Post heart attack & stent

[Mrsgezzy]

Hi all. My husband had a heart attack last week. His symptoms were burping LOTS (he thought he had trapped wind) then he began to feel pain across his chest and shoulders & his arms were heavy. Dr confirmed heart attack and he was fitted with a stent for a blocked artery. Dr says from the scans no damage to his heart.

He has been back home less than a week but is still burping a little and last night was restless saying he feels as though his heart is fluttering. Also his skin feels cold to me. Has anyone experienced this?

I am going out of my mind with worry in case something else happens. He hasn’t heard from cardiac rehab since being discharged from hospital, is this normal?

[Blackcatsooty]

Dear Mrs G

Sorry to hear of your hubbies cardiac event and welcome to the site.

I don’t know about the after shocks, I had a replacement valve so my case differs from yours.

But I can comment on rehab. It is essential to carry out rehab, not just the rehab course. I was shown how to do initial exercises, plus the walks

I still have not been offered the course and I am approaching two years since my operation.

Please get medical advice as to when and how to exercise. GP or the nurses on the cardiac ward or the nurses on this site can advise when to start. I was advised to start exercises before I left hospital.

Best wishes

Colin

[Mrsgezzy in reply to Blackcatsooty]

Hi, thanks for the reply. He’s been walking every day so far. He’s been told to just do what he can 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Blackcatsooty in reply to Mrsgezzy]

I was advised : Steady walk. And chat as you walk.Colin

[DickeyTT]

Hello Mrs G, your husband's story is close to mine, I had a heart attack 2 weeks ago and a stent fitted last week, I was discharged from the hospital the day after the stent and have been home since then. The build-up to the heart attack was lots of burping and I am still burping, not sure why or what that is about. I am now on a drug regime that is totally unusual for me but taking everything as prescribed. I have not been called by the Rehab team but expect something in the next couple of weeks, I was given a few sheets that discussed the next 6 weeks of rehab, basically slow and easy. My only bit of advice is to try not to worry too much as this is not good either, if in doubt call 111.

[Mrsgezzy in reply to DickeyTT]

Hi, thanks for your reply. He spoke to the GP today who says the burping is most probably the medication and they didn’t seem worried. As for exercise they suggest for the first 5 weeks to walk & gradually increase on speed/distance. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[Carer22]

Hi Mrsgezzy,

My husband had a heart attack just under four weeks ago. He did not have the burping you describe but does feel very cold. His hands and feet are particularly freezing and I have been told that this is a side effect of the blood thinners.

He was given a rehab pack when he left hospital but after a week when no-one had contacted him, he phoned them. He had a follow up chat on the phone and goes to be assessed this Wednesday. I guess the rehab services are still in Covid mode, but my understanding is that the programmes are restarting. Suggest you try to phone them, just for your own peace of mind.

There is so much useful information on the BHF site, not sure how I would have got through the last four weeks without it.

Please remember to look after yourself as well.

Best wishes.