Heart Attack 10 weeks today

[Washo66]

Hi All,

Had heart attack/ stent fitted 10 weeks ago & still struggling with side effects of medication.

I'm taking medication they have told me to, Aspirin, Lansoprazole, Dapagliflozin, Ticagrelor x 2, Atorvastatin & Ramipril.

Dropped down to 1 x 2.5mg Bisoprolol instead of 2 & this temporarily stopped the dizzy spells & light headedness.

But within a couple of weeks they were back again & I just feel terrible most of the time.

Other symptoms I get are constipation, stomach pain, dry mouth, hair thinning & not forgetting the farting!!

Does this all sound normal?

I was kind of told, after surgery, off you pop & from now on you will feel so much better than before.

Which for me, at the present, is the complete opposite.

Am I expecting too much after only 10 weeks & should have more patience?

Sorry for waffling, guess I just don't feel any real positivity at the moment.

cheers all

[Tos92]

I’m sorry to hear about your heart attack but I am glad to hear you are now home. That’s quite a range of medications you’ve been put on so it’s understandable that you are having side effects from a combination of those. If it’s been 10 weeks and you are still feeling horrid from those medications, I would request a medication review either from your cardiologist or GP. Also, it might be a good idea to spread the medications out throughout the day and see if that decreases the intensity of your side effects.

I hope others come by with some more useful information.

All the best.

Tos

[BeKind28-]

Hello

When we have a heart attack they send us out on a cocktail of medications and I think we can all relate to the side effects that come with some of them even though in time sometimes they settle down but when we find they are not then we need to get an appointment with our GP tell them how bad we feel and they can go through them as some of the meds you are on there are alternatives we can try which may suite us better

Make an appointment but while you are waiting keep taking the meds as it says on the box they come in as sometimes there is a valid reason why they are requested to be taken at certain times of the day

It is a common problem though but one that does get sorted even though it can take time while we do

Let us know how you get on x

[Chriswood79]

Hi Washo66. That all sounds completely normal and relatable. Still really early days for you. The majority of the medication you are on will settle. The bisoprolol is the likely cause of dizziness due to reducing your blood pressure - which you should probably try and regularly monitor alongside our heart rate. Your gp can steadily reduce the bisoprolol to nothing if your BP is low. The dry mouth will maybe be the Ramapril. The other side effects will come and go unfortunately. You will feel better though again physically and mentally but it takes time. I’m not a dr so this is all from my experiences. Do make an appt with your gp no matter how long it takes. Good luck

[pasigal]

Washo66 All normal, even if unpleasant. Honestly it has taken me a couple of years to feel more "normal," although I am hyperconscious of my chest and prone to anxiety, which has its own effects on the stomach and chest. I have struggled mostly with gastrointestinal issues as well as occasional dizziness and lightheadedness -- think that's from the beta blockers.

Try to drink a lot of water; that's the advice I received.

[Sidlers]

Going through exactly the same thing! Feel awful on my cocktail of drugs. Unfortunately, you leave hospital with one of the “one size fits all “ goody bags, tailored to whatever treatment you’ve had. It’s then down to you and your doctor to try and fine tune your meds! In my case, that’s where the problem lies! Monday morning my wife went into the surgery to try and make an appointment for me, only to be told that there were no more GP appointments available for the rest of the week!!

I rang the hospital medicines helpline in the afternoon. Guess what! I got a recorded message informing me that if I have issues with my medication, then I should contact my GP! ……… And round and round you go! Now getting ready for another day of trying to work out the best course of action in “ broken Britain “!

[Davey77]

You might want to discuss which statin you have with your doctor. I have been temporarily taken off Atorvastatin to see if that helps my Achilles problem. I have noticed a marked reduction in wind, particularly at night. After my blood-test next week, the GP will decide if I still need statins and maybe change to another, but that will probably have its own set of side-effects.

[polenta in reply to Davey77]

I feel for you with all the meds thrown at you after your heart attack, but its normal to have some side effects from them and they do mostly start subsiding after awhile but it can take many months. I have been on my meds for almost 10 years and still get side effect here and there still. Hot weather is what causes me the most side effects along with constipation. Hope you start feeling better soon.

[Davey77 in reply to polenta]

Something to look forward to, since I've only been on this cocktail for just over 2 years 😀