Chest pain after stent

[Purplemaze]

Is this a normal condition. Could it be caused by the blood thinner I have to take for 30 days afterwards? I had a second heart catheter 2 days ago because of chest pain, they said everything looks normal,,,,

[NorthantsSteve]

Hi Purplemaze. Yes it’s pretty normal to have tweaks and sensations in the heart/chest. I was told it doesn’t like being pushed around and to imagine how it would feel if you’d had a foreign object put into another muscle. And my arm was bruised for weeks afterwards. I was on anti-platelet therapy (Ticagrelor + Aspirin) and that certainly enhanced bruising so I suppose it could be linked. If they say it looks OK and it’s just a general sensation then maybe give it a few days? Obviously if it’s something more serious then call 999.

[Purplemaze in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Thanks, sounds like you have better healthcare there than here. They saved my life but won’t go any further because of money. I went back a week later an they did another heart catheter in same arm. Didn’t even get a follow up instructions.

[NorthantsSteve in reply to Purplemaze]

Sounds awful. Are you based in the US? Our health service gets a lot of bad press here in the U.K. But I have nothing but praise for my experience.

[Purplemaze in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Yes I’m in USA I joined this site to get a different view than from all the money hungry people here

[Purplemaze in reply to NorthantsSteve]

The cost is causing more stress than before my HA I may lose my home after hospital gets done suing me

[NorthantsSteve in reply to Purplemaze]

Hope it doesn’t come to that. We don’t know how lucky we are to have free healthcare for all paid through taxation. Maybe you need to emigrate?

[Purplemaze in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Thank you

[Ader42]

Was the stent a planned procedure or an emergency due to a heart attack?

I had 3 stents put in 3 weeks not had any pain, the odd niggle or twinge yes but not enough for me to use the gtn spray for example. If you had a HA then your body might just be healing and having anything put inside your arteries is likely to be traumatic to some extent?

[Purplemaze in reply to Ader42]

It was due a heart attack in progress

[Hatchjd]

I had 2 stents in July for 90% and 80% blockage of the LAD & LCX. It followed a positive cardiac stress test which demonstrated significant coronary artery disease. No chest pain or heart attack pre angio. Post angioplasty my EF was 46% due to ischemia and myocardial stunning. I had burning chest pain and pain between my shoulders and fullness in my chest and throat with any exertion.At 2 weeks post op the Ramapril and Atorvastin was stopped with some improvement in chest fullness and back pain. My BP and pulse are normally low. The reassuring thing for me was the more I exercised the better I felt. I was able to walk 3+ miles daily but continued to have burning chest pain. GTN spray didn’t make any difference. A repeat stress test at 4 weeks was negative. I saw a GI Dr. who thought that the aspirin and ticagrelor was irritating my stomach and I started on Rantadine which has helped some with the chest burning.

I am 5 months post op now and things have settled down. I still experience occasional burning, weird niggles and achey fleeting pains in my jaw and elbows!! but less as each week goes by. Sleeping on my left side seems to aggravate it some, so try to avoid that.

I believe most of my pain is due to the stents settling in. I had 28mm and 16mm Xience DE stents placed and think some people seem to have more reaction than others. I do seem to notice the niggles most when I am not active.

I recently completed a 7 mile hill walk without problem something I couldn’t have done before the stents and no longer have the heavy tiredness which I had attributed to age! I am 62 y/o female. I worked as an RN for HCA in the USA for 25 years but returned to the UK in 2006. I think the NHS standard of care delivered by my local hospital is equal to anything I experienced in the USA and not having to worry about cost or being out of work is priceless.