In September 2022 I had a heart attack because of a blood clot but due to a wait of five hours for an ambulance nothing could be done in the way of a stent because the damage had been done and 15% of my heart had died. Initially I was taken to my local hospital who didn't want me nor did the specialist hospital in my area because they said it was too late to treat me. In the end an unauthorised transfer took place to the specialist hospital where I was given a bag of meds after 4 days and sent home. In September 2023 just as I was planning things for the Autumn my husband developed two types of cancer and sadly died. In March this year I had heart failure. Spent 4 days in hospital and when home a Community Cardiology Clinic nurse came to see me who told me I would never feel well again because I had progressive heart disease. Ever since then I have had daily slime coming up into my mouth from my heart which I have been told is normal. Yesterday when out with my son I had a peculiar turn when I felt very weak and had to sit down for a few minutes. I assume this was a sign my heart is getting worse. Should I be worried as now I don't want to go out?
Progressive heart disease : In... - British Heart Fou...
Progressive heart disease
I don’t understand slime coming from your heart to your mouth. Perhaps you’ve misunderstood what you’ve been told.
Please phone the cardiac nurses (details on the British heart foundation website for the number and opening times) to get reassurance and information.
It was a Cardiology Nurse from the Community Cardiology Clinic who told me and another Cardiology Nurse confirmed the slime was coming from my heart to my throat. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse didn't know nor did my GP, Some days are worse than others. It is clear in colour and happened soon after the heart failure, I have had a lung xray and it was clear.
Hi do you mean you're bringing up clear phlegm? And does this happen when you cough?
Your heart and mouth are not connected in such a way so whatever it is cannot be coming from your heart. Your heart may be the cause of whatever this fluid is, but the mouth only connects to the lungs and digestive systems.
I am really sorry you have had such a challenging time. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. When your heart isn't working well, your lungs can collect extra fluid.This can be coughed up as a clear mucous.
Is this what you mean when you say you are coughing up slime?
While heart failure can be progressive like many heart diseases, there have been great improvements in the treatment available.
Are you ware of Pumping Marvellous ? It's a a support group for people living with heart function issues.
Sorry.
Anatomically there’s no pathway for the heart to produce slime in your throat. I’ve never heard of a heart “producing slime”, and I suggest you make further enquires
It sounds to me (a non Dr with some basic anatomical knowledge) that your heart disease is effecting your lung function …… congestive heart failure causing a fluid backup in lungs. That might produce “slime” via your trachea????
Also, the bit about no stenting “because the damage is already done” sounds strange. A coronary artery branches out over an are of the heart, and without a stent (or a specific coronary artery “all-clear”) your blockage or plaque break off could repeat and further damage a wider area of your heart muscle.
If I was you I’d try again to have the slime and stent issues further clarified by a doc.
All the best for your future health.
As with Happyrosie, I don’t understand what ‘slime’ could come from your heart??
You really need to go back to your doctor and ask them to provide a definitive diagnoses and explain what that means for you. Ask lots of questions. Take someone with you who is good at breaking down information and will ask questions, if this helps.
Sorry to hear about your story. Is that NHS out of curiosity?
Hello BSA20, I’m sorry you have had such an awful time over the last couple of years. I am 61 and had a HA in Feb 2019 while at home caused by a blockage. I was kept waiting over night to see a consultant and given morphine to ease the pain then had a stent the next day. I was then told that the left side of my heart had died and I have HF. I did the rehab, adjusted my diet, I go for a 30 minute power walk every day. For the most part I am ok. I do get tired quickly and feel weak, when I run out of steam I rest for an hour or so and then I’m usually ok. Sometimes I overdo it, gardening or something and I have to rest for a day or so but I recover. I go on holiday and do as much as I feel able. I don’t have any mucus but we are all different. As others have said this must be a lung issue. You need to get some proper care and information. Be pushy and insist on an appointment. In my area (Kent) this is ok. If you are in a position to, you could see a consultant privately, quite quickly. Please don’t give up. The heart is amazing and with the right care can recover enough to have a decent life. Let us know how you get on. Good luck.
Hi BSA20, My husband had a similar experience to you back in 1992 when he was only 52, part of his heart had died so no stents or bypass were possible. A few years later he started having rapid heart beats (200bpm) and had emergency treatment several times - paddles put on his chest to slow the rate down. In 2000 he was in hospital for 6 weeks whilst they did various tests and they eventually fitted a pacemaker. He had a rapid heart beat the next day and was then fitted with a Defibrillator. Back then we had never heard of an ICD but it saved his life and he lived for another 20 years. He died in 2020 when he was 80. PS the reason they fitted a pacemaker first in 2000 after all those tests was because it cost £2,000 - the Defibrillator cost £20,000 at that time. I don't understand why you haven't been offered an ICD but I think it's worth asking the question. Kind regards x
I have severe heart failure and I bring up lots of phlegm especially in the morning when I get up. I always assume it’s coming off my chest because of fluid buildup, and because it’s worse in the mornings, and I do snore I’ve been told.
Blood "backs up" in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can't keep up with the supply. This causes fluid to leak into the lungs. ... coughing that produces white or pink blood-tinged mucus.
Hi BSA20
I hope you're doing ok today?
I'm assuming that what you're referring to as slime is probably phlegm that you're producing when you cough?
My husband has heart failure & also has a phlegmy cough. Like you he's had a number of x-rays on his lungs which have all shown his lungs to be clear.
Some meds can make you cough & produce phlegm, without knowing what meds you're on it's difficult to advise. However, despite changes of meds my husband's cough still persists, some days it's worse than others. He's had this phlegmy cough since at least 2016 & it's known as a cardiac cough, it's very common with people who have heart failure. The cough does not necessarily mean your heart is getting worse, my husband's medical team are not concerned if the phlegm is clear but if it has a tinge of colour to it, if it's green or yellow or is pink/red then you need to get medical attention as it's likely to be an infection of some sort.
However you do need to tell your medical team/nurse about your dizzy spell. It may just be a case of low blood pressure & your nurse will advise about this. Do you monitor your blood pressure? If not it's a good to get a monitor and keep a record of the readings & times taken to show your nurse.
I don't understand why your nurse has said you won't feel well again, lots of people with HF do start to feel better once their medication starts working, though it can take months for them to optimise your medication and get it right for you. Please don't stop going out as not only is exercise good for our hearts it also helps our mental health.
I'm so sorry that you've had such a terrible time in recent years & then losing your husband must have been so awful for you.
@Milkfairy has posted you a link above to the pumping marvellous support group. Pumping marvellous are the UK's leading heart failure charity and are endorsed by NICE, the BHF, cardiologists & HF nurses around the world. I highly recommend you join the group, it's very friendly & supportive, everyone in the group is either living with or caring for someone with heart failure so lots of lived experience available there for you.
Good luck
I am not medically trained, but I do know a lot about pumps and pumping. I am really sorry that you have heart failure, I know it can be very distressing. A relative had the problem you describe and a cardiologist explained the problem like this: -
The heart is a two-part pump, the left side takes blood from the lungs and pumps blood round the body, the right side takes blood back from circulation and pumps it to the lungs. The heart has evolved such that the left side is more powerful than the right so that the blood pressure in the lungs is lower than elsewhere. This gives ideal conditions for oxygen absorption.
If the left side of the heart becomes damaged and starts to fail, it is unable to pump blood away from the lungs faster that the right side can supply it. This means that the blood pressure in the lungs rises and gas exchange becomes less efficient leading to lower blood oxygen levels. The higher pressure also causes plasma to be leaked from the blood across the lung’s delicate membranes. This is the “slime” that you are experiencing.
The higher right side discharge pressure progressively strains this side of the heart and causes it to start to fail as well. Although this sounds frightening, it generally makes you feel better as both sides of the heart become matched again, the blood pressure in the lungs falls, oxygen take up becomes better and fluid leakage stops.
Sorry, this is a rather technical explanation, but I do hope it helps.
Hi there, I was sorry to learn that there has been some delay in initial treatment. However all is not lost because the heart develops collateral circulation in order to perfuse rest of the healthy muscle. Apart from shortnesss of breath and not feeling well, do you suffer from swelling of the legs which is worse in evening and goes down following morning. When you are slime, do you mean mucus from the throat? Is your blood pressure and pulse rate normal? I think you have developed congestive hear failure which can lead to congestion of the throat. Did have a echocardiogram recently? I hope this helps you to understand better.
My feet and ankles are fine. Yes, I do mean mucus. I had an echocardiogram earlier this year and Cardiology Nurse was happy with the results. BP is okayish although always on the low side and pulse is fine. I suppose progressive heart disease is just that - progressive.
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