Feeling very alone

[47Dale]

Hi all

I had a stent fitted 3 months ago and am still getting a tightening of the chest and a pain on the right hand side.

I was back in hospital 3 weeks ago as I just felt really poorly and GTN spray wouldn’t get rid of the feeling

ECG was fine and Blood was OK

However since coming out the same things are occurring and I havnt heard from cardio rehab in 4 weeks

Excercise has reduced because of the way I feel and so I just don’t know what to do

Stress is a big part I know but I just feel no one is listening

Would anyone have words of advice

Cheers all wish you all well

[Healthyheart1]

I can't help at the moment but hopefully someone will be able to soon. Keep positive, I know its not easy . I'm thinking of you anyway, Sheena

[Maisie2014]

De stress please. Stress causes a lot of pain. Keep in touch with your GP. Mine is in constant touch with me so I feel very confident. I haven’t always felt so but I find if you telephone them and explain your anxiety they will help.

[47Dale]

Wow thank you so much

Lots to think about there and really interesting

Excercise has been hit and miss with me

One thing I have also noticed is how tired I am at all times of day

Will the excercise help this or should I consult GP

Again thank you

[47Dale]

Thank you

Yes I am going to excercise now rigidly and get my head right

It’s great to here from people who know about what it’s like, felt very alone recently

Keep well

[Hidden]

I get intermittent chest pain, particularly just right of centre. I had an ECG after 3 days of persistent pain of varying intensity and it showed up fine. After another day or so it eased.

I've put it down to the clopidogrel. I've been getting a lot of muscle pain all over my body and it seems to be in response to any forms of exertion - like the meds are causing my muscles to become inflamed very easily.

It's a worry when it's in my chest, but is nowhere near as intense as when I had the heart attack. It's not nice, but I'm not allowing it to scare me as much.

I have the same downers which put me off doing exercise, I try and push through it, even if it's running up and down stairs a few times a day or pacing the living room. I'm 10 weeks in.

[47Dale in reply to Hidden]

Thanks a lot for the help and support like you I wondered if it was the medication

As you get fitter do you feel the chest discomfort is less active??

[Hidden in reply to 47Dale]

Maybe. For the first few weeks I would get a stabbing pain which limited my ability to exercise, but that settled down. I get the odd stabbing pain now (half a dozen a week) but they are momentary. I still get the achy chest pain but less often. This could be due to my attempts to avoid working my chest muscles. The next worst places have been left or right back pain just above the flank, followed by tightness/pain down the front of either thigh (rarely both thighs at the same time). I'm managing to get roughly 120 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, with a target of 150.

I have found that having a 12 hour gap between taking the aspirin and the clopidogrel did seem to help a bit, but that could be very specific to my own health issues.

[47Dale in reply to Hidden]

Interesting

Thanks for taking the time to reply

And all the best

[Ianc2]

Gentle regular exercise walking a daily mile along a flattish path. About ten minutes out, ten minutes back. Get a waterproof jacket, take a phone and record your time in a diary. As you start to get bored extend the distance and walk a bit faster for 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back. Consider getting a fitbit or similar. Have a good look at your lifestyle and the rehab exercises on BHF website. Your heart is a muscle. Use it or lose it.

[47Dale in reply to Ianc2]

Cheers

Any idea why I feel so tired all the time, before the stent fitted up at 6 home at 7 and gym twice a week...

[Ianc2 in reply to 47Dale]

I suspect the meds. See if you can change them ?

[Ianc2]

I suspect the meds. Ask for a change?

[47Dale in reply to Ianc2]

Cheers thanks a lot really appreciated

[BulleyJude]

I really understand what you are going through. I had a stent eight weeks ago and after six weeks started feeling good last week though I had tightening of the chest the whole week day and night and found it painful to take deep slow breaths. Yesterday and today it has improved I’m sure a lot is stress related but not always I have unstable angina and it does say you get tightness even when resting. Just take it slow try not to eat anything that can give you Indigestion which does make it worse Call your GP too I know they are not specialised but can be helpful. So hard at this time not being able to see anyone who can really advise

[47Dale]

Cheers

I will phone GP on Monday

Take care

[Soulmusic61]

Hi, I was just wondering how you are going on, Reading your story is like what is happening to me right now, im just as anxious as you.

Hope all is going well for you now or at least your coping better ;0)

[47Dale in reply to Soulmusic61]

Hi

I still get what I call chest discomfort on a regular basis, I have attended A&E 3 times since April and each time following various blood checks and ECG I have been given the all clear

Still I don’t know what the issue is and trying to get to a doctor is really hard but you have to pursue it

The spray occasionally helps but not all the time

Muscle wastage or medication it has been suggested but I do not know

I realised it was not a heart problem as I can get round a golf course, but recently the discomfort is back and I just rest

Keep mobile but don’t do too much

It is very easy to become very down as I have been but keep pushing people to listen to your story

I wish I had the answer to this and hopefully time will get me there

Take care of yourself

And I will keep in touch

[Soulmusic61]

My stent was fitted in July and one of my blood thinners caused Neautrapina which put me back in hospital for 9 days I have had approx four good weeks where I have felt normal and was even thinking of returning to work but am now having a bad few days and work is the last thing I want to do. I also have hypothyroidism which I don't think helps....I just want to find someone who will actually listen and perhaps give me some ansews. Like you ive had 3 visits to A&E and now feel im putting a lot of stress on my partner and family so I just take myself off to bed, just hoping time will heal.

[47Dale]

I have so much sympathy for you and we are both on a journey where we do not know what awaits in the future, your family will be important to give you that support but you are so right in saying “you want someone to listen” as you feel alone and vulnerable when you do not know the answers

Exercise will help but little by little,

Take care brother and I wish you well, let’s hope we both find the journey short which leads us to recovery