Pain Post exercise after Heart Attack,

[VeggieKen]

🙂Hi,

I had a heart attack back in September,(Stent 1 fitted to right collapsed artery) and later (3 weeks later) 2 overlapping stents to my left artery.

when I exercise with weights (light ones), I seem ok, and when I walk short (10 minutes) periods I feel fine.

I have confusion due to indigestion with all the new medications that I take, but when I walk or lightly jog, I feel an ache later.

All of the different feelings in my chest have left me in quite a confused state.

Has anyone else had these types of issues?

I have an MRI booked in for mass (what a present) with a stress test, so hopefully this will put my mind at rest.

🙂

[Lowerfield_no_more]

You should have been booked into a Cardio Rehab course organised by the hospital where you were treated, which will be able to help with these sort of issues, and will set you up with a way forward on lifestyle post heart attack. If you have not been told about this I suggest you talk to the cardio team secretary to find out more.

In the meantime you could talk to the BHF Heart Helpline nurse who will be able to give you a professional opinion on your situation.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[VeggieKen in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thanks for thew response.

I have had two phone calls from the cardio rehab, and have been following the guides at home.

The Pain clinic is the next referral for me apparently, but this will be post the MRI and stress test I have booked in.

I was more asking if others have similar generalised pain post walking after a heart attack.

I suppose this is different for everyone though.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to VeggieKen]

Many people (including me) have attended a cardio rehab course organised by their local hospital for folks who have suffered a major cardiac event. These are group sessions, and typically follow on about 6-8weeks after the event. Mine lasted six weeks once a week and each session was about 2 hours long, and was managed by a team of specialist nurses and physios. Certainly nobody rang me to discuss my situation. In the absence of anything else you could try the BHF online cardio rehab course, more in this here bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[VeggieKen in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thanks,

As I said I am receiving phone calls from the rehab team, and I have received a home pack for exercise already.

I have a friend who is local to me in the same position, as they have no gym equipment at the local hospital, and other than an initial offer of a check to use a step machine, that's all you get really at Cosham Hospital Bristol.

As I had to be readmitted to hospital for 2 more stents, I missed the original appointment, and the cardiac nurse said I didn't have to come in the second time for that as I have a stress test due at the Heart institute shortly.

No groups are available for me locally.

Thanks for the links though, I will definitely check them out.

[Loobycare]

Hi VeggieKen

It may be best to speak to your doctor as indigestion can often mimic heart pain.

I have Gastritis and, following my heart attack - visited A & E a couple of times as I couldn't distinguish between them both in the initial stages although the pain of my heart attack was very different!

I would have thought though that ten minutes walking should not have brought on angina - do you have a GTN spray and have you tried it to see if it helps?

[VeggieKen in reply to Loobycare]

Hi,

Now this is exactly what has happened to me.

I ended up in hospital for 9 hours just to find out my T levels were only at 12 (very low for me) so just indigestion.

The 9 hours were very well spent though as I went home with a great deal off my mind at the end of the visit.

GTN spray has no effect when walking either so Dr says everything points to gastric issues.

My heart Attack mimics indigestion completely so I'm sure you can understand the fear it caused at first, but I can now walk on my home tread mill for over half an hour, with mild jogging. Only mild burps to start, and everything clears up.

Still battling with Anxiety in my stomach ATM but hopefully that will reduce in time.

[Qualipop in reply to VeggieKen]

The only symptom I had with my heart attack was horrific indigestion for 3 days before I had a slight tingling down my arm and in my neck. I lived on gaviscon for 3 days before the arm made me ring 999. I still get anxious whenever I get indigestion. You are not alone.

[Qualipop]

HA and two stents but no pain afterwards when doing anything. Your rehab shoudl be in person so that you are supervised whilst exercising so any pain can be checked immediately.

[VeggieKen in reply to Qualipop]

Hi,

Yes so I keep hearing, although I am not being offered this at all.

However speaking to the cardiac Nurse at Cosham Hospital, (this is the local hospital, as Groups would mean travelling to another hospital further away) I have just been advised to keep exercise to a low amount until After the Stress Test and MRI I have booked in at the BHI in December.

Things are improving a lot not though, and the Dr thinks its was an initial Difficulty with the Platelet Medication.

I am (or was) very physical, so have probably been trying to do to much.

[Qualipop in reply to VeggieKen]

I'm guessing that was ticagrelor. I felt as if I had terrible asthma when I took it. My oxygen levels were fine, I just felt as if I couldn't breathe.