Diagnosed with TVD and had 4 stent

[Anynomous]

I am 41 yo male , 3 weeks ago , I drove myself to A&E for elevated BP 186/121 with mild pain in left arm and heart burn which went away after few hrs . I was told troponin in my blood was 65 and then went up to 256 . I had angiogram done which revealed 3 blockages in 3 arteries (TVD) . After few days had angioplasty with 4 stents for 3 blockage. I do not smoke , never drank alcohol , I am very active and follow decent healthy diet , so doctor concluded that it might be heredity as my dad had same events in his 60 and had CABG. it has been 2 weeks since i had stent put in , having some mild pains occasionally which eventually goes away after sometime . Have starting walking slowly and plan to gradually increase the time .

I would appreciate some advice on what symptoms to look for before getting alarmed . What kind of diet to follow , (I am following vegan diet now as I was having eggs, chicken and prawn for few years now and not sure that fuelled the plague build up .)

[Sodp]

Anynomous I had TVD and put in 4 stent 3 weeks ago, similar age group quite healthy never smoke, occasionally drank few beers. Lived healthy and moving. I am going through good and bad days, pain on my chest goes for hours and it is very hard to distinguish what is heart pain or stretch pain or an anxiety. From forum and rehab nurse its common to have this type of pain first months and also anxiety can cause similar symptoms, that makes hard what should I be alarmed of. I try breathing techniques and try to relax to see if it goes away after if it is an anxiety. If that pain rediate to arm , one thing for me is if it is an anxiety I get jaw closed tightly but no pain..maybe find something that gives you clue..

All the best for your recovery, I have my follow up with cardiologist on 19th. If any thing I find from an appointment will keep you updated

[Anynomous in reply to Sodp]

Thanks sodp for the info and wish you a speedy recovery. I have not heard anything from northwick park hospital about follow up or any info about rehab.. will call then after few weeks.

[deniseinmilden]

I'm so sorry for you - this must have come as a huge shock!

Please be aware that a vegan diet is inherently unhealthy and does not supply the right vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy and repair the damaged tissues, without supplements.

It is much more healthy to have a balanced diet that is low in processed foods. Regular, small portions of (ideally unprocessed) meat, fish, some eggs, and dairy products along with plenty of wholegrain cereals, and all sorts of veg, especially, and fruit will be far better for you.

Be aware of impassioned diet freaks who insist that "X" is bad for you or "Y" is a cure-all. Usually they just get a kick out of telling people what to do! The less exciting the advice the more likely it is to be the best for you! The real answer is a balance of everything in moderation!

It's what every government related nutrition advice will tell you... Because it works! Gen up a bit on vitamins and minerals and aim to get as many good nutrients into you for positive wellness, rather than trying to cut things out and risk cutting out vital, beneficial things. Nutrition from food is far better than from supplements - although these do have their place if you have deficiency problems - because foods contain other "magic" compounds that provide additional benefits, beyond the basic building blocks.

Well done for taking a positive approach and I hope you are able to get your life back together ASAP.

[Anynomous in reply to deniseinmilden]

yes it was big shock and changed everything that I could think of . Good point about balanced diet.. if anyone here have 7 days meal plan for balanced diet from groceries available in UK would be helpful... the doctor who did surgery asked me to be aggressive on cholesterol for few months.. and vegan was easy one. I did not had any follow up yet from rehab or hospital.. I have booked an appointment with GP to discuss about medication ...

[devonian186]

A vegan diet is not a healthy diet. Your condition may be inherited , it may be food related but a vegan diet will not supply the vitamins and nutrients you need.

[deniseinmilden in reply to devonian186]

Music to my ears.... Thank you!

[devonian186]

As regards a vegan diet, I am a life long vegetarian and it is doubtful if I get all the minerals vitamins and nutrients I need, from a far broader spectrum of foods than a Vegan eats. A new and very weighty and well referenced book called "The Great Plant based Con" demonstrates the problems of succumbing to the propaganda that not only will vegans save the planet but that it is a healthy diet.

Sometimes heart problems can be related to a bad diet of processed food or too much of it, sometimes its hereditary and sometimes its just the luck f the draw. Before you go down the Vegan route you might find it useful researching the drawbacks and the book I reference is a good start and then you can make your own mind up.

As regards your operation, it was only 3 weeks ago and it will take some time for everything to settle down.

[Anynomous in reply to devonian186]

thanks devonian186 will have a read

[BHFnurse_Chloe BHF Nurse]

Hello Anynomous.

It is normal to occasionally experience chest pains (angina) after a heart event like the one you experience. Here is some more information on angina and how to live well with it - bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

A healthy, balance diet is important for helping us reduce our risk of heart and circulatory disease and to keep up generally well. This can be achieved with a vegan diet, but you may need to pay attention to the types of food you eat to make sure that you're getting all the nutrients your body needs. Here is some more information on how to make sure a vegan diet can be well balanced. - bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

I hope this has been of some help.

Kind regards.

[Anynomous in reply to BHFnurse_Chloe]

thanks Chloe

[Pecker1]

Hello there. I had a heart attack almost six years ago at the age of 72. It turned out to be due to a 94% blockage in the LAD artery which the Americans call The Widow Maker! I was lucky to survive it and had 3 overlapping stents placed in this artery due (I think) to them not having one stent of the corect length. Anyway the proceedure took two hours and I was in a fair amount of pain during it which carried on after the proceedure. Also over the following days and weeks there were occasions when the pain was also quite bad. I put this down to the proceedure being quite hard on the arteries and after reading up on sites like this realised that post proceedure pain can be quite normal. Anyway the pain gradually got less and less until it was gone altogether. So all I can say is that for me the pain was a temporary experience and I'm guessing that it might be the same for you but obviously check with your doctor or the hospital as you are worried at the moment. I'm guessing that they will be able to re-assure you.

So good luck for the future. You've had your heart attack like many of us on here and you've had your treatment so you can now look forward to a bright future.

[Anynomous in reply to Pecker1]

thanks pecker1

[Qualipop]

Look on the BHF main website for hundreds of heart healthy recipes. A lot of them are based on chicken and fish so what you were having was probably the best. Eggs certainly in moderation. A Mediterranean diet is usually advised ie olive oil, lots of veg and less carbs and red meat.

[Anynomous in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks qualipop