chest pain after heart attack

[Juliestev]

Hi I had a heart attack on 7th December and am now in recovery with many tablets to take. Is it normal to still be getting chest pain and arm pain?

I have used my gtn spray and it has relieved the pain at the time. My dad has sadly passed away in the last month and I don’t

think stress is helping. I am due my first echo after the event next week and follow up with cardiologist so am I doing right waiting for this appointment? Or do I need to alert anyone about this pain beforehand?

thanks in advance

Julie

[BridBoy]

I had chest "ache" in my heart area following my angioplasty, luckily I was still in hospital so I had an ultrasound done which was perfect and an ECG, again no issues.

The team told me that it was nothing to worry about, easy for them to say, and that quite often "bruising' following the angioplasty could be felt for a few weeks.

I did indeed have the aches for quite a few weeks resulting in two paramedic visits and being taken back into hospital for an overnight stay....a cardiologist made adjustments to my cocktail of meds and improvements started.

Best wishes.

[Juliestev in reply to BridBoy]

Thanks I know im probably panicking just don’t know it feels normal? I’ve been told I had sustained moderate damage to my LAD artery. I had a stent put in so I’m hoping this will show improvement on my echo next week although I’m not feeling it at the moment. I will hopefully get cardiology appointment soon fingers crossed 🤞

[Crabedu in reply to Juliestev]

Hi...I am probably a month in front of you in time. I had my heart attack and 2 cardiac arrests during the procedure of having 1 stent fitted on 21st November. I did have some aches for a while and occasionally get them now. When I am asked have you had pains by clinicians I usually say no..then stop and say well yes but aches. They always then ask if the pains feel the same as the pain when I had the heart attack to which I answer no as they are more aches and they are okay with that.

I was also told that aches near the surface are more likely muscular whilst pain deeper could be heart.

I too sustained moderate damage. I have recently had another scan and the heart is healing well.

If you are concerned though..ask the staff who are supporting you. The community cardiac nurses and also the bhf nurses. I have found everyone so helpful on this roller coaster ride.

I wish you the best in your recovery.

[Juliestev in reply to Crabedu]

Thanks everyone has been great it’s not a pain as bad as the attack but of course I worry that everything not quite right. I think I will feel better once I’ve had my echo and follow up with cardiologist.

Julie

[BridBoy in reply to Juliestev]

It took me quite a while to get used to the meds....tiredness, dizziness, lethargy....

When they offer you rehab jump at the chance, it was the trigger that set me off to feeling like me again and living a normal active life.

[Juliestev in reply to BridBoy]

Thank you I start rehab in February so I’m hoping to feel better plus I’m trying to change my diet and exercise more. I don’t know what caused the attack as my blood pressure and cholesterol are fine but I think stress played a factor and my dad had a triple heart bypass at 61. The meds have especially been hard as I was on nothing before. The only way is up. Thanks for your advice it’s been reassuring for the future.

Julie

[BridBoy]

My Dad died at 65 following a heart attack and my twin brother got his angel wings 10 years ago whilst on the waiting list for a heart transplant so I know how these things can play on your mind.

I'm 72 now and attend Fitsteps classes twice a week, go out ballroom dancing at least twice a week......I feel pretty good most of the time and have a positive mindset, the only way is up

[Lowerfield_no_more]

If you get serious and unexpected chest and arm pain and your GTN spray doesn't work within say 10 minutes you should call 999. If your GTN spray is working for you then you should be OK until you speak with your cardiologist.

[OneCrow]

My cardio event was at the end of 2019 and following it I did get 'ghost' chest pains and, in fact, I still occasionally do. It meant a period during which I'd be told that, for even the mildest pain, I should ring 999 immediately but, after a couple of false alarms feeling a fool after being tested and them finding nothing, I started to sit them out more.

After a while a pattern emerged that they followed eating so watch out for that and they also coincided with very stressful moments. This is obviously amplified because, whatever the stress is, that feeling gets way worse if you throw in 'and I might be having a heart attack' plus the other worry of whether to call 999.

I still get frustrated that I'm unable to get a satisfactory diagnosis for this, and goodness knows I've mentioned it often enough at consultations over the course of 4 years. I do have a theory that there's a reluctance for them to say that any chest pains are nothing, but that's only my opinion. What I will say though is I remember once being told at the hospital that if chest pain goes across an extended period without getting worse then it's not a heart attack. I remember that during episodes and so far, so good.

Years back they put me onto Lanzoprazole which did help, but only after a long while, and I often regret starting those because I feel hooked on stomach meds now. I recently got moved onto Pantoprazole and, interestingly, the phantom chest pains following eating returned in a far higher frequency although are slowly easing again.

Oh, one more thing, it's about the first time after my original incident that I was rushed back into hospital fearing a second episode. They tested me, only to find that it wasn't another heart attack, and I felt they then gave me a real air of 'go home, it's nothing' like I'd wasted their time. I sometimes wonder if that approach was their way of making me think twice before calling it in when they knew they officially had to say 'ANY chest pain, ring 999'. Just my personal opinion though

Hope this helps, I know it's a messy answer and chest pains aren't something to brush off but that's my experience. My pains are very similar to how they were on the day and it can feel scary but I have often told myself 'you've just eaten and you've had these before' along with checking they aren't getting any worse and of course for any other symptoms. Thankfully, when they occur for me, I never get any other symptoms which helps calm me down and that's a good measure.

As your event was so recent, keep mentioning it but you may just receive that blanket response that any chest pains mean 999 like I did and I know that doesn't help.

Colin

[Juliestev in reply to OneCrow]

Thanks as long as the gym spray calms it down I’m leaving going to the hospital. I will mention it when I get my cardiology appointment though.

Thanks for your advice

Julie

[scentedgardener]

I'm sorry you were made to feel that you had troubled them unnecessarily, nobody should be made to feel like that. I had multiple trips to A & E by ambulance when AF first started, diagnosed on 3rd visit, then nobody looked for anything else. My episodes always came with multiple symptoms that are red flags for a heart attack. I always apologised for taking up time and resources, think 2021, and have always been assured that the right thing to do was to go there.I asked my cardiologist for his advice on when I should ask for help, my issues never resolved with GTN, the pain was never that bad, but he said to certainly not wait more than 15 minutes, if pain was still there to ring 999.

I usually rang 111 for advice, it was their decision to call an ambulance, only once did I ring 999 myself, the call handler stayed on the phone until the crew got there. Bless you, Ann, you'll never know how much that meant to me.

I know the feeling of wondering whether or not to ring, mine nearly always happened in the early hours too, and I will own up to ending up making my own decision and not following medical advice, as I base my decision on how I feel. I'm not suggesting anyone does the same, quite the opposite, the pain doesn't have to be severe to indicate a problem, but if unsure ring 111.

[TheFisherman123]

Hi Julie,

I had the same thing about a week after my heart attack (Aug 23, two stents fitted). Went to A&E, there wasn't a problem.

BUT they said that I had done the right thing, and should come in again if more pain. Mine was probably just an ache followed by me panicking, but again, they said that this is perfectly normal, they see it all the time, so GO TO A&E is my recommendation. That's what the NHS is for.

You know what normal feels like, and chest pain isn't normal.

Best wishes!

[Juliestev in reply to TheFisherman123]

Thanks I’ve used my gtn spray tonight and it has eased it a bit. I have my dad’s funeral on Tuesday and I really don’t want to be kept in. I will see how it goes though.

Thanks for the advice much appreciated

[TheFisherman123]

Ah, just seen that you've gone to A&E. I hope all is well.

[Anitaw55]

Hi Julie, i had heart attack 13th jan 2024 and 2 stents fitted a week later and a clot removed. I too have had after pains that are worrying initially, aches and aching in my back after i went to the supermarket and u think - Omg, i've done too much!!! Scary.

It's all still a shock and the medication takes abit of getting used to.

Good luck and try not to worry.

[Juliestev in reply to Anitaw55]

Thanks I am due an echocardiogram tomorrow to see how everything is healing and a follow up with the cardiologist so fingers crossed 🤞 everything going the right way. I just expected to be pain free at this stage (I had my heart attack in 7th December) but what do I know?

I’ll see when I go but obviously as you know it’s a scary time and anxious time so every little ache or pain you think something is happening. Hopefully all good, thanks for your reply .

[EdtheDead]

NSTEMI on 26th Sept and still have pretty severe chest pain. Was blue lighted back on the 27th Oct to be told I had developed Pericarditis. The pain and discomfort with this mimics a Heart Attack and if I were to call 999 every time the pain gets severe enough I'd be in A&E every week. The Pericarditis was diagnosed without Echogardiogram which I found unusual. Literally got fed up of pestering Cardiology and my GP with this as no one is listening to my concerns. I've been on Colchicine for 3 months and it hasn't shifted it so unsure where i stand at the moment. My life has ground to a halt. This is probably not the sort of reply you were hoping for. If the pain persists pester and pester until you get answers. You may be luckier than me because health care here on the Yorkshire Coast is dire to say the least.

As a footnote I was told i had a very mild heart attack, didn't feel like it at the time, with no blockage and didn't need a Stent after angiogram.

On Bisoprolol, Ramipril, Low Dose Aspirin, Lansoprazole, Clopidogrel and Atorvastatin, though i haven't taken the latter whilst on Colchicine as they don't mix.

[Juliestev in reply to EdtheDead]

I’m sorry you’re having so much trouble. I’ve been for my echo today at Liverpool heart and chest and got a little info from the sonographer. My left side apex there is still some damage there I just have to see if it has improved from the last echo before I had the stent.

Don’t know where this leaves me I’m still getting pain on the left side of the chest near my shoulder. Hopefully this is now going to trigger an appointment with cardiologist as they were waiting for this scan. The services here have been excellent up to now.