Hi. I need help dealing with all this...new medications, a stent, fear, etc. I have no one who understands. I am obese last year was 368, this year 304. I didnt start getting heavy until my husband died. I was 28 years old. I have been a pescaterrien most of my life where I only eat fish. My weight gain is poor diet besides the fish. Fast forward to Jan 2018. I started having bed back pains that was radiating to my chest. Of course I was admitted into the hospital and treated as a cardiac patient. I went to the hospital several times and was released with no issues except acid reflux. The back pains would seem to subside after the acid reflex medicine and constantly putting ice on my back. This went on until a month ago. They have sent me to a chiropractor, a back doctor, a vein doctor, etc. Nothing worked. I did get a lot of relief from the acid reflux meds so they just blamed it on a potential ulcer and structural damage to my weight. Anyway, fast forward to a month ago. The follow up doc sent me for a stress test 3 months later the scheduled me for... it Came out poor with results because I was in pain from my back and you have me trying to run a treadmill. The next procedure was the cat scan. It came back that my calcium score was 474. Every artery was clear except for my LCD. But… it clearly said 10 times on the form that they could not see the results because of the patient size. So I did the cath... and I was 99 % blocked in the LCD on top, clear on middle 50% on bottom. So they put a stent in the top. Can't touch the bottom unless over 50%. I always been on blood pressure pills for about 4 years. I'm on losartan 100 mg, 81 aspirin. Now these 2 plus plavix 80mg (cause brilinta caused shortness of breath) and lipitor 75. I feel horrible! Before surgery o lost 61 pounds, but still at 304. Its a lot , but still got a long way to go
Before surgery I had absolutely no issues except high blood pressure. I was a very happy person now I feel miserable. I feel like I see death every time I sit on the couch by myself. The meds make it very hard to work . I live alone so I can only support myself.
Anybody should some light on this problem. I don't react well to medications. I feel like the bloodthinners on day one made me dizzy. Day 2, I feel like jelly. I can't wait till tomorrow to see how I feel lol
I am sad and depressed. I did quit smoking day of surgery. I feel like it's a combination of everything
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Denise98
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I was called sods law by cardiologist because I don' fit the mould.
Swimmer, runner, gym goer non smoker drinker..
I lost two stone because I felt something was wrong
Angina pains that no one beloved
Like you I ended up with 90/100% blockage in LAD...it seems more common than you realise.
But just as I was starting to understand the stent and address my diet "Wham" I'm confronted with secondary issue.
Micro vascular Angina.
So now I have two issues.
Bur because micro vascular angina isn't understood enough by some cardiologists it's put down to muscular skeletal problems and your sent home.
I now have almost constant chest pain and at rest and any kinda of exercise
Im now on long long road to findo a cardiologist who will look into it because it has a high chance of causing me heart issues and a heart attack even with clear arteries and a stent
So please don't feel alone...there are so many people on here every day going through it.
I understand that "doom feeling " you can't move on...and I have a little girl I now worry I won't see and 3 older kids.
So please just message me if you need to vent your frustration or ask any questions
Londinium will not have seen your reply as you forgot to click Reply - easily done. I too would like to ask the questions asked by Londinium - especially - have you had your thyroid checked correctly ?
Check out the book on Amazon - Thyroid and Heart Failure. Full of research papers showing the connection. Also VitK2 - read up on it 😊
Male, age 56, normal weight (now) I had triple bypass in March 2015. Due to failure of surgery I was inserted with 4 stents in 3 arteries one month later. I have not noticed any issues with the stents.
The issues were all related to the medication. I was taking a statin (Crestor), a beta-blocker (metoprolol), an anti-coagulant (clopidogrel/plavix), blood pressure medication (ramipril), as well as an 81 mg baby aspirin.
There's a great deal of psychology involved with major surgery and major illness. It is not unusual to experience anxiety and depression. However I believe the principle cause of these mental health issues are the medications.
Statins, in your case Lipitor, are known to cause a foggy brain in addition to muscular pain and fatigue. The beta-blocker, metoprolol slowed my heart rate and gave me the sensation of shortness of breath.
I was 40 pounds over weight (195 at that time) and had blockages in 3 major arteries, 2 of which were over 90%, and one artery had 2 blockages in it.
The surgery did not solve the problem and so the stents were later inserted.
Once I realized my physical and mental health issues were being caused by the medication (I did a great deal of research on the internet), I decided to become a pesco-vegetarian but also to give up fried foods (including potato chips/crisps and crackers), sugar and all simple carbohydrate foods.
Simple carbs are: white flour products like white bread, white pasta, white pizza dough; white rice, white potatoes, fruit juice, and soft-drinks.
In addition to walking I began to go to a gym to use weights. I lost 5 pounds while hospitalized and then lost 35 pounds gradually over 10 months once I made the dietary and lifestyle modifications. I did a blood test every 6 weeks during this 10 month period as I began to reduce my statin pill by 5 mg every 6 weeks, so I could see the impact on my cholesterol values. My cholesterol declined even though I was reducing dosage, because of my weight loss and exercise.
I eventually stopped ALL medications. When I finally stopped the medications (I reduced dosages gradually) my state of mind improved immensely and my physical ailments disappeared (the statins caused severe shoulder pain and a frozen rotator cuff).
Having to do blood work frequently kept me accountable with my diet and getting a Fitbit device to measure my steps and heart rate, kept me accountable for my daily activity. The positive reinforcement of seeing success in my blood metrics and physical achievements was critical to my process for rehabilitation.
Aside from the dietary issues, in your case you may also have hypothyroidism (under active thyroid). Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns energy (food). While in some cases this may be a genetic condition, in many cases it is dietary and lifestyle triggered. Sugar, simple carbohydrate foods and lack of exercise can all undermine the thyroid's function. You should see an endocrinologist. Stress is also a big factor so finding a way to mentally relax will go a long way to helping you. Ask for help from health care providers.
It is also important to have social support so you must find a way to get in with a support group for people with cardiovascular disease.
In the meantime, you have a long journey ahead of you. I encourage you to make the dietary changes that I made and to try some form of cardio exercise that you can do in your present condition. Swimming, or using an elliptical trainer at a fitness facility. Losing weight is critical to your health.
You should also begin taking vitamin C (non-toxic even in high doses) in higher doses. Take 6 x 1,000 mg tablets every day, it is easiest to take 2 with each meal. Vitamin C is critical to collagen synthesis by the liver which is the principle repair tool for tissues in the body. In the absence of collagen, the body produces cholesterol in higher quantities. By ingesting more vitamin C, your body will produce less cholesterol. In addition, Niacin (vitamin B3) also aids the liver in producing less cholesterol but has been used for decades to help people with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Niacin causes a flush which turns the shoulders, neck and face, red. However this is harmless because it is simply dilating your arteries. The flush lasts about 30 - 60 minutes and diminishes with repeated uses. It is also best to take it with food and cold water to reduce the impact.
The bottom line is you must commit to eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet, with small amounts of animal protein such as lean chicken breast and fish (grilled or baked - NEVER fried). Your body needs no more than 3 oz of animal protein, ONCE per day (I have animal protein only every-other day). On days I don't have animal protein I have a cup of 0% fat, plain Greek yogurt (with frozen organic blackberries or blueberries or raspberries) and an egg-white omelette made from a full cup of egg-whites. I season the omelette with onions, green or red peppers, black pepper, Kalamata olives, a few chili pepper flakes and then add crumbled Greek feta at the end.
Increase your consumption of vegetables, whole fruits, nuts (in moderation), and legumes such as beans, lentils and chick peas. Legumes should be the foundation of your diet they are complex carbohydrates and are high in protein.
There are jobs you can do from home by working on your computer - so that's another thing to investigate to enhance your income.
One step at a time, start with modifying your diet and trying to get active any way you can given your physical stature. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
denise i am 42 born in 1976 and had a stent put in 6 months ago..i am so scared im gonna die i have been to the er 9 times...i am just now gettting a grip on myself. i quite all meds as for each and every one of them made me feel like shit..the statins almost shut my liver down and the blood thinners messed me all up so i take a 81 aspirin..no ones cares about my fear and only the er would give me small scripts of xanex or adivan or something ...but the meds made me feel terriable and i too was scared to be alone..im sorry for your pain i feel you 100%...Pray Denise...
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34yrs and having a heart bypass
High blood pressure, high cholesterol - Oops
Totally different ECG readings -- worried sick
BIG reduction in cholesterol over 3 months
