SCAD

[Joshuamw04]

SCAD

Hi does anybody know or has been diagnosed with scad please

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hello,Welcome to the forum, there are a couple of forum members who have experienced a Spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Hopefully they will be along to share their experiences with you soon.

JoanyB

[stillaboveground in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you Milkfairy for spelling out what scad means, I do have problems with abbreviations. Take care.

Ruth

[JoanyB]

Hello Joshuamw04.

I am one of the forum members Milkfairy mentions that has had a SCAD, and she kindly let me know you had just posted.

I thought from your forum name that you were probably male which would have made a SCAD especially uncommon as it mostly affects females - and I see you are the 'prime' age!!

I have plenty of information which I will now go and sort out, and will be back shortly.

It used to be called rare but is now 'uncommon' and there is much more information around than when I had one nearly 5 years ago.

[JoanyB]

Back again!

I’ve just read your profile and am a bit puzzled.as you mention aortic dissection which is different to SCAD, which stands for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. This means the dissection was in an artery inside your heart, whereas the aorta (and the carotid) are arteries outside the heart and are different altogether. Also, SCAD is not so much a disease, more of an event.

Anyway, assuming it was a true SCAD, as I said this is most common with women around the menopause or peri-menopause, or post-partum, so maybe hormone related. But that doesn’t account for the male sufferers. I was different as I was 68 – may have been stress, who knows?

I had a SCAD heart attack back in January 2016 but the dissection was missed in the emergency angiogram and I was diagnosed with possible Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. A follow up MRI showed what had happened but I was only told the mechanics - no mention of SCAD. I was told it was only a ‘blip’ so I did my cardio rehab and carried on!

Then 20 months later I had a second (milder) one and this time was given the name SCAD which enabled me to find all the following information. Don’t worry - there is a 90% chance you will NOT have another!!

Even in the last 5 years there have been enormous developments in recognition/diagnosis of SCAD in the first place and the amount of research being made. In fact I have taken part in the research at Glenfield Hospital due to having had 2 SCADs.

These are good sites to investigate -

SCAD RESEARCH SITE - scad.lcbru.le.ac.uk/

The top UK SCAD expert, Dr David Adlam, works out of Glenfield Hospital in Leicester and it is there that the main research is being carried out in this country.

There is loads of info on the above site, and in the ‘Patients & Family’ drop down list you will find a link to the Facebook ‘SCAD Survivors Support Group’ (a closed group). Here you will find fellow ‘Scadsters’ who are going through or have gone through what you are feeling now.

beatSCAD - beatscad.org.uk/

beatSCAD is the charity that gives support to us ‘Scadsters’, raises funds for research and attempts to educate health professionals regarding SCAD. They have their own Facebook page as well as this site.

They also have their own Facebook page: facebook.com/beatscaduk/

If you want to know anything more specific just let me know.

Sorry I have gone on a bit😀

[LandersFan]

Hi there!I had my SCAD in April this year and think it was completely down to stress. I am 44 (female) and otherwise very healthy. I was very lucky that the angiogram just showed up a small tear so I have just had medication to help it heal however it has been a slow, and sometimes frustrating, process.

The links that JoanyB has put up are really useful. I have found the Facebook support group particularly comforting at times and also have an appointment with Dr Adlam in December.

Really recommend you join the Facebook group and have a look at the Beat scad website!