Left arm aching after stent

[Dancerama]

I'm 52, and had a stent just over 2 weeks ago after an NSTEMI heart attack (stent inserted through the arm). Been having heart palpitations and aching in my left arm on and off since then. Arm ache goes in waves throughout the day, fine for a few hours, then comes on for a few minutes, then goes away again. Did anyone else experience this? Is it the heart, the artery, or the meds? Or a combination? I hear about people having a stent and then being fit for work the following week. I'm envious. I feel rubbish and I'm covered in bruises from the anti-platelet meds. I can walk a few kilometres some days, others feel too rough. Anyone else have prolonged recovery, similar symptoms?

[Purple_Dino]

I had my stent put in 10 Days ago. My arm hurt up until a couple of days ago… at the time I couldn’t decide if that was a long time for it to hurt still or not.

As for returning to work… I’m 100% with you. No change I could do that just yet. I cooked dinner tonight and had to sit a couple of times. Just a bit more time and rest I think.

[Dancerama in reply to Purple_Dino]

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I was having to rest while doing things, still do sometimes, but it seems to be getting better. It's just the left arm ache that's bothering me. The right arm, where they fed the stent in and everything, was totally fine, no bruising or pain or anything. Is it your left arm that hurts? Mine's like a tired heavy ache, a bit like when I had the heart attack, which obvs is a bit concerning. But so far I've been told that it's all just part of everything settling down. My palpitations seem to be getting less frequent, so hopefully it is just part of recovery.

[Purple_Dino in reply to Dancerama]

Oh I didn’t notice you had said left arm. No my left arm was always fine, it was my right arm that hurt.

wish I could help you! Glad to hear though that the palpitations are getting less frequent!

[Hidden]

can’t help with arm as mine was through groin as I’ve had breast cancer. However I agree on the rest. I’m two months down the line. Wasn’t helped by contracting covid two days after my stent but I’ve no idea how some folk could work within a week. It took me 6 weeks near enough to not need a siesta, be able to walk any distance and now swim. I am not a sedentary person but I reached the conclusion that all those meds suddenly pumped into a body only used to one statin a night have to take a lot of adjusting to. My head aches have calmed down now but I still get “twinges” round my heart, easy bruising and quicker to bleed when gardening!! Over all its that expression “be kind to yourself” but of all the surgeries I’ve had this was/is the scariest and it’s great to have this site and feel there are folk who understand.

Keep going it will come right I think it’s all a bigger adjustment than we realise.

[trafar]

I am 55 and suffered NSTEMI end if July, I had two procedures and had 3 stents. I didn’t have the arm pain but I didn’t feel great afterwards (even though I said I was fine), I was in hospital for a week and when I came home I was weak as a kitten but within a couple of weeks I started to get stronger, I had heart pain for quite a few weeks and a very strange feeling in my chest at times and in my head. 13 weeks on and I am feeling really well you just have to be patient. Those returning to work after a few days are probably people that have not suffered a heart attack too. My advice is attend cardiac rehab, be active every day even if it’s just pottering at home, rest when you need to. I am due back to work next month but to be honest I am nit sure I am ready as still attending rehab and have nit been back for my follow up appointment.

[trafar]

I also just read too that you are walking a few kilometres each day, I am nit sure that you should be walking that far, have you been given the walking plan by your Cadiac rehab team, this is what you should be following and in the first few weeks you should only be walking 10 mins at a time and build yourself up gradually. It’s also very important that you walk a certain pace to start with to prepare your heart for exercise, our hearts work differently due to the medication.

[Carriefarm]

Hi, you may think this is a simple procedure and that you should bounce back quickly but you have to remember that your body has been through trauma. You’ve had an NSTEMI and also wires going up into and being pushed through your arteries. This is not a natural occurrence to your body and I think you have to give your body time to recover. Be good to yourself, take it easy and don’t push yourself too much. hope with each week that passes, you will feel improvement. Take care.

[MountainGoat52]

Hi Dancerama,

What you can do after having a heart attack will depend on your level of fitness before the event. We all have good and bad days... it's just they seem to be amplified after a heart event. It is very true that your body will let you know you are overdoing it, so maybe back off the distance next time you are out walking and see how you go. You will still be getting used to the meds, so that will also affect how you feel.

You didn't say which arm was used for the stent insertion. If it was the left, pain and bruising is to be expected. If it was the other arm, then I'd contact the cardiology team to get your left arm checked out.

As for returning to work, make sure you are 100% before you go back. Expect little sympathy from your employer and no allowance for what you have been through. Most people unfortunately do not understand what having a heart event is like. I was very fortunate as I had my own business and my clients were sympathetic, but it could have been different. I was able to slide back into my job just a week after my heart attack.... few can do that.

Wishing you the very best for your recovery.

Gerald

[Pickerj in reply to MountainGoat52]

Wow, that's incredible !

I'm currently unemployed and 9 months post heart attack, but only now starting to look for a suitable job as its taken far longer to recover than I ever envisaged. The whole thing has turned my world on its head.

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Pickerj]

It all depends on your health when the heart attack occurs. I was quite fit, enjoying hill walking in Scotland, so my heart was good. My heart attack was actually caused by a blood clot in a narrowed artery. Fortunately I realised I was having a heart attack fairly soon after the pains started, phoned 999 and had paramedics with me 18 minutes later who confirmed the heart attack.

I was bluelighted straight to a local hospital that has a cath lab... straight in and two stents inserted. Out to recovery in half an hour. The doctor told me I was fortunate that I recognised what was happening at an early stage.

After tests and ultrasound scans, the only damage to my heart is slight scarring to an inner wall in my heart. So, you see it wasn't that difficult to get back to work. I consider myself very fortunate.

[Pickerj in reply to MountainGoat52]

Lots of similarities in our journeys apart from the end ! I’ve been fit all my life. Was mountain biking in Greece 4 times last year. Avid gym goer, never smoked and always eaten healthy. HA came right out of the blue and was a massive shock. I work in healthcare so recognised the symptoms as I was just finishing training.

Ambulance there within 20 mins and straight to a regional centre for angio and stent. I’m back training well and returned to the mountains of Greece in September. My problems have been with brain fog. It’s been awful and I’m still trying to get to the bottom of it. Chopped and changed meds. Hopefully getting better but it’s taking time.

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Pickerj]

Brain fog.... are you on Amlodipine or similar. I "lost" a month due to it. Thought I was losing it. 😯

[Pickerj in reply to MountainGoat52]

Yes, know that feeling ! I was on Amolodipine but stopped now. Also stopped the statins as I couldn’t get on with them. It would appear you continually swap one set of problems for another with the myriad of medication you end up on 🙄

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Pickerj]

Indeed. My pet hate is having a medication prescribed to overcome the side effects of another. Thankfully I have side-stepped this as I'm allergic to PPIs which seem to be prescribed "just in case" your digestive system is upset by the other medication you are prescribed and it is the same for diuretics which do me more harm than good by stripping out my potassium.

Statins... well Atorvastatin, Simvastatin and Pravastatin are all no-nos. Rosuvastatin gets the thumbs up from me. Ezetimibe wax prescribed on its osn for a while... zero effect, might as well have eaten a Smartie. 😀

I do hope you can get sorted soon. It took a while to get mine sorted, but they are now working fine with no side effects. I guard my prescription list closely and dare anyone to change it!

[SNA4724]

Very much what others have said here. I am also 52 and had HA and Stent fitted end of July and 14 weeks on just planning my phased return to work with my employer. I have just finished my Cardiac Recovery Programme and to is my last day of CBT mindfulness sessions for my anxiety.

I had pains in my left arm and a few twinned (NSTEMI in right arm), but your meds are slowing your heart down to allow the healing process and the niggles is your heart mending.... so don't stress. Always speak with your Dr or the support team as they are essential to your mental and physical support. Xx

[Fair1]

high hello 👋 you are doing great 😊 I have eight stents I know right getting my monies worth hahaha 🤪

Look bud your 52 your hart had a dance but forgot to tell the rest of your body now your brain is picking up on everything it’s a shock plain and simple just focus on the here and now phone your cardio team and have a chat with them and they will suggest treatment or visit you or you can see them believe me you can get through this it’s the shock and life change after my blood clot inducing hart attack due to the COVID injection I got cognitive behaviour therapy it helped put me back to where I could see straight again sadly my hart and lungs are done for but every day is a bonus just give yourself time and be positive you got this

[Hidden]

Hi. Sorry to hear what happened to you and that you are not feeling great. I had angioplasty and a stent inserted earlier this year as one of my bypass grafts from a CABG I had a few years ago had failed. I felt really unwell for about a month after, my chest ached and hurt, I got palpitations and my arm ached. I was beginning to consider going back and saying something was wrong when everything seemed to settle after a month and I started feeling a lot better. Spoke to my cardiologist about it a couple of weeks ago and he said it's normal to feel like that and that your artories get a lot of bruising during the angioplasty.

I hope you feel better soon and if it really worrying you I would suggest going back and discussing it with the Dr's as they are their to support and help you.

[mcbane]

I had a somewhat similar experience from angiogram. I was told I would be awake and only mildly sedated but early in the procedure there was a terrible aching pain in my left arm. They upped the anesthesia in response - I didn’t wake up till some time after they brought me back to the recovery room.

They are pushing a lot of equipment through a small artery and I suspect that some of us just don’t tolerate it as well as others. I hope the arm pain passes soon. I was sore for about a day but it sounds like you might have had a worse bit of trauma, so might take a bit longer to recover.

[Qualipop]

Only 2 weeks after a HA and you're walking several km, I would say is a bit too much too soon. Your heart needs time to recover just as a sprained ankle would. Take it slow and steady. Have you even started rehab yet? I would wait until you've started that before doing any strenuous of extended exercise. Ignore the bruises, they're completely normal. After my first angiogram and 2 stents my arm was totally black from wrist to elbow but it didn't hurt but it did take two or 3 months before my body adapted to the meds and I felt stronger. It's quite possible that you are unconsciously holding your arm slightly differently from usual which could make it ache but if it persists or is a problem, see your G P .

[Dancerama]

Thanks to everyone who has replied, I hope you all continue healing and getting better and better. It helps to know I am not alone in this, and that my aches and pains are normal. I am trying to take things easy, waiting for cardio rehab to start in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I've just been doing flat walks round the local racecourse, it's 4km from my door and back again, but maybe I am doing too much. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. Judge-Dredd, I was considering going back too and saying something is wrong, but maybe I'll ride with it a little while. The meds need to settle down too, and I have felt better today than yesterday.

[Miocardial_1]

Hi,

I had a heart attack and 2 stents fitted in December. I was 43yrs old at the time. I agree with those who are telling you to take it easy. Give your body time to rest and recover pls. What you went through is a big thing.

In reference to the pain down your left arm, I had this. At my one week follow up I was prescribed Isosorbide Mononitrate to help with this. I am almost 11 months post HA and still get the pain. The cardiology team did a heart stress test in March, which came back clear so they just kept telling me it’s not possible that’s it’s HA related. I have been into hospital twice and still no resolution. I have struggled with the pain and currently looking at going private to see a cardiologist as it is holding me back with my daily routines. I returned to work 6 weeks after my HA.

I hope it settles down for you and they workout what is causing it. Once I have seen a consultant and if they tell me what it is, I will come back and let you know.

Take care, good luck and keep smiling 😊

[Stent2024]

I had my stent put in 3 weeks ago , but didn’t have heart attack . Some days I feel good , other days I feel like I’ve had the stuffing knocked out of me , but I appreciate its early days , so maybe things just need to settle . Wish you well

[Dancerama in reply to Stent2024]

Wish you well too, hope you feel better soon