Sorry to say I had a minor heart attack on Thursday, but fortunately my wife rang 999 and everything after went as smoothly as clockwork. Ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and they did ecg scans at home and in the ambulance. They then phoned ahead to the Cardiac care unit, who admitted me straight away and within 30 minutes I had a stent fitted - I was absolutely amazed at the speed that everts happened. Anyway, the reason for this post is to ask the question if this has happened to anyone else? The doctor at the ccu stopped my naproxen straight away, and I’ve been prescribed blood thinners and blood pressure tabs. If this has happened to you what nsaid was prescribed?
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Sorry to hear of your heart attack, but pleased you had good care. I had a stroke when I was 52, and nsaids were stopped. I’ve not been allowed an nsaid since, due to the increased cardiovascular risks with them. I’m allowed a very occasional Brufen, for a severe headache. I was put on Clopidogrel and a statin at the time, but always had low blood pressure. I didn’t fit any of the risks for stroke
HiThanks for the reply. I am still in hospital and just discussed this with the doc here, no nsaids! They’re putting me on a blood thinner and a statin so it sounds familiar. Thanks again.
Hi Chris. Sorry to hear about your heart attack, but pleased that they acted and treated quickly. I developed atrial fibrillation 2 yrs ago and am on a beta blocker and anticoagulant ( been on a statin for years) as I'm considered high risk . No nsaids for me either.
Hi thanks for the message. Intresting info. I’ve just got back home from hospital and looking at the list of drugs prescribed! No nsaids. Think I need to see my RA specialist. Thanks again.
Thanks MadBunny for your info.It was very timely! I had pace maker fitted two years ago for complete heart block then a few weeks ago suffered 5 hours of atrial fibrillation. Like you l have been on statins for years but have now started on beta blockers and anticoagulants but no mention from any medical staff regarding nsaids. So thankful to you andeveryone who contributes to this forum😊
I had a heart attack last June. Was admitted to hospital and had a stent fitted by 5 in the morning. They told me that RA and the anti inflammatory drugs were responsible. Certainly not overweight.
Hi Chris, sorry to hear about your heart attack. Great that you had such good attention so rapidly. You’re the same age as me and male too so makes me aware of vulnerability. It’s interesting that you and others have been taken off nsaids. I hadn’t realised that would happen. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Neither was I!! Apparently the nsaid I’m using ( naproxen ) is supposed to be one of the safer ones. When I left hospital I was put on a new drug regime and no nsaids. Thanks for the best wishes, I hope your ok.
Your experience is a reminder to all of us that our drugs can (and do) cause other problems. So glad you are on the mend. I managed to wean myself of naproxen during the two year lock down, because I became aware of the increased risks. Look after yourself. x
Hi JackieThanks for the reply. I didn’t know about nsaids before all this, but you live and learn. I know we moan about the quality of the NHS but when they are on the ball they are excellent. Thanks again and best wishes to you.
Hey Chris. Sorry to hear about your heart. But you were very, very lucky. My dad died in 1989 of a massive heart attack. I was 17. He was 52. He died alone in Epping Forest. He had angina. Was due to have a procedure the next week. But it was too late. He was a journalist. He did shift work. So we didn’t see him every day. After a few days without seeing him. My mother went to the Police to report him missing. They were useless. Disgusting manner, very patronising. Assumed it was a domestic. Took no details down of him or his car, the no plate etc. My lovely dad was left in the morgue for 5 days. A dog walker found him. It still upsets me to think of it & i’m not always a fan of the Police! Very glad for you, that your wife was with you. Good luck with everything. X
Hi Vixen. So sorry to hear of your experience. I was very lucky the way things worked out, and thankful to my wife, she’s still very worried, but we’ve got our children here now. Thank you for the wishes, hope you are keeping ok.
Hey Chris. I’m so pleased for you. It must be a very worrying time. I was so impressed to hear the ambulance came within 10 mins. I had a massive flare up of my RA before the pandemic. I really could hardly walk. I was bedridden. I was in total agony. I rang 999. Couldn’t get an ambulance. Had a row with the operator. He said if it’s that bad. Ring 101. They sent 2 guys that weren’t paramedics. So no wheelchair. Not even a stick! I live on the 4th floor. The lift was buggered. An awful, awful time. But thank God for ‘drugs’. Steroids & actually naproxen! I’ll be having second thoughts about those. naproxen after hearing your story. I’ll Just stick with my 6 weekly infusions of Infliximab. Good luck again. X
Sorry to hear about your heart attack but glad to hear you are home , recovering and being well looked after .
Sorry to hear , also , that it was probably caused by RA and Naproxen. I have RA and have been suffering from hip problems ( healing pelvic fractures ) . I was prescribed Naproxen by my rheumatologist, about 6 weeks ago but I’m now tapering off as my rheumatologist didn’t want me to take it for too long .
I had been taking Meloxicam for years without incident but I must admit I became somewhat alarmed by the stated side effects of Naproxen , which included “heart attack/stroke without warning” . I’m really sorry to have to stop taking this NSAID as it has worked , almost miraculously , for my hip pain and the pain/stiffness from RA in general .
I did have some indigestion problems but I’m on a PPI and they were minimal .
I’m 80 and female and the warnings are even greater for “ the elderly” 🤨😕 so I guess “needs must” . Apparently, I can go back on Meloxicam if my GP is happy but now I’m not so sure . Unfortunately, I guess by the way they work most NSAIDS are similar but don’t necessarily suit all of the people , all of the time . I have read conflicting statements on the safety of Naproxen , so not even the medical reports agree .
Hi. Thank you for the kind thoughts. All of the medical people I’ve spoken to say no nsaids, even when I asked for alternatives. I have to go to my GP’s surgery tomorrow so hope I can get an appointment and talk to my GP. Early days.Hope you are keeping ok.
Chris_0
Glad you were sorted so quickly. My dad is on warfarin and there’s lots of meds he can’t take. Speedy recovery..
I was on naproxen for years, but really glad I came off them… feel loads better since. No-one is supposed to take them long term. I was on them for7 years 😳. I take Amitriptyline now, which works a treat, and paracetamol when I’m really bad.
Hi. Thanks for the wishes. I didn’t nsaids where linked to heart problems. Anyway I’ve had lots of medical advice so hopefully all will be well now. Hope your ok.
Glad you are being looked after, I get a yearly cardiac check at my gp surgery as RA is linked to cardiac problems I was told. My dad had RA and 6 of my uncles, they all had heart attacks xxx
You poor soul so glad you are here to tell the tale! I have not had anything like that yet but I have been put on pressure tablets with baricitinib. Take care so you can get better soon💐
Unfortunately nsaids are off the table with heart problems. Naproxen is one of the 'safer' options but i was also taken off these. I also have psoratic arthritis which is now poorly controlled as anti inflammatories are a no no. Is it arthritis you need the nsaids for? X
How about methotrexate? I found it brilliant but as i also have inherited emphysema im not allowed it anymore. If your lungs are in good shape they might give u them. There is also a biologic injection they are looking into for me at the minute for arthritis whivh is more "heart friendly". I cant remember the name of it but its a once a fortnight injection. Maybe something u could look into. If i remember the name ile post it up x
Hi. First of all,I was on prednisone, hydro chloroquine, and naproxen for about 2/3 years. As the RA stopped responding this drug regime my RA specialist then put me on methotrexate, hydro chloroquine, naproxen and folic acid. Since being on methotrexate my RA symptoms have been largely controlled, we’ve been trying to slowly reduce the methotrexate to low levels, and about a month ago it was dropped to 15mg, and four days ago I had the heart attack.
I’m due for an appointment with my RA specialist next month so I need talk to him about it. I had a load of different drugs from the hospital which I am getting to grips with. Some are temporary and some will be permanent. One of the messages from the hospital was no more nsaids!
Hope this explains my situation. I’m feeling a whole lot better now.
I found methotrexate to be brilliant. I hardly had any aches or pains. Fingers crossed that wasnt what caused your heart attack so you can maybe go back on them. Im waiting since October to see what i can take for arthritis with the heart/lung issues. Not looking too promising as yet! They dont like you taking prednisone either with heart problems as its a form of nsaid. I might ask for a steriod injection for my shoulder b4 i chop it off lol. Good luck anyway and keep us posted xx
Hi I had an mi in 2014 and had a stent put in. I still get naproxen on prescription but only take them if bad and then usually only one.I read this after seeing your post:
"From a cardiovascular standpoint, naproxen may have the least risk," he says, acknowledging that the evidence to support that claim is weak. But for a person at risk for heart problems who also has arthritis or musculoskeletal discomfort and needs an NSAID, naproxen at the lowest possible dose is a reasonable choice.
But also this:
Yes. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — medications commonly used to treat pain and inflammation — can increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure, whether you already have heart disease or not, although the risk is greater in those who have heart disease.
Hi BethanyThanks for the reply. How was your life after the stent operation.? I seem to be back to my usual self now, but reading the surgery report ( using Google to understand all the jargon ) I think that I need to change my exercise / eating habits? I hope you keeping well after your stent op.
Hi I've been good since the stent no issues so far I developed a love of walking post it I think it helped me recover and I was discharged from clinic after second appointment so all in all been fine still working at almost 63 so.....
Sending you positive vibes for a speedy recovery. I'm really pleased to hear you received such good care. I know there is a link between heart problems and rheumatoid arthritis. I was interested to see that the British Heart Foundation are funding research into the link between the two - you can see more on the British Heart Foundation website if science is something you are interested in reading about. I wish you well for continued good progress, it sounds like you are being well taken care of. All the best
Hello Chris, glad to hear you got urgent care and are doing well. We have lots of articles on our website you might want to read nras.org.uk/resource/reduci... We also ran a Rheum Zoom on Cardiovascular risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis, you can watch the recording on our YouTube channel here is the link youtu.be/DH4WJm46TnQ Get well soon
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