advice and support!

[Harrim8]

hey everyone, I’m new to the BHF forum. I’m 51 years old and recently (3 weeks ago) I went to my local A&E and was advised I’d had a heart attack. This was a complete shock to me and one that I’m still trying to process.

Whilst at the hospital I also had an angiogram which was unfortunately unccessfull and they weren’t able to fit a stent in the blocked artery. I’ve been discharged from hospital now for 2 weeks and I’m struggling. This is why I wanted to come and join this forum to get some guidance, advice and hear other people’s experiences.

Every day since being at home, I’m having multiple panic attacks and feeling anxious, the fear of having another heart attack, the fear of dying, the fear of not being around for my partner, family and friends. I’m not sure if the medications I’m now on due to the heart attack are also having an affect on me, I feel nauseous, shaky, stomach aches, and more recently trouble sleeping, is this normal after a heart attack?

I start my cardiac rehabilitation in about 3 weeks, which I’m hoping will help. I’m also having therapy to help with my mental health and my GP recently increased my dose of Bisoprolol from 2.5mg to 3.75mg to try and help with the panic attacks (which as yet don’t seem to be working).

I feel like both the physical and mental feelings I’m getting are starting to consume my days and are definite triggers to me having a panic/anxiety attack.

I’d really appreciate any advice or confirmation that these are normal feeling, emotions and reactions after having a recent heart attack.

Thanks. Marty

[Vonnegut]

Meditation, mindfulness, slow gentle breathing. Don’t panic!

And this forum is for those who have atrial fibrillation rather than what you mentioned that you have.

[Harrim8 in reply to Vonnegut]

Thank you. It says at the top of the page as the topic “Sudden cardiac arrest & heart attacks” I’ve had a heart attack.

[sca2013]

Yes, the anxiety, panic attacks, pretty much all of the things you're describing are quite normal, but none the less are very concerning to be going through. Definitely work with your doctor with your medications and how they may be affecting how you feel as to any side effects. As far as the mental emotional part of things, I found accepting that while disturbing , new and not things I wanted to have to be going through and feeling that I am still making things work. I found taking things one day at a time and for some things one hour at a time helped me cope better too. Another thing that helped me was to make it ok that I was going through this and that things might never get better. In other words making the worst scenario ok. Not that I didn't want things to get better, because I always do. Doing that mental exercise seemed to take the pressure off feeling out of control of my health.

Another thing that I did that also made a huge difference was to:

1. Write out a list of the things that were most bothering me.

2. Then I assumed I had access to every resource (money, treatments, medications, experts, equipment, counseling, they very best of everything, etc.). Then I wrote out the perfect solution to every problem, scenario, or worry I had listed.

3. Then I just observed what I started noticing happening. The thing is I didn't even have to take action on any of the solutions I had written. I started meeting people, finding the resources, etc. that helped me to solve or find ways of dealing with these impossibilities.

It was a huge stress reliever! I found as there were new things bothering me I could go through this same process for those things as well. And it is free to do. I wish you the very best health possible always. Feel free to let me know how things progress for you.

[Harrim8 in reply to sca2013]

Thank you sca2013, your message and comments make perfect sense. I’m sure in time, as it’s still quite new as to what happened to me, it will become easier. I’ve already quit smoking and lost over 2 stone in weight by eating healthier. Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.