings of exhaustion and also breathlessness. My theory from my own experience and on researching and listening to others is that there is an initial relief of surviving being treated and then it's back to the reality of our lives. I presume you are on the standard meds of beta blocker, dapt, statins, BP meds etc and while necessary they take there toll on our system. Although you will have taken these meds from day one in some people I think the full on side effects don't manifest for a while and this could be one of the reasons for your tiredness etc. Have you been offered rehab yet? If not your GP can make the referral as you probably haven't yet seen a Cardiologist in the UK. If these symptoms persist or worsen discuss your meds and roseate with GP, for example I persisted taking 5mg of bisoprolol for months before asking if I could change to another category of beta blocker - I immediately noticed a difference and had much more energy. It's still early days for you and I am sure things will improve. Did your discharge letter from Tenerife indicate your heart function etc?

[Mark62 in reply to Nathan53]

Thanks for your reply,the information was of cause in Spanish,so really I'm still waiting for a follow up here.yes I have had my assessment for the cardio coarse and start on the 17th April,I think I do think with me it is the bisoprolol which is making me feel like this,on visiting the cardio nurse I told her I was getting mild angina,which she has suggested getting my doctor to up my bisoprolol .ect but am dreading the affects of a hire dose. Thanks again,hope you and your partner are on the mend

[Nathan53 in reply to Mark62]

Hi Mark - perhaps you could discuss with your GP. For me it's often a balancing act. If it is the bisoprolol that is causing you a problem merely increasing the dose could add to the problem. Do you use a GTN spray when you have angina. Some useful information about beta blockers can be found on escardio.org

I have been unable to copy the link to the relevant page but if you type the following into a Google search it should bring it up: 'individual beta blockers for individual patients' The beta blocker I now take is Nebivolol which is as effective as bisoprolol for me without the tiredness. Some people on here have found the opposite we are all different. Thanks for asking after us and remember what I said about giving yourself time it took me months to gain strength and I now feel much better. I go to the gym 3 times a week, garden socialise etc all of which I thought I would never do 8 of 9 months ago. Take care.