My husband had a heart attach a month ago. He keeps getting mild chest pains intermittently which are mostly muscular. We had spoken to doctor and they mentioned that chest pains are normal after an angigraphy and after a heart attack during the recovery phase These take some time to go away. We are worried as to when this will stop and he can lead a normal life. He gets tired too soon. This is making him depressed. Also he gets scared everytime there is slight uneasiness in his chest.
I want him to speak to people who have suffered a heart attack and are leading a normal life now so that he can get over this and have more confidence to recover.
How long did the recovery take for others? Is there an online group where people can have a chat and share their experiences?
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Rupa1
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I understand everything your Husband feels he starts to worry I think there are a lot of us relate to that on here I have had a triple Bypass and that was 19 months ago and still worry with every twinge I feel but try and focus on what the Doctor has said as it does take time to settle down obviously if the pains got worse then a trip to A&E or a call to 111 would be the action to take but if they stay the same then it is more likely everything settling back down again
This is an online Community where you can come and talk and you both are welcome
Let us know how hs recovery goes and tell him it is quite normal how he is feeling x
Hi there.It's good to know someone else here who has had a bypass. I had a double bypass 20 weeks ago so still early days for me. I have had quite a lot of health anxiety, lots of tears and emotions all over the place!! Dark thoughts and bad dreams too!! It all seems to be settling down a bit now. I'm still very aware of any sensation in my chest area!? For the last 2 days ,usually wee small hours, I have had a racing heart beat? It wakes me up. It goes back down in a few minutes but it is a concern! Have you experienced this? Im not in any pain and I don't feel sick or dizzy etc. I would really appreciate it if you could share some of your recovery symptoms. It can be quite lonely sometimes dealing with this when friends and family don't know how you feel. The only people you can talk to is GP, and they are hard to get!! Cardiologist is also hard to get.
Please remember that my answer is only how I have been and felt and I have always had these things checked out or spoken to the Doctor to clarify how I have felt
For me I have always had anxiety and one of them is health anxiety so ending up with a triple Bypass is not a good combination as you have experienced , I have and still do and please do not think in 19 months you will be the same but I still have the anxiety , tears , dark thoughts and every twinge which I can still get sometimes I go into instant panic mode
I have and still wake up with that racing heart feeling but I spoke to both my surgeon about it as well as Doctor and both told me the same they say I am dreaming and to them that sounds like when you have a bad dream waking in a panic getting that feeling remember that is just what I have been told so still mention it but it made sense to me as even sometimes when I do not feel so anxious I realise I am
I think we all recover at different rates but to focus on our recovery never compare yourself to someone else as long as you can see some small progress then that means you are moving in the right direction
I am not sure if you have been to or are down for Rehab regretfully I could not go as I am agoraphobic but reading other peoples posts it seems this helped them so much not only with their fitness but mental health to
If you are struggling I know it can be hard to get an appointment but make one to see your Doctor even if you have to wait
It sounds like you are doing well and yes it is very early days for you if there is anything you need to ask just keep asking and if I can or anyone else can we will answer you do not be afraid to ask it helps to know you are not alone
Hi😄,Thank you so much for replying. This time 3 years ago I was living my life without a care in the world!! I always knew that heart disease ran in my mother's side of the family but I didn't give it a thought!! Why would I?? Now my life has completely changed!! I've never been an anxious person but now I find I am!! You will know already how horrible and debilitating it can be at times. I am lucky to be able to attend cardio rehab exercise classes and they really do help both physically and emotionally. The staff are lovely too and always on hand to answer questions. I'm really sorry you have anxiety and also suffer from agrophobia. That can't be easy at all. The emotional stuff is horrible!! being in the middle of a sentence and bursting in to tears!! As you said, everyone recovers differently and our experiences are unique to us. I think there are similarities though with everyone who has had this procedure. My sternum/ breastbone is quite tender and my breasts ( I am female) still feel a bit numb and tender. My cardiologist said the internal healing after this op takes quite some time, all to do with the central nervous system. I think I will call my cardio rehab team tomorrow and see what they say. I just don't want to be obsessing over this. As long as I ask the professionals then im doing the right thing. I just need reassurance really as to why the palpitations only happen I the wee small hours, not during the day?? Thank you so much again for taking the time to reply to me. It has made me feel better to know I'm not the only o e feeling like this.
I think the brain takes longer to catch up than the body does to heal and quite a few of us have said this so be kind to yourself
I am female to and goodness yes the breast area that is so tender and again 19 months on for me now but I can sometimes still feel it even though obviously not as bad but I would say mine was quite tender for the first year but when you think what we have had done there is no wonder and yes I was told the same all those little nerves have been upset and take time to settle down
Heart attacks run or I thought in the male side of my family but I have proved that wrong but I was not surprised either
You will get back on your feet and be the person you once were but you do have to give it time and I am so glad you are going to the Rehab sessions and can see in your reply how much they are helping
If you want to talk or ask anything just keep replying or posting we will reply which I know has helped me and will help you to x
I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s heart attack.
I remember when having my angiogram last year, they did say chest pain / angina might be a side effect of the procedure.
The recovery phase after a heart attack varies on an individual basis.
Did the cardiologist tell you what may have caused the heart attack?
Has he been offered cardiac rehab?
I can sympathise when he says he gets scared when he feels uneasiness in his chest. My heart attack was last year, yet sometimes, even now I feel anxious or worried when I feel chest pain which isn’t within my normal body range. I have a type of angina called vasospastic angina from a congenital heart defect called myocardial bridging. My chest pain occurs on a daily basis, but when it increases in severity, it can make me feel more concerned.
I wonder if there is an element of angina there. Although you say the pain is muscular, it might be worthwhile to have that discussion with his cardiologist. I have also attached a link from the BHF below.
You may also be able to get some reassurance from a BHF cardiac nurse who can answer any questions or put you in the direction. Their number is below.
0808 802 1234
If possible, maybe keep a log or a diary of when the chest pain occurs and if there are any triggers. For example, my triggers are pretty much any type of stress, emotional, mental and physical, including some climate changes, and sometimes too much physical exertion.
In terms of an online group, there is this one that you have currently posted on, HealthUnlocked. There are more than a few pages set up for heart attack patients / survivors on Facebook too if that is a platform that you use.
It maybe worthwhile asking him to join / use your HU account when he feels there is a question he’d like to ask. There is also a social thread on this forum which also allows people to discuss “off topic” things such as jokes, plans they’ve got coming up, holidays, and so on which he may also like when he feels he needs a break from all the heart related stuff which can be overwhelming at times. This gives him the opportunity to chat and share his experiences with like-minded people.
I hope others come by to help. I believe a majority have had a heart attack at some point on here so know that your husband is not alone ❤️
sorry to hear of your husbands heart attack. I had mine about 5 years ago and suffered similar problems and many times I thought I was having another one as I would get chest tightness every day but mainly when I was sat watching tv at night. I spoke to my GP who after doing all the checks (ecg, bp etc) explained that people who suffer heart attacks and very often that scared they will have another that they get anxiety and they need to learn how to deal with it. I went on the cardiac rehab course which I would strongly recommend as you learn how to exercise safely as well as having discussions on how it has affected your body. Due to other things happening in my life ( my mother passing and my sister and brother both being diagnosed with cancer) it did take me a while to get through the anxiety but my chest pains have now stopped and I feel back to my normal self and am not scared any more. I also purchased a blood pressure machine so when I got the pains I took my bp and pulse and they were always normal. When my anxiety kicked in I dealt with it by allowing myself to cry instead of trying not to. I also bought a rubix cube and learned how to solve it - this really took my mind off the anxiety as you really have to concentrate. This may sound daft but it worked for me. What your husband is going through is normal but if bp and heart rate are high when he feels like this he should still seek medical advice to be on the safe side. Please let us know how he gets on.
Hi, first of all everybody's recovery is different. However for my husband it took 2 months before he could walk 200 meters, then another month and a half to get up to 2.5 miles. It was very frustrating for him too and difficult to appreciate the very small improvements in the early days. For us, the 2.5 miles was a biggie as that is what we used to walk every day (and do now) and it felt like we were starting to get back to normal. I know it's hard, best wishes to you both.
Hello there. My husband had a heart attack last June, and like yours experienced mild chest pains and twinges for some time after. He found these really scary. I would say they started wearing off after 8 months and now it’s very rare he gets it. It does take time to get over a heart attack, a lot longer than we thought it would, my husband had side effects with meds he was on and took some tweaking with doses and time of day taken to get this right. Regards to your question about feeling normal I would say this took a while too, from 8 months started seeing real improvements and a year on I would say things are good now. Also like NannaPat said please take up cardio rehab when offered, my husband found this great, and really reassuring. Hope you are doing ok, it tough for the partners in all this too
It's normal. I'm not going to sugar coat my experience: I have had anxiety/panic attacks that were triggered by chest pains. I went to the hospital 4 times certain I was having another heart attack; nothing showed. But I still get panic attacks once in a while - and before my HA I was as calm and level-headed as you can imagine. I like the idea of a Rubik's Cube by the way.
Hi Rupa 1Did your husband have a coronary angiogram? or a stent fitted? If so, then this can cause intermittent chest pain as everything settles down again. If he had no procedures at all then im not sure why he is having these pains? Does he use a spray for the pain, and does it work? Sorry to ask all these questions but it's just ro try and understand why he is having these pains. I had my first heart attack in 2021, had a coronary angiogram and stent fitted. I had mild chest niggles for a wee while till everything settled down. I was also really tired too nut that soon settled.
Hi. Welcome to the group.After my heart attack in 2021 it took me a good month before i didnt feel wiped out every day. This was a mixture of the actual attack and all the medication i was put on which does take a while getting used to.
I have quite a physical job and it took 5 months before i felt ready for work but i did get there.
If he has been offered cardiac rehab def take it up. I didnt get it because of the year and services were upside down but i believe from others that it is great for getting confidence back with exercise.
Good luck to your husband with his recovery. Jules x
This should b e the group he needs; so many of us have had heart attacks. Did he go to cardiac rehab? If it wasn't offered he really needs to ask about it and get a place. It really is essential if only for his mindset. It's exercise under medical supervision; does wonders for your confidence. It took me around 3 or 4 months to sort out the side effects from my tablets. Bisopralol in particular dropped my BP so low I just wanted to sleep. I got it changed by my GP. Then some caused severe stomach pain; some of what he's experiencing could be gastric. I assume he's on something like famotidine or omeprazole to protect his stomach.. I ended up having every single tablet changed but most of his worries will just be confidence issues and fear of it happening again. Hospitals just fix the immediate problem and send you home without any advice or support. I really can't stress the need for rehab enough. The rehab nurse can answer questions, give advice on diet and exercise far better than any GP.
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