Heart attack 10 days ago. What happens next?

[Carl1167]

Hello, I am a newbie here.

10 days ago I had a heart attack, 2 stents fitted and some complications with fluid build up in my lungs. I spent 6 nights in hospital and I am struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

Has anyone else experienced problems sleeping and night terrors?

Can anyone let me have any threads that would help me?

Thank you

[Carl1167]

Thank you so much, this was exactly what I needed to hear. I am so glad I found this forum.

[Siity]

Yes I had the night scares I used to wake up doing the night a lot I used to go for a walk at 5in the morning so I did not keep waking partner I am a lot better now but it’s been a year so keep looking positive I know that’s hard but it does get better in time it took a three month hopefully you be able to go rehabilitation with I could not because they were closed do to COVID hope this helps good luck if you want to know any more let me know

[Carl1167]

Thank you Roger. I have found that half of the problem is I am also worrying about disturbing my lovely wife, who has taken up all the slack as well as nursing and worrying about me.

[firstlight40]

Welcome to the board. Yes for the first few nights at home I was quite sleepless worried that I would not wake up. But I found that passed and I kept gtn spray with me as a comfort blanket. 4 months on and with 6 stents I am doing most of the physical activity things I used to do in the garden and DIY and my sleep is undisturbed. I hope things improve for you over time

[Hearty21]

Hey Carl. It is worrying without any doubt. It took me a month to come to terms what happened to me (For a 40 year old fit guy running everyday). But look at the bright side of things and your condition will massively improve. Things do get better after few months. Start physical activity as much as you can bear and take cardiac rehab with both hands.

Some pains which we experience after HA are anxiety related and most of those are from the bruises caused by stents. They will gradually ease up

I thought i knew everything about rehab but for us heart patients, goals are different. So I myself gained massively from Cardiac rehab.

I am 4 month down my HA and still get odd pains around chest / back but I have understood the red flags which we all do.

There is a life beyond this episode and for some people HA turns their life around for good.

[FiftyNotOut]

Hello! I had a STEMI heart attack completely out of the blue just over seven weeks ago. Still get night terrors, still get terrible anxiety about it happening again, but it is getting better. My advice would be to check you’ve been referred for cardiac rehab and to call the local cardiac rehab team to check they’ve received your referral. The assessment isn’t usually until about a month after the heart attack. Nobody told me this & I thought I’d been abandoned! It’s all over video call/phone atm, but better than nothing.

Also check about a month on about a follow-up appointment if you’ve not received one by then. I’d not had one. Turned out it should have been made prior to my hospital discharge, but hadn’t been.

I found the BHF nurse helpline really useful and reassuring in the early days.

Last thing - do what you feel you’re able to. It’s very early on for you, but it will get easier.