HA & Stents

[Salmon01]

Im a 55 female i had a heart attack 12th Jan, 2 stents fitted, 7 weeks later & i feel im getting the same pain inbetween my shoulder blades as when i had the attack, im on all the usual meds & have given up smoking & changed my diet, my question is had anyone else experienced this?

[BridBoy]

Yes, I had all sorts of aches and pains following my angioplasty....it seems that we all react differently to the procedure and to the cocktail of drugs we are given.

In my case indigestion was the issue!!

[Salmon01 in reply to BridBoy]

Thank you BridBoy, it just feels like im having another heart attack, its so scary.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Salmon01]

Hey I am 9 weeks on from mine i had one stent i do get lots of pain I try to rationalise it by saying to myself it could be muscular so I take a paracetamol and usually the pain goes my consultant said after my procedure that my heart has had a full mot and is much better than most people's and with the meds they will help with not having another heart attack Good luck with your recovery take it easy and rest as much as you can x

[Salmon01 in reply to Bluecat223]

Thank you Bluecat223, i have been taking it easy, too scared to do anything! I know we cant have these procedures without coming out unscathed but i thought after 7 weeks that i wouldnt be experiencing the same pain, it really messes you mentally aswell, ive started cardio rehab so hopefully that will help, i hope you are recovering well.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Salmon01]

I am doing OK physically I arrested 5 times with my HA I had a complete blockage in my right coronary artery It's the mental side every little twinge ache or pain i thought I was having another one i am having counselling now so hopefully that will help

Be kind to yourself take it easy 🥰🥰

[Salmon01 in reply to Bluecat223]

Bluecat223, i think the mental side is going to be harder to get over than the physical side, take care of yourself

[Bluecat223 in reply to Salmon01]

Always here if you need a chat 🥰

[Salmon01 in reply to Bluecat223]

Thank you🥰

[Birdy0853 in reply to Salmon01]

Hello, I had 3 stents 18 months ago. Once the aching from the procedure went I have had no discomfort at all. I’m sure you have done this but get it checked out, don’t second guess it.

[progressuser in reply to Salmon01]

Building your confidence in living again takes a while; several months. Make sure you're prepared to die; will made, etc., etc., then you can relax and live!

[psethura]

Hi Salmon01, you will be fine soon. Take it easy. One day at a time. Reduce saturated fat and slowly walk. Mental strength is key. This forum is great to support to exchange information etc. All the best!.

[Salmon01 in reply to psethura]

Hi psethura, these replies have been really helpful, at least i know im not alone having these pains & feelings.

[RTWDixey]

Hi, I’m 4 weeks post HA and 1 stent. I’ve been recovering well and walking probably more than I should, but I also get the random pains and aches. It can stop you in your tracks, but I’m try and convince myself it’s normal as they go away as quickly as they occur and I can move forward. It’s a lot easier than it sounds and I’m still paranoid!

[Salmon01]

Hi, its really scary isnt it? Especially when the pain feels the same as when i had the heart attack, no other pain at the time just a pain inbetween my shoulder blades, so now im going to constantly think its the same thing happening! I hope you are recovering well

[DarrenRafferty in reply to Salmon01]

Have you been given the GTN spray?

[Salmon01 in reply to DarrenRafferty]

No because i reacted to it when they gave it to me in the hospital, violently threw up & blood pressure dropped to 74/45!

[DarrenRafferty in reply to Salmon01]

They can give you a tablet which is better tolerated.

[Qualipop in reply to Salmon01]

The only sign of my HA, 6 years ago now, was 3 days of the most horrific "indigestion". I still worry whenever I get indigestion. You will get through it but if it's bad don't hesitate to ring 111.

[Bobmojo]

Yes I've had a similar experience after 18 months from my heart attack, it turned out my heart was spasming and I was added a anti spasmodic medication which has helped. Hope this helps

[Richie34 in reply to Bobmojo]

HI,do you recall the name of this antispasmodic please?

[Blackknight57]

yes, I think half of it is meds.

[Heartbroke]

Please do seek advice about your pains as Bobmojo said your heart could be going into spasms and medication to help with that (not cure) may help.I had a heart attack and one stent fitted August 2022 I had the same symptoms recur I put up with it for quite a while(June 2023) until my husband insisted I do an askmygp request. They didn't reply for 3 weeks and unfortunately in that time I ended up In A&E and had another heart attack. The gp did phone eventually I missed the call as didn't get to my phone quick enough on my cabinet next to hospital bed they sent me a text saying I would have to make a new request 🤷‍♀️ and yes I did send not a request but a text saying if they had replied things may have turned out differently.

So listen to your body get all your facts together ie:- is the pains while resting or doing things? After meals? When worrying? And put in that request fingers crossed will be answered promptly where you live , mine has gotten a bit better since 2023. Worrying only malkes things worse and it could turn out to be something or nothing so get that request in and put your mind at rest.

[Carriefarm]

I had pains after being stented for a greater than 95% blockage LAD. As statins are generally long term, my doctor said it would do no harm to come off the statin for a couple of weeks to see if it was the statin that was causing the problem. As it happened, the pains stopped. The statin was the cause of pains in my shoulder, scapula, chest and arm. Maybe discuss this with your GP. It may take a bit of time to find the meds that suit you. Best wishes.

[Badger1955]

After I had a HA back in 2020 I had one stent fitted but was still getting the pain between the shoulder blades. Further tests and an MRI led to another procedure and 4 more stents and also indentified a blocked branch bundle that was too small for a stent. I’m on meds for the angina this blocked branch bundle sometimes causes but I’m surviving and feel miles better than pre HA. Talk to your cardiologist it could mean your heart needs a bit more help

[Ds1423]

I had a 20mm stent fitted and I am very sensitive to any pain/feelings in my chest and shoulders.my cardio rehab team said it’s to be expected after a stent procedure because you are focusing on that area, however they also said if the sensations don’t stop within a few minutes to contact a medical practitioner to get it checked out.

[Singingforever]

I had pain after my stent for months. Felt just like the original problem. I also have AF and pain was worse during these episodes.

I finished up back in A&E in several occasions, with a couple of admissions. Unfortunately different medics were telling me different things which did not help at all. It was thought that there might be some small vessel disease that was causing the pain, even though GTN spray did not relieve it at all.

In the end it was thought to be related to the faulty heart rhythm. I can only say that it has subsided now, a year after the stent., even though the AF is worse now.

I do agree about the mental aspect. I had led a blameless life! - no smoking, no alcohol, no red meat, no cheese (triggers migraine), normal weight, normal exercise (walking etc, but no gym for me!), and yet here I am with heart problems. It all came as a huge shock an it has taken me a long time to process this and stop feeling wary of how my body might let me down next!

I do so hope your pain will settle soon - but to be hinest I would see the doc again, even if it means presenting in A&E when it is bad.

[Pratcli]

I had a STEMI heart attack, two stents, same pain between shoulders in my back, palpitations and felt like another heart attack coming on. Usual medication etc

Cardiologist said things would settle down in three months but it didn’t. My GP said more like eight months before improving and she was correct, after eight months of live style changes, proper diet and excercise I’m finally feeling much better. good luck and hang in there.

[james195555]

Heart attack and 3 stents here. In my experience (Over 2 years now) it may be some of the medication you are taking. For example you will most likely be on a high dose of Statins, These can cause muscle pain in chest and back. Blood thinners can cause bruising in many ways, Withdrawal from smoking removes toxins your body has been used to for a long time, Keep it up, you are doing great, see your doctor about your meds dosage it takes a long time to sort out. Good luck

[Salmon01]

Yes im on 80mg atorvastatin & asprin, clopidogrel & bisoporolol & also my usual meds! The pain has actually eased up over the last few hours, maybe my anxiety got the better of me🙄

[AnyoneWhoHad]

Hi Salmon01

I had a HA the day after you, 13 Jan and can certainly identify with the concerns you and others on this forum have expressed.

I had one stent and a balloon angioplasty and was discharged from hospital 5 days later with the usual medication.

I had to stop taking the bisoprolol last week because of my slow heart rate was averaging around 45 bpm and even now it is only around 50 bpm. I'm monitoring it twice a day for the pharmacist at my GP practice to review later this week.

I can also identify with having pains that could possibly be heart related, but then again possibly not, not knowing is the problem I think.

I have a GTN spray but don't use it because my pulse is already slow. I had undiagnosed angina for years before my HA, no chest pain but an ache in my left arm and what I can only describe as a strained feeling in my upper chest/throat area when I was walking outdoors. I too have recently started cardiac rehab and have actually been amazed at what I can do, never having set foot in a gym in my life and since lockdown in 2020 have had a sedentary lifestyle more or less housebound.

I am quite reassured by the fact that what is for me heavy exercise doesn't cause any symptoms and generally I've felt better afterwards both physically and psychologically.

The pains I get are usually at night, although the medication related wierd dreams I was having have subsided now and are much less intrusive, I think it's at those times when there is nothing else to focus on than bodily feelings that these usually vague pains in my arm or jaw are most troubling, but I get through them and go back to sleep reasonably quickly and as I mention above when I go to rehab I do things I would have thought impossible for me a couple of months ago without any untoward effects at all.

I hope you get similar reassurance from cardiac rehab and also from knowing that the concerns you have are it seems commonplace ones for people who have undergone what you have and had the same sort of procedures as yourself.

I think it is all a question of adaptation and the lifestyle changes you have already made no doubt have some after effects in themselves, which I think will take time to subside before you fully adjust to them. I'm the same my lifestyle has changed a lot since the HA, but in my case and I think from what you've said, in yours too, they are all changes for the better.

All the best, take care and keep your eyes on the future, you will come through this. Rob

[Salmon01]

Hi AnyoneWhoHad, Thank you for those encouraging words, its just all so new to me, i was a carer for 37 years & now to be on the other side takes some getting used to! I started cardio rehab last week so again going back this week, hopefully they can get me on the right track, i have to remind myself that i also have fibromyelgia & osteoarthritis so i should be used to the aches & pains but its always in the back of my mind what if it isnt the usual pains etc, i think working on our mental health is a journey too, i hope you are recovering well also.

[AnyoneWhoHad in reply to Salmon01]

I do get that Salmon01, I think it brings you up with a jolt and I'm also no stranger to aches and pains myself, but I think I'm recovering thanks and I'm determined to not slip backwards.

I also agree with you entirely that this is about heads as much as hearts and post-procedure that is I think where the real journey is, but nothing stays the same and we have had a new chance in life, which may not be easy to adjust to in these early days, but nothing of any real value ever was in my view.

Good luck with your own journey, there are many of us on the same road as you, so it's onwards and upwards then. Best wishes.👍

[MWIC]

Hi - Hope you’re OK - This is the one thing I said if I felt again I’d be straight up to A&E - Had mine Jan 3 years ago and never had the same feeling since - mine was the same as yours by the sound of it - all across shoulder blades - Look I didn’t get a stent but blockage was ballooned so it may be all just settling down and may be nothing to worry about and it’s early days since yours but my advice is straight to A&E and get checked out - if nothing else it may help reassure you and give you an explanation for feeling what you are

[richard_jw]

Do you get the pain after exertion and does it go away when you rest?Does GTN make the pain go away?

In either case you need to get it checked out by Either a GP or a&e I suspect that if you contact a GP they will send you to A&E

It may be digestion related but it's not long since you had an MI

Better to be safe than sorry

[Salmon01 in reply to richard_jw]

HiI was getting the pain while i was just sitting down, maybe lack of exercise hasnt helped! I dont have the GTN spray as i had a bad reaction to it while in hospital.

[Pundit999]

do get it checked out . If it is not stent related , It can be the statin as people said. A lower dose or a different statin may be prescribed .

[David-66]

I had my HA and a stent fitted while on holiday in Sept 2024.

A none smoker, but tweaked my diet, stopped drinking for the first 3 months post HA started taking daily walks. Initially I had some twinges , palpitations and breathlessness but these subsided as time passed and I’m now walking an average of 7km each day without any issues and also lost 18 pounds in weight.

Being active will help your recovery both physically and mentally.

One thing we all experience is anxiety and every ache or pain makes you worry this is only natural.

But if you have concerns speak to your GP and if the pains are like those when you had your HA go to hospital.

[Salmon01 in reply to David-66]

Well done for your achievements, im going to start going for more walks, ive allowed myself to feel sorry for myself since it happened but ive got to snap out of it.

[David-66 in reply to Salmon01]

Thanks. You will be fine. Take care.

[Richie34]

It's odd that the health professionals (well not in my case they didn't,after my angioplasty ) don't advise that there may be some residual or even new aches pains from the procedure and/or new medication there certainly have been for me (dull ache left pectoral/odd sharper spasm that goes away very quickly -but no less disconcerting) so you're definitely not alone,that said as others have advised please get it checked out asap for your own peace of mind, I'm sure it's not heart related (maybe, like in my case a lot of stress related aggravated GI issues-trapped wind). There's a big and quite human angle to all this too the 'psychological' the resultant anxiety cycle, fear triggers and hyper self monitoring and body checking. I check my BP way too much (x4 daily 2 morning and evening) and my mood is totally reliant on the results,I know I should probably limit it to once or twice a week but whilst I'm having these sporadic symptoms I feel compelled to keep checking (and I didn't have OCD before all this). I hope you get some reassurance soon and do get yourself checked out.

[Salmon01 in reply to Richie34]

I was doing the same with my blood pressure at first but gave myself a talking too as the more i did it the higher it went! Im now only (trying) to do it a couple of times a week easier said than done sometimes!

[Salmon01]

Thank you everyonefor your replies, im sorry we have all had to go through this but it is reassuring to know im not alone with how im feeling, the pain has eased up now so im sure my anxieties played a big part in it, i will mention it at cardio rehab tomorrow, i guess this is all a learning curve to a new normal! I hope you all heal both mentally & physically🥰

[Velda1]

Hi, I had a STEMI HA in late '23... 4 stents put in. I suffered pain around my left shoulder and chest for months - a year. I still get twinges. It takes a while to heal especially mine as it was bruised and battered. I dont think my HA caused this but I ended up with costocondritis. Which is an inflammation of this area of your back. Check with your doc as this may be whats going on with you. I still get flare ups but it's nothing compared to what the alternative is. Sorry to sound doom and gloom but its not

[Yogurtlover68]

Please be careful and trust yourself, you know your body more than anyone... I had a heart attack 02/22, stent fitted, and wasn't feeling right for a while after, I went back to my cardiologist (the one who placed stent and he said everything was fine...... I moved 04/23 and ended up going to the emergency room because I wasn't feeling well (still feeling something was off) they admitted me and did a heart cath the next morning come to find out I had restenosis (the stent that was placed was 70% closed) so had to have another stent placed ...... Been doing good now so far...... Please listen to your body and get seen, ask for certain testing to be done.......God bless 🙏

[Eddie64]

I’ve been getting the same pains as my ha every single day for 4 years I just keep my fingers crossed every day that it’s not my last lol I’ve been on a strict diet and running plan for 4 years to