Hi I’m Trish, 53yrs old and 2 weeks ago I had a NSTEMI and had 2 stents put in. I’m really struggling with the emotional effects and anxiety aftermath of my HA. I was totally shocked to be told I’d had a HA, I don’t drink or smoke, I’m not overweight and take regular exercise. Unfortunately for me my Dad had & died from heart disease.
Since my HA I have been struggling to go to sleep at night, brain goes into overdrive. Every single pain/discomfort etc I convince myself it’s another HA. I’m getting indigestion from all the medication I’m taking, I’m just a mess.
Please tell me it gets easier to live with?
Thank you.
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Trish12a
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Hello and welcome. I’m sorry to hear of your recent heart attack. Anxiety, particularly in the early days is entirely normal and completely understandable in the circumstances. Don’t be hard on yourself. I’m 52 and female and had a STEMI a year ago. Like you I didn’t smoke, or drink (although I’m a bit overweight) so it was a huge shock. I didn’t ever think that someone as ‘young’ as me would have a heart attack! Mine came after an acutely stressful time so I think that was the trigger, although heart disease runs in my family. My mother had a HA six weeks before me.
What has helped is cardiac rehab. I learnt to exercise within safe parameters for my individual situation and the group was very supportive, although all were much older than me. If you are offered it, please do go. I’ve had counselling as well to help me work through things as I developed heart failure after the HA.
I have found this group generally supportive and have learnt much along the way. It is a journey but I’m sure you will adjust given time. I wish you well with your recovery.
Hello
I already was a wreck when I had my heart attack and I ended up with a triple Bypass and it has been coming up 2 years and I still struggle and as you say with every ache and pain or sensation I still panic
Some deal with the emotional side a lot better than others so me saying this do not think you will be the same as I am on the extreme level so I believe it will get better your confidence has been shattered and now it is a case of slowly building it back up which you will
I also have a family history of heart attacks and Bypasses one been my Dad but he went a good 30 years and more after and was not his heart in the end that took him so even though and I am sorry for your loss this happened to your Dad there is nothing that says now you have had your stents and how they have progressed over the years that this will happen to you to
Try and change all the negative thoughts into positive ones and it will get better but if you find you are still struggling then have a talk with your Doctor and see what support they can offer you x
Hi... I'm now 5 weeks in.. amd 3 stents. My cardio rehab nurse has been a great support.. asking her questions and being reassured of how I feel physically amd mentally. Here in Grimsby the NHS removed the cardio gym.. so it is purely telephone calls and exercising more and more at home.My anxiety and fear of dying is less now... but will always be present I guess. 51. Even medical teams said that is very young! Hopefully I'm all fixed and just need time for readjustments. It os definately getting better.
I've been assessed yesterday for talking therapy.. so in two weeks time I get a counsellor to assist with strategies for the odd feelings.
hi Trish so sorry you feel so unwell and the fear /anxiety is the worst thing, unless they have suffered it doctors can’t possibly know how your suffering. I’ve had triple bypass, cardiac arrest now dodgy pacemaker which has decided to go on the move, so more surgery !!! I’m just approaching 80 live alone which I hate never been alone before and not coping, not sleeping, but it seems there is a lot of us out here suffering and understand how your feeling so come and chat to us when things get on top of you and you’ll find some lovely folk to help
I know how you feel, been there. What helped me enormously was considering myself lucky, as I'm still here, 2 of my colleagues who had similar are sadly not with us anymore 👍
hello. Yes, it gets easier. I had my heart attack 3 years ago just after the start of lockdown. As I’d considered myself healthy it was a major blow to my pride. For a while I was so anxious I kept an emergency bag packed in case I had to go back into hospital. Every twinge, anywhere, made me wonder if I needed to be concerned and if I should be doing anything about it. I’m sure others will comment that they felt the same, it’s a normal reaction. At this point I’ve settled into a more practical approach ie. what exercise I need to do and food planning. The uncomfortable emotions have gone now. Healing and recovery time is different for all of us but I’ll finish where I started and repeat, yes, it gets easier
Hi Trish,your response is natural,bit of a surprise as you were doing most things right.Surprised doctor hasn't prescribed Omeprezole or other enteric meds which should stop indigestion.Dont be so hard on yourself you'll get there,day at a time.Try focus on one thing to help you mind at night.I put earplugs in and concentrate on my breathing.Goodluck
Hi Trish 12A. it gets easier to live with! I had an NSTEMI 2 years ago and two stents. I also don’t drink or smoke and I’m vegan. The stents will settle and I think you will too. I also could have been blown over with a feather when they said it was a HA. And I’m on a cocktail of drugs — I guess I’ve just got used to the idea, though I wish I could stop some of the meds. I wish you lots of luck!
Hi, you aren't alone. Many of us on here have that t-shirt. My NSTEMI was 5 months ago, no stent owing to the location of the problem and my "interesting" arteries. Early days after discharge I was an emotional wreck, scared to go to sleep and night and every twinge brought fears it was happening again. Rehab was a massive help so please do go if you get offered it. I was also pointed to something called iTalk which involves online sessions and calls with a therapist. You can self refer to that. I also eventually restarted guitar lessons and distracted myself reading, doing crosswords and colouring. It's early days and what you are feeling is "normal", you've had a big emotional and physical shock and it will take time to regain confidence. It's hard to say exactly when you start to feel better but small steps and all that, when I look back to where I was and where I am I've come a long way. You will too.
It's worth talking with your GP or Cardiologist about your meds. It can take time to get those right. I was on Bisoprolol but that was stopped and the Lansaprozole they gave me was stopped because of the somewhat "explosive" side effects. I'm now on Famotidine instead.
YOu are in chock right now and your feelings are very normal. It's terrifying to be faced with our own mortality. My HA and 2 stents were now 4 years ago but I still get hiccups where I worry about unusual aches or pa i ns. I didn't get offered rehab which I desperately wanted to improve my confidence. At first I was too scared to do anything in case it happened again and desperately wanted to try things but under supervision. You should soon be offered rehab- do go. It's the best thing you can do. What helped me was realising that, unlike my mum, I'd been given a second chance. I'd had a warning of things going wrong and now, with a change of diet and lifestyle and drugs, I could do a lot to extend my life. When my mum developed hear failure there was no treatment at all. There is now and there's every chance that you can go on to live a normal lifespan.
Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond. I’ve spoken to my GP who has prescribed me a low dose of a sleeping tablet for the nights my brain won’t shut down and Omeprazole, I wasn’t prescribed this by the hospital on my discharge so he wasn’t aware and said I should be taking it because of the aspirin etc, so hopefully it will help the indigestion. I’m sure I’ll be posting again soon but for now thank you and I wish you all the best health x
If you sleep alone try playing meditation music. Once I'm settled in a comfortable position, I just say "Alexa. Bedtime" and the routine I've set up plays half an hour of music to take my mind away from worries. Usually asleep before it ends.
hi. This is so much like what happened to my husband. I would say speak to the cardio rehab nurses as they are brilliant at helping coming to terms with what’s happened, and can offer advice on medication. It took a lot of time to get his medication sorted ,some they suggested swapping morning to night. They added lanzoprazole to help with the chronic indigestion he was suffering. This made a massive difference both physically and mentally as every time he got it he was wondering if he was having another heart attack. Also consider going to the rehab classes when offered, he found these really reassuring to know what level he could exercise. Hope you manage to get these issues sorted soon
It does get easier. I too lived a heart-healthy lifestyle so the shock was massive and my anxiety levels were sky high. Every little twinge was another heart attack. This forum is brilliant for advice and support and no question is stupid. Cardiac rehab was brilliant and I referred myself for cognitive behaviour therapy on the N.H.S. which really helped. I think time is the main thing. You'll gradually relax. Good luck.
Hi Trish, You need time and lots of it. I know very well it sounds like a cliche, but with heart attacks I believe it isn't, but instead truly valuable along with all the other suggestions mentioned here. As for me I had a NStemi, no stenting, and was released from the hospital to make huge lifestyle changes. Sooooooooooo walking 30 minutes everyday, lost 100 pounds, and completely cleaned up my diet to a pure cardiac diet and eating nothing with more than three total ingredients in it! So success, eh?!!! Nope, sorry to say I had another NStemi 17 months later. To say I was absolutely devastated and traumatized by this second one would be an understatement. Another angiogram showed clean arteries once again. "Good news," they say which always makes me smile. I am grateful for that part, believe me, but the heart attacks haunt me daily through good and bad days. In addition, I have been diagnosed with small artery disease and suffer from quite a bit of chest pain. So, how do I cope? I always keep hope in the forefront of my mind, but realize that yes perhaps I will have another ha, but I believe I am stronger having gone through the first two. I know the routine, lol, and while I do my best to avoid more attacks and keep to a strict "happy heart" routine, I believe I have accepted that these are the cards I have been dealt and to cripple myself emotionally will only make my situation worse. I do take Buspirone twice a day for anxiety. You may want to ask about that as a mild sedative. The physical ramifications do settle down, but I believe it is only us as patients that can make them easier to live with. We have the power!
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