Newbie with a stent

[s3pc]

Hi all - I've joined the CHD club it seems and TBH its all been a huge shock. Had a stent fitted two weeks ago - but not feeling massive improvement yet. Still very breathless when walking or climbing stairs. Was hoping for faster results but then I am an impatient chap! I am 54, was pretty fit prior (gym 3 times /wk) pilates and mild mountain bike rides.....first symptoms in early July, then downhill quickly... BP normal, no diabetes thankfully and cholesterol was mid 5s at last test (couple of years ago). Apparently I also have 'moderate' blockage on two other arteries whatever that means - but not bad enough to stent apparently. Being completely honest I feel like I am sitting on a timebomb and only feeling ~10-20% better than prior to op and struggling mentally with the whole thing. Just sharing and interested in other's experiences..... particularly success or otherwise of stents.

Thanks for reading......

[Forestdweller]

Blimey you could be describing me! I just had 1 stent and other artery moderate leisions but didn’t need stenting. Anyway I’m 2 weeks since stent and I feel rubbish still! Also breathless and can hardly do anything. I also was fairy active prior to all this. I’m 38. Anyway, everyone on here has been so supportive and helped a lot when I was living in a permanent state of terror! I know that not everyone bounces back quickly (even though they say we should be back to normal within the week) my cardiac rehab said yesterday I prob need a few more weeks to recover and they will check on me regularly. It’s a serious procedure and bruising etc is inside too. Welcome to the club no one wanted to join 😉

[Zemer]

I seem to be replying to a lot since I came on here but I see so many suffering from the trauma of it all and having been there I know how it feels.

Just remember after the stents your body needs to heal. Any wound or break can take up to 6 weeks and your entire system has suffered a trauma so you need to give it all time to settle and heal. Don't try to do too much too quickly but do your cardio rehab yet not pushing yourselves too hard. It also takes considerable time to adjust to the medications and if anything needs to be tweaked if something is causing a problem, let Cardio know on one of those rehab sessions. Over here I got to see doctors again if I was worried about anything. Wish you all well in your recovery.!

[Sooty2020]

Hi s3pc. I had a stent fitted 3.5 years ago after a 95% blockage in right coronary artery was discovered. Aged 53 at time. First symptom sore feet, then awful ache in left arm - everything deteriorated quite quickly. Went in for angiogram only and came out stented! My improvement was immediate except obvious body getting used to it’s new pal and taking great care for the first 6-12 months with care on strenuous exercise, hill walking etc.. Give it time because, to be honest, I felt like someone had given me a new lease of life. It’s a shock initially and not indicative of an unhealthy lifestyle (mine wasn’t) so there’s no shame. Before stent I had little energy - that changed for me almost immediately. In time you will forget it’s there. Remember a bypass would have had a much worse recovery period so thank god for stents - every cloud. Take care and be positive. There’s a great life after a stent - just give it time.

[Madcatman]

Angiogram in June which discovered three arteries seriously narrowed. Four Stents fitted in mid July and two more a couple of weeks ago. Mentally, I seem to be ignoring it but two weeks in I am doing what I was doing before being stented but a bit easier. Not totally pain free yet and I hope it's bruising etc still to recover rather than any failures. Half an hour's decent paced walking most days seems good, and is getting easier.

[SmokeAKipper]

I had similar stent with others partially blocked... patience is key... your muscles are recovering and also getting used to the drugs it takes 2-3 months to settle down.

What you’ve got is heart disease... the pipes need in a word cleaning... I would recommend googling the side effects of the drugs your on and printing out...

Regarding the mental side you need someone you can rely on for a chat..

If you need a chat let me know and I’ll help as I can

[MountainGoat52]

Hi s3pc,

Many of us were shocked to find we were reluctant members of the CHD club. I had a clot in 2017 which caused a HA. Thankfully I had marvellous treatment immediately - 2 stents inserted within 90 minutes of calling 999. The NHS at its very best.

Prior to my HA I was a regular hill walker. It took about 2 months to get back to full fitness and a further month to get back onto the hills carrying a backpack. Then I discovered some things - no more breathlessness, no more lactic acid build up in the legs, no more indigestion if I ate something before exercising. With these tangible improvements I was determined to keep positive and enjoy life.

11 months after my HA I had a triple bypass (elective surgery to provide a long term solution to my partially blocked arteries) which set me back somewhat, but once again I was back on the hills after three months, once I could carry a backpack. I took it steady at first, but haven't looked back since. Onwards and upwards as they say! You are right in saying the mental hurdle can be difficult to overcome. I was determined not to let my experience stop me doing what I enjoyed and I have often been praised by medical staff for maintaining a positive attitude. Hopefully you can get to feel like this too. Two weeks is early days. Be patient and look forward to those activities that you enjoy.

My best wishes for the future.

Gerald

[s3pc]

Firstly to say - THANK YOU all for reading and replying. Really helped me to hear other people's stories. I guess the main thing that is bothering me is the breathlessness.....but I hear....patience is key. Also Gerald thanks for your post about hill walking. My wife and I are regular visitors to Exmoor where we love to explore the moors and hills - the thought of not being to do that again would be unbearable - so your experience is encouraging.... but it will be a while..... Again thanks to all of you for the help and kindness.....much appreciated...off to do some searching on drug side effects. I already discovered that I cant tolerate Bisoprolol (made me unbelievably fatigued and nauseous) so on a CCB instead.... so thats one off the list....

[Qualipop]

The breathlessness could be one of your tablets. Ticagrelor is well known for giving asthma type feelings. You are breathing well but it feels as if you are not. Have a talk to your GP. There are alternatives if that's what it is. If you are feeling so rough your GP should see you in person. I had lots of problems with tablets after my HA and stents plus of course the shock. One tablet gave me hallucinations, one made me so tired I couldn't get out of the chair. If your GP is unapproachable try phoning the BHF nurses.. Give the tablets time to settle down and for side effects to go but if they don't, talk to your GP

[Lonmayloon]

I first experienced angina in January 2011 aged 52, fairly fit, not over weight, non smoker. In early March 2011 I had an investigative angiogram and a stent was inserted in the LAD.

After the procedure I was completely washed out for the first two weeks, sleeping for longish periods during the day. It then took a while to get back to normal. Every minor pain in the chest area set off major alarm bells in the brain. That feeling eventually passed and I could exercise ok.

However the effects of bisoprolol ie lack of energy and fatigue were getting me down. The dose was lowered for a period but my tolerance must have then increased and it was put back up to 5mg.

Took up running C25K during lockdown and have moved on to run 10km yesterday. I haven’t seen my cardiologist since 2011 and haven’t had angina since then either. So in my case the stent procedure was a great success but my advice would be to take it easy for the first wee while and be aware of the side effects of any new meds.

All the best