Now this isn’t a competition! But I was just wondering what is classified as high/very high troponin post HA?
After my recent HA my troponin levels went from 400, on my first blood test, to 700 to 900 to eventually 4300 about a day later (I think it was a day, it was a bit of a blur!). To be honest I didn’t really understand what troponin was all about.
Subsequent chats with a few cardiologists/doctors said that was very high, with one young doc saying he didn’t know many who had that level and had survived. Proper spooked me if I’m honest…
Just wondered what others on here experienced?
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Eagle69
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I’ve previously experienced an NSTEMI. I presume you had a STEMI just because those troponin levels are pretty high. I believe the highest mine went up to was near the 100’s, and then started coming down after 2 days.
Usually, the higher the troponin level, the more likely that your heart has sustained permanent damage. That’s my understanding of it.
I’m sure other members on here will tell you about their experiences who may have also reached similar levels to yours.
I hope you’re on the road to recovery now and measures have been put in place to prevent another one from occurring.
I was told mine max'd out at 27k which was as high as their facility went to measure Troponin. One stent asap and discharged 2 days later. That was over 3 years ago.
I feel I should apologise about my reply (post above yours) - having read your reply, I'm really sorry if what I wrote came across as insensitive, 100% not my intention.
In heart terms, I developed/was diagnosed with af in the past 18 months so have stopped playing competitive TT now and taken up Bowls. Other than various age related conditions I lead a reasonably active lifestyle.
26/09/2020 the day if my STEMI. Quoting my records” Her troponin rose from 3132 to >27052”. It couldn’t measure any higher it was maximum capacity .EF has risen 43/44% to 50 . Even with some Heart damage I’m ticking along. The cardio team couldn’t believe it , they still ask if this is a typo when I go to hospital.
thanks for the reply Fynndog! I bet the troponin test machine was smoking! 😉
So glad you’re ticking along with no major issues. Very encouraging for me that’s for sure.
How does your heart damage restrict you if you don’t mind me asking? I’m only 2 months into recovery after my STEMI, stent and LVT so I don’t know if my damage is permanent or not.
Hi Eagle. Yes smoking I bet. I was blissfully unaware until the cardiologists began making astonished remarks about me still being here.
I had a letter describing the results of echocardiogram “some regional wall motion abnormalities in the inferior and Inferolateral segments”. Oh Heck I thought what the devil is that. They explained it as the damage done by Heart Event.
But at present it hasn’t held me back at all, dont want to tempt providence but I’m just fine . I hope it stays that way.
Please don’t trouble yourself about the unknown . No one has a crystal ball . You didn’t have one before your Event. Change your diet , loose weight, get walking. Most of us here have made those changes and feel so much better for them.
My SCAD STEMI sounds very similar to yours. It just happened this February my troponin levels were >25,000. Left Ventricle: Regional wall motion abnormalities.
hi again Eagle. 2 months is a very short time since your event. It’s a very big thing to come to terms with. It takes time to regain confidence and to stop interpreting every little ache or pain with terror. You will get there . I found the worst thing was getting used to meds. They rarely get it right first go so you have to deal with stomach upsets and the like .
You are 100% correct on the little ache and pain with terror! Last Monday my anxiety levels went through the roof as my HR kept dipping into the low 30's accompanied with a small 'ache' in the heart region. Ended up calling 111 and subsequently in A&E for 20 hours. I had been taking off bisoprolol a week earlier because of my HR, which has always been low (40's).
However, apart from that the meds haven't impacted me apart from accelerating my Raynaud's in my hands and getting a little breathless sometimes (meds or condition, who knows?)
Prior to HA my diet wasn't too bad, I wasn't overweight and was training for Triathlons so my issue wasn't lifestyle. To be honest I don't know if that's a good or bad thing because I haven't got much to change post MI. The only thing I can 'blame' is my DNA I think...(but yes I have changed my diet from 'not too bad' to 'almost the best it can be'!
you may find one of the meds is making you breathless. I had the same. They changed one and it immediately resolved itself.
The fact that you are an athlete im sure will stand you in good stead. You will get back on your feet soonest. Take one of our regular chaps (Thatwasunexpected) he’s running marathons and winning medals.No one knows why these things happen they just do and we have to build round them.
One if the Hearties said it was like being hit head on by a truck. You go through such feelings of sadness even of loss and almost like you’ve let yourself down. Its none of those its just part if life. The fact that you are here telling us your story is amazing .
Try and keep calm you dont want too many visits to A&E , 20 hours is too long. I think you can get help with anxiety from the hospital and dont forget you can phone the BHF nurses they are brilliant. Nothing is too much trouble for them.
Please keep us up to date on your progress its always so nice to see things getting better. Take good care and all the best.
Hello there. Yes just reading my discharge letter from ICU, it says my Troponin level was >25000. Arteries were crystal clear. Heart was inflamed, in A FIB and had ef rate of 12%. I was coughing up blood and pink phlegm, hadnt slept for 5 days as i could not lay down at all or rest due to cough. No confirmed cause. 10 days in ICU. Now on dapa, entresto etc 3 years later up to around 40% ef rate. Stay low, move fast. 😀
I had a STEMI last April. My notes say troponin levels were >25,000! I was lucky I survived but I was told the damage to my heart muscle was severe. I only learnt after a cardiac MRI in December exactly what this looks like. Almost one third of my left ventricle is non-viable but the medication I am taking is doing a great job of supporting the remaining muscle to function and I feel generally well. This means I have a diagnosis of heart failure which has been difficult to come to terms with. However, I try to feel positive as much as possible.
I’m not sure that it would normally take 8 months for the damage to be known but I do know that after a HA that the heart goes through a “remodelling phase” as the heart adjusts to pumping following any damage caused so it isn’t always immediately apparent. At first I was told that the damage was severe, simply due to my extremely high troponin level but I couldn’t visualise what that looked like. I had the MRI as I had a clot in my left ventricle so the scan was primarily to find out if it had gone (it had). The scan also checked the size, structure, pumping ability and muscle damage and precisely where that damage occurred (mine was the muscle which separates the left and right ventricle).
Your heart attack was only recent, so it is important to be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much from your body. Many people go on to live normal lives, perhaps with a few adjustments, following a HA but it can take time.
For me, the mental side of things was, and still is, the biggest challenge. I had a terrible experience with A&E and a delayed diagnosis, no ambulance available, long delay for the stent etc. That’s a whole other story but safe to say it was traumatic and probably why my troponin levels reached as high as they did.
Take good care of yourself and do post again if you have any other questions.
For what it's worth, my discharge papers report TNI for my last STEMI (12 months ago) as follows..... 79 to 36k to 56k to 15k...... perhaps we get more detailed info here in NZ. My EF immediately post HA and stenting was 30% (and I was assigned a Heart Function/Failure Nurse), now it's at least 45% (last measured 6 months ago), and perhaps better. I've been discharged from cardiology now. My last TNI after a recent false alarm A&E visit was 6..... Hang in there, and keep trucking....
On a previous STEMI my TNI was only 1200, but my EF was knocked back to 40%. TNI, EF and other measures might not be terribly good at predicting symptoms, exercise tolerance, or recovery pathways.... I'm still climbing plenty of mountains with >1000m daily ascents. Physical conditioning prior to any event might make all the difference..... but it doesn't always..... I know of plenty of highly conditioned athletes who dropped dead from HAs.
My discharge letter after HA said I had a LV ejection fraction at 45% to 50%, Dr Google says normal range is 50 to 70% so I would assume my damage my not be too bad. I have an echo on Wednesday so hoping for some positive news then.
We don’t have mountains in south London but do have some little hills I could try! 🤣
That's interesting to hear you say that. My husband was hospitalised recently due to VT's & we were told his trop level was raised which indicated damage to his heart but not high enough to indicate a heart attack.
Thank you, that's very interesting. I made a mistake in my first comment, we were told my husband's raised trop level indicated an injury to the heart not damage to the heart!! We're at Papworth this week so will ask them about this injury then
Visited GP on Wednesday last week with a pain in chest...BP slightly raised to 136/90 she sent me to hospital for ECG. Had 3 over course of two days all ok. Xray ok. Ultra sound waiting for results and need and MRI. Trop levels were only 42 but as anything over the threshold is considered high they frightened me by saying could be a warning sign. I mean I've been living life on egg shells frightened to do anything. I feel a little more relaxed reading your stories and hope that the MRI doesn't show anything horrendous or at least something that can be dealt with. Life definitely throws some curveballs.
If anyone wants to send some positive vibes I'll be happy to accept.
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Troponin levels 
Troponin
Not a ‘full blown heart attack’
Troponin
high Troponin then decreased 
