On going discomfort

[CharlRob72]

After heart attack in Sept and stent fitting my husband has what he classes as discomfort in his chest. He's had it since heart attack and mentioned it to both Cardio and own G.P but they don't seem overly concerned(I even rang an ambulance 1 day, they did ecg and said it wasn't his heart) he's waiting on results from his 3mnth echocardiagram. GP referred him to have camera down throat which showed signs of acid reflux, he was prescribed peptac 4 x daily . Wobsered if anyone else has similar experiences.

[Hatchjd]

I had burning chest pain post stent, insterted June 2019. I had no chest pain pre stent. I had my meds adjusted, a repeat EKG, treadmill stress test and a 24 hour halter monitor, all was fine and I saw a GI specialist privately and was put on a high dose of acid blocker. The discomfort gradually subsided over a 9-12 month period and only have an occasional bumpy day. I have 2 stenst but the LAD one is 28mm long and think it took a while to settle.

[CharlRob72 in reply to Hatchjd]

Thanks for responding, it's a strange 1 as the pain isn't in his heart area, sometimes left side sometimes right. I think it bothers me more than him, he says its not painful,just there and uncomfortable but he can live with it. Like you no previous chest pain prior to HA, came completely out of the blue, we were walking the dogs in the local park. Hes 49 fit and active, a little over weight non smoker. Last echocardiogram showed hits heart was showing some signs of improvement since the one after his HA.

[Hoocher]

I had similar feelings after my HA and was in and out of hospital. They found nothing and it was out down to anxiety and stress. I went for counselling via IAPT and was diagnosed with PTSD as I'd had a major HA. Counselling helped and 6 months later I had an ICD fitted because the HA had left me with 32%EF. All my anxiety slowly calmed down and the pain and discomfort went completely.

[CharlRob72 in reply to Hoocher]

Thanks for your response.

[EmmyLaury12]

I sympathise with your husband . I had HA in April

last year one stent fitted.

I like another post on here was diagnosed with PT S D caused by anxiety following HA.

Councelling helped and CBT and now thank fully I am a lot better and can control my anxiety.

I hope your husband gets well

Soon x

[CharlRob72 in reply to EmmyLaury12]

Thanks for responding

[Malgail]

I’m 2.5 years post HA & 2 stents, still have very regular ‘pain’ in & around my chest.

Most of the time I can discount things in my head by realising the pain is too centralised &/or ‘touchable’ (touching or prodding makes it worse). I have constant acid reflux, treated fairly successful by omeprazole.

I had my heart attack at 43 & struggled/struggle with coming to terms with it so young. I think mine is 60% PTSD, 20% Reflux, 19% muscle pain from Medication & 1% heart. But on a bad day for at least a short time it’s 99% heart. Good news is not has a blue light or call out since the HA & the check ups have been good.

I hope all goes well for your husband.

[CharlRob72 in reply to Malgail]

Thank you

[pasigal]

I had 2 stents last July and have struggled with this constantly, had 2nd round of tests and even another angiogram. My cardiologist intitially thought it was pericarditis but ruled that out. I'm seeing a GI specialist next week in hopes that the pain I'm feeling (and frankly, associated anxiety) are due to GERD/reflux. It's very disorienting to feel worse after a stent procedure, as I felt fine before it...

[KF123]

I had 3 stents fitted last September and am still getting pressure and tightness in chest with occasional bouts of chest pain sometimes severe. .Cardiologist is still doing tests and trying different things , latest one is to take me off statins for a month and change the blood thinner .... don’t know if it’s working yet

[Bigheart58]

Based on my experience, I wonder if it’s anxiety induced. If so, probably not too much to worry about.

The other question I would ask is whether it’s caused by over-exertion or if it comes on while he is resting.

Your husband’s doctor will hopefully be able to get to the bottom of it but in many cases it’s due to anxiety and stress.

[CharlRob72 in reply to Bigheart58]

I wouldn't say it's stress or anxiety as he's the most chilled out person you'd ever meet 😁 it's never started after exercise or when he's exerted himself, it's always a couple of hours after his medication, don't know if that's coincidence? I'm sure if his cardiologist thought there was anything serious going on he'd have had him back in? He last echocardiogram showed signs of improvement to his heart since last on in Sept.

[Walking_Cycling]

Completely unexpected I had two stents fitted in December 2020, non smoker not over weight not diabetic.Since then I seem to have good days and bad days and now I am having strange pains in my chest even as I write this message. The nurse said it will settle down but I am also worried about this. I bought a blood pressure monitor and my results are OK.

I guess I will talk with a doctor this week.

[Phil_London]

Hi, I think a lot of us here having similar experiance, I had a mild HA in May 2019, 1 stent in LAD. I still get strange chest sensations, I think pain is not the right word. I went back in to A&E 3 times post stent in the first 2 months, worried about every twitch. I was found to have a very small Hiatus hernia and tgey thought some sensations were from reflux but I think a lot is muscle, I can get it at rest. I can now run 5K without any discomfort now and then I will get the sensation around my heart area now and again just walking or even sitting. I think its because we are very conscious of any feelings in our chest. I was taking omeprazol but trying to live without it now for the last month to see how it goes, trying to watch my diet and eating the recomended foods that keep stomach acids down and omega 3s and greens and so on. So you are not alone with the worry about the chest pains.

[pasigal in reply to Phil_London]

Phil_London I also have those sensations more at rest, especially at night, whereas, like you, I can exercise and work without too much discomfort. So I suspect (and hope) that it's a mix of anxiety (nothing like feeling tightness in your chest at 4 a.m.) and reflux. But still in the investigation and trial/error process.

[Phil_London in reply to pasigal]

Well, after all the tests after the HA and stent fitted, and a variety of cardiologist reviews that I have done and paid for privavtly, stress test and echo audio when the heart is at full rate, ECGs, post HA the cardiologist says it can be the heart, its all repaired and working well and its down to muscular, and gastro, the small hiatus hernia doesn't help and I have been trying to give up the omeprozol to start reducing regular pills now I am over the 12 months point post stent. All you can do is keep telling yourself they have checked and its fine, often the sensation is from my left upper side all the way down diagonal across the heart , then a few time I notice it on my right. What I am working out is often its also to do with how I sleep, I sleep on my side, I wake up with my arm a little dead like I have had the whole weight of my body on it for hours and I think it stretches the muscles on my chest. Thats one of my theories anyway. I think we have to concentrate on what the cardiologist said, plumbing fixed so get on with life. ut I think we will always worry about any chest sensation.

[Hatchjd]

My chest discomfort seems to be noticeable at rest and disappears with exercise. I get weird fleeting shoulder and jaw aches occasionally if I pick up something heavy or open a tight jar. Sleeping on my left side will induce chest aching the next day so avoid this. Both of my stents are on the left, LAD and LCX which seems a bit of a coincidence but was told it wasn’t related. No issues if I am flat, prone or sleeping on my right side. If it was acid reflux I think it would be worse laying flat, but it is not. I am a retired RN not easily stressed and was diagnosed at angio after an episode of jaw aching and a positive treadmill test, not an emergency situation. I think my heart is a bit grumbly on having several inches of metal pushed into it. My chest discomfort could be described as muscular but the fleeting jaw and arms pains are more like nerves firing off. Fortunately it has decreased steadily over the last 18 months I do have more energy since the procedure but I am always aware that there has been a change in how things feel in my chest from my pre stent days.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Hatchjd]

Hatchjd you may find this article of interest.

acc.org/latest-in-cardiolog...

[Walking_Cycling]

Thanks for all your comments, I feel better knowing I'm not alone with these issues