heart attack related advise please

[233444]

hi..I had a heart attack and a triple heart bypass a year ago,all going well for the first year,completely changed my lifestyle after this happened..I.e,quit alcohol and smoking,I now eat well and exercise…..problem has been the last 6 weeks,I have been waking up at night with a racing heart,and now I have what feels like someone sqeeezing my arms tight…also happens on legs,when I’m sat still etc…feels like bad blood circulation….I have had an ecg done ,bloods taken.holter test and everything ok apparently….it’s scary and very frustrating…I wake every few minutes at night with heart going mad and the blood rushing to my arms etc….I’m taking bisoprolol,ramipril,dapagliflozin,atorvastatin,eplerenone and aspirin…could it be side effects or maybe something else…im a 49 year old male…any help would be amazing…wondered if anybody else has experienced these symptoms..kind regards

[Dadtoalad23]

Hi I’m no expert but I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in October and I feel I’ve had it for many years and it’s now persistent. It is often worse at night and I would also get the weird symptom of arm tightness.

Hardly anyone I spoke to in the AF community had that symptom, anyways about two weeks ago whilst investigations for my AF were continuing I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease with moderate plaque in my LAD mild in circumflex.

My AF has settled down somewhat although still persistent since I have been on bisiprolol although tbh I had settled down before I was diagnosed as I had stopped alcohol etc. stress and anxiety of my diagnosis upped my AF and the bisiprolol seems to have compensated.

Anyways I have also heard that post HA and with coronary disease that AFib can likely also turn up, also commonly after bypass surgery.

I would go see your gp or cardiac team(nhs is awful right now a team might seem a stretch!) and ask about Afib. They can give you a monitor to wear and rule it out. Or if you have a smart watch you could maybe rule it out ?

Im 47. Out of the blue to be hit with all this heart stuff really sucks big time.

[Dadtoalad23]

just read you’ve had the halter and ecg ! Sorry mate in that case I have no idea.

[233444 in reply to Dadtoalad23]

thank you for your reply.really appreciate this,yes I had a holter test and ecg twice in the last month,and bloods taken etc..my heartbeat doesn’t feel right or the same as it has done at all over the last year,and I still wake with it pounding ..and arms tight etc.happened last night…I’ll keep trying with doctor etc,good luck ,I hope you have success with your own issues…kind regards

[233444]

..even when I’m just sat still reading or watching t.v I have to keep moving my legs every few seconds ,as it feels like the blood rushes to a certain point in my leg and I have to move them to release the pressure..then it’s ok for a few seconds,then the same happens and I have to repeat the process over and over…doesn’t feel normal at all.

[233444]

also get pins and needles all down my left leg

[Dadtoalad23 in reply to 233444]

well at least you know your bloods and halter have all been normal. That’s a good sign for sure. I’m about to start 80mg atorvastatin not looking forward to it. Hopefully someone on here has and answer for you and obviously don’t stop pushing your gp to give you an answer. I wished I’d pushed about my heart rhythm and cholesterol rather than being told I was fine. Get a second or even third opinion. Good luck mate.

[233444 in reply to Dadtoalad23]

ahh thanks so much.I will push it,as I know something isn’t right for sure…good luck with atorvastatin 80mg..that’s what I take ,I didn’t really think about all the drugs I’m on until recently,and the side effects…I think I was just happy to be alive..can I ask ,how does your artificial fibrillation feel ,and the way you feel ,is it all the time ?…thankyou

[Dadtoalad23 in reply to 233444]

I’m in persistent AF but I don’t feel it all the time. I quite often feel it at night in bed or after a large dinner or I feel it if I get any Adrenalin going. The feeling is like a fish flopping around on dry land in my chest. My AF isn’t at a very fast rate thank god, some peoples AF will come on at 150-200 bpm where as mine is within the normal bpm range around 68-78-80, sometimes a bit lower sometimes a bit higher but very variable and always out of rhythm.

[233444]

that sounds very frustrating to live with,I really hope you get some normality back….it’s so complex isn’t it.,the more you read people’s stories ….good luck moving forward,thanks for your messages.all the best

[Dadtoalad23 in reply to 233444]

tbh I wish I just had AF and not coronary disease as well ! Yeah this heart stuffs complicated. Reading the stories on here are inspiring and terrifying.