Hi, I recently had a heart attack and had 2 stents fitted to my heart. I’m very shocked I have had a heart attack as I’m quite young really. I really don’t want to take the bags full of medication I’ve got if I’m honest.
Anyways, looking for advice and some tips really in regards to healthy eating and a little bit of exercise. I last exercised at school lol
Aww hiSo sorry you had a heart attack! And its even more stressful when you're young. Cant imagine what you must be going through as I haven't had one. I'm sure alot of people on the forum who are experienced in this will come along soon! Wish you all the best and take care x
Hello 
I am sorry to hear about your recent heart attack the good news is you now have 2 stents that will be keeping those arteries open and the blood flowing
I know you are young but heart attacks can happen to anyone and we have people so much younger on here that have had them to
The bag of meds I know and I understand I had no doubt the same bag as well as taking more or less the same and I had a med fear and did not want to take them but they are a must that is what is going to help in preventing this happening again and you do get used to taking them eventually and remember every time you do tell yourself these are helping to keep me healthy it helps me anyway to think that way
Have you been offered Rehab at all and if not I would enquire with your Hospital when you will get an invite and taking up those classes will be such a benefit for you
When it comes to exercise start of gently , walks and so on and build your way up but don't try and run before you can walk as we say listen to your body and when it says enough stop and start again later
Members on here that have had heart attacks and stents are now running entering competitions and are fitter tan they have ever been so that could be you fitter than you have ever been in time
Diet wise a lot follow the mediterranean diet but really it is avoiding foods we know are not good for us takeaways fried foods and concentrating on healthy eating even though a little treat now and again will not hurt
I am sure others will come along with more advise and whenever you want to talk there will always be someone around so you are not alone which I have found has really helped and I hope it will help you to x
I think you bio says it all, overweight and a smoker. . You need to set yourself realistic goals which should include ceasing smoking and to get your weight down to an acceptable level, i.e below 25BMI. That will also impact on any extra fat you may be carrying which often lodges round the organs. Good luck.
Sorry to hear of your heart attack and stents are such life savers. My husband had a heart attack when he was 47 years old and had stents and the usual bag full of meds which he managed to work with the doctors at the time and take the ones that had the least side effects and stop taking the ones that were sapping his energy. I think as everyone else is saying that walking is the best exercise for you to begin with. If you have enough money an exercise bike is a good investment where you can use it at home. Take care
The real thing is far better. Don't spend on an exercise bike and then never use it, they are mind numbing compared to getting out in the real world. Build up slowly, then you'll enjoy it.
I’m sorry you find yourself in this situation. I am female and had a heart attack a year ago at the age of 51. It was a massive shock. I’m overweight but have never smoked and did minimum amount of exercise. You will hopefully be offered cardiac rehab which will include exercise based classes in a group setting as well as education on diet, lifestyle, medications etc. In my class I was the youngest there and the only female so I did feel like the odd one out but I stuck at it and it was a great way to learn what my heart could safely do. Now I enjoy walking (briskly) for 45 minutes a day. I take my dog and my ear buds, play music and go out and get my exercise. Diet? Well that’s work in progress. I started off well but then slipped into bad habits again, so I’m trying to regain focus on that. As others have said, try to make small changes at first and build up. Wishing you all the best.
Please follow your health teams advice and take the medication... all going well and with the lifestyle changes, you'll have a medication review after a year and might be able to come off some off them.
Lifestyle changes are essential but take precious time, the medication will help to protect your heart in the meantime.
In terms of lifestyle changes, BHF has a good section on heart healthy diets, and ask the healthcare team about cardiac rehab classes as this will get you on your way to exercise in a controlled environment.
Hello Al_1 welcome to the forum no one really wanted to be part of but now we are here what a great forum it is to get support, help and encouragement from folk who all have the same worries and concerns about hearts. I know how you feel having a HA so young but like others have told me this is a wake up call and our opportunity to change habits. I’d seen my mum smoke and eat rubbish growing up and I didn’t want that, so thinking I’d done everything right, I still went on to have a HA - unfortunately genetics got me - heart disease runs in the family but we have a choice now - carry on doing what we’ve always done or try and change. First thing I would ask you to do is cut out the smoking and find a different habit. Perhaps when you fancy one - do some marching on the spot or a walk around the block or have a glass of water - anything but cut out the cigarettes. As for diet, try and use some of the recipes suggested on the BHF website. Try and open up a whole new world of cooking with different veg, herbs and spices. Give yourself a new hobby of cooking from fresh. Think of the prescribed meds as your friend - they really are helping the blood flow around your body and perhaps in the future some will be reduced but you’ve been given them for a reason. It’s an emotional time for you and scary but please listen to your cardiac support team, speak to your GP, visit the forum if you need further advice and try and make the most of the lighter evenings by walking but not overdoing it in the early days - build upto it. Ensure you attend cardiac rehab where you can exercise in a safe place. If you haven’t been offered this, ask your GP to get in touch with your cardiac nurse at the hospital. You’ve already had some great suggestions so try one new thing and build on it every day. You can do it! Hang on in there and good luck. Keep us posted with your progress ❤️🧚🏼♀️
Thanks for the replies everyone it’s mean a lot too know I’m not alone
Hi Al_1,
First, I am sorry that you had a HA and stents at a young age, but I am happy that you are alive and that you should now have many good years to live!
I think that most of us were shocked and surprised when we had a HA. I was 66 at the time, but I felt that same feeling of absolute surprise. I didn’t see it coming. So, I am trying to say that you are not alone in feeling that way.
Also, I think that most of us on this forum would tell you that we don’t enjoy taking all of the new medications that were added after the HA. Having said that, I feel that those meds have helped me to feel better and to, hopefully, have a longer life. The important thing is to keep taking your meds daily as prescribed, and to discuss any problems or concerns with your doctor.
Personally, I think that walking can be a great way to get back into exercising. You can start slowly with indoor walking or you can go outdoors and see some lovely nature while you walk. My ex-husband had six stents placed in one week (no HA) when he was 50 years of age. The cardiologist told him to walk for exercise. He would take long hikes in the country and along the railroad tracks daily. He is still going strong at age 67. Just start slowly—maybe 5-10 minutes of brisk indoor walking at one time and every 2-4 days ratchet up.
I’m sure that you have received much advice on healthy eating, so I won’t beat that horse. Just remember to include lots of green leafy vegetables, whole grains, etc.
Best wishes to you on many happy, healthy years to come! 😊
Hi AI_1
Welcome to the forum and I can’t imagine how you must currently be feeling - well done for being brave and asking for support.
Firstly, before you even think about throwing yourself into exercise - work on your mindset and creating positive routines for the day that are going to help encourage your motivation and get the green light from your specialist with specific information about appropriate exercise. Once you’ve got that, then add in something small like going up and down the stairs a couple of extra times throughout the day. Then you can continue to build as your level of fitness increases.
If you want to quit smoking, you need to consider your “why” for quitting and really visualise it each time you get a craving. I gave up the day I found out I was pregnant with my eldest child; it was really easy through the pregnancy because I knew baby had that direct connection to me. I persevered even after I stopped breastfeeding and still had regular cravings but I’m proud to say that I have been a non smoker since 05/01/2018 and even now I occasionally have a craving but my why is bigger and stronger than the want 🙂
Wishing you every success on your heart recovery journey and sending you lots of encouragement too!
Please keep us posted with how you’re getting on.
Best wishes
Soap 🧼
I had my HA almost 4 years ago. It required 3 stents in my LAD.
I’d been a smoker for 20 years and had the HA 10 years after I had stopped smoking - the damage done to my arteries from smoking had already been done.
I changed my lifestyle, am fitter than I’ve ever been in my life - I row 8km every other day for example.
You need to lose weight, I eat real food, lots of eggs and meat and no grains or cereals (or sugar). Avoid processed food and reduce carbs, steak is far better than sausages.
My lipids are looking great but I will be having lots of private blood tests before I come off the Ticagrelor at the 4 year mark. I don’t really have any side effects from the meds, barring some fatigue some days which I blame on Bisoprolol.
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