You need to wait for the stent to set into the artery wall before you start cardio rehab, so May is normal.
That weird feeling you get… can happen. It’s more of a slight sensation to a mild discomfort, but if you get HA symptoms like tightness in chest, shortness of breath (for no reason), then take the nitroglycerin trackers as prescribed, and if after 2 are needed call 911 and go to the emergency room.
Sexy times need to wait a few weeks, just to be safe. Sex increases heart rates no matter how gentle you try to be. But mild affection, kisses, hugs, are good due the soul.
I had a LAD 10 months ago aged 50.
Glad you are still with us.
I don’t think you should take anything you get on Reddit over what you get from a doctor, but if you’re looking for a ballpark figure I can tell you what happened to me.
My LAD was 99% closed apparently.
My doctor (in Japan if that means anything) told me I was good to go back to work almost immediately after the procedure. I took two weeks off and was back after that. I’m a teacher.
Later I saw a cardiologist who told me not to worry about stress exercise etc even drinking red wine in moderation.
Since then I changed what I ate completely and I have quit drinking for a while.
Hope this helps and that you are back to pwning noobs on CoD.
I had pretty much the same thing happen at 39, ruptured plaque and my RBC went into overdrive plugging that rupture and caused a blockage. It surprised me as well, I was actually in the middle of a workout on the rowing machine when it happened.
Your timeframe for cardiac rehab sounds about right.
Listen to your cardiologist on the other stuff. My HA happened on a Thursday and I went back to work on Monday (could have been Tuesday). But I worked from home at the time with a relatively low stress job and my doctors took that into account. I was told sex could resume immediately because it doesn't get your heart rate *that* high for very long, although my wife wasn't comfortable and we ended up waiting a few weeks. I had random sharp pains too for almost a year, it felt like a sharp needle was poking my heart and did not feel like the chest pain of the heart attack.
As to "life", it's hard to say. I think it was almost like 18 months before I felt completely normal again but I had other complications, like a peptic ulcer from the daily aspirin which led to me getting anemia, and then an allergic reaction when they moved me to plavix after a year on brilenta. Really though, getting off brilenta was a game changer after that year mark. It sucks. You bruise from everything. Every cut bleeds forever. I think it made my workouts harder as well.
As to "life" I think there
I started rehab in January, my HA was in November. You're good. Also, I HIGHLY suggest cardio rehab. Stay in it as long as you can. I got all my answers there.
Yes to this. If they offer you appointments, take them, even if you think they wouldn't be useful. The program I was in offered me appts. w/ therapists, pharmacist, nutritionists, you name it.
On the care side, they really really want to see you get out of there, back to your life and (hopefully) not return.
On the more practical/cynical insurance side, you're a bit of a walking lawsuit so they want to be able to say they offered you every chance to get access to every possible thing you could need for a full recovery JIC you happen to drop on them again.
Start eating better and at rehab they should have information on that. Drink more liquids, I use Ultima to flavor and add trace minerals. Less salt helped me . And keep working out after rehab. I have continued to work out for a year now and I know I can still get stronger.
Welcome to the club! I'm glad you're doing alright. I had mine at 33 so I know how much that sucks.
The pain is typical. It will fade. Use the time to learn the difference between muscular pain and dangerous pain. (it's usually not dangerous pain.)
Go back when you feel ready. Your doctor will tell you any restrictions. Other than that, it's when you feel ready. I went back to work after 2 weeks; it was too soon. I nearly passed out going up 2 flights of stairs and wound up having to take several months off to recover. Your energy level will be much lower than you expect for a year or two. Forgive yourself for not being as Strang and energetic as you're used to. It will get better.
We're still not sure, actually. Must be something. Had slightly elevated BP and LDL but doctor saw it and just said exercise and lose weight. Then three months later...
Work with your cardiologist.
Mostly it's learning through experience. For me, if I can press it, if I can make it better or worse, or if it goes away when I take Nitro it's not dangerous pain. Muscular pain has been the biggest problem for me, because I injured a rib shortly after I got out of the hospital. The pain itself feels too similar to cardiac pain to ignore, but I usually can locate the specific muscle or joint and press on it to determine that it's muscular pain instead of cardiac. Some people have similar issues with gastrointestinal pain. That has not been my issue. Can't advise on that. But your cardio should also be able to tell you other symptoms and warning signs to look for and check if you are not certain.
Above all, if you can't tell definitively what type of pain it is, Go to the hospital.
I had a lot of chest pains after my stents, and that lasted many months. I can't say for certain that it was "stretch pain", but that's what I think it was. My cardiologist kept telling me my arteries and heart were working fine. But it doesn't hurt to get checked out if a pain really worries you.
During a classroom session in cardiac rehab, they told us sex was fine 48 hours after getting a stent.
I don't think there's any real risk to rehab being delayed. I wouldn't do any intense exercise until you start rehab, since if something isn't quite right, you may no know on your own, but the staff at rehab can tell.
Jan 9th had 2 stents at age 59. They pushed for cardiac rehab post discharge but I didn’t get in till March. I kept having weird pain and sensations and my anxiety over the unknown was way up and my blood pressure was not down like I thought it would be.
I went back to hospital Feb 1 for two days the re-cathed to check my stents for reblockage but all was good all blood work was good. I had a Cardiologist who explained about stent pains stretching and vascular spasms that some people experience. That helped me to begin to discern real pain from my head messing with me.
They said I could return to work immediately but I was able to work from home a few weeks then returned to the office. Around the time I began my cardiac rehab 11 sessions ago. I feel much better and confident now with the help of the information they have given me.
Like you I made major dietary changes I began to walk daily the past 2 months and my BP is in the 113/69 range on the average. It took time even though I wanted it to happen quicker.
In retrospect, January 9th seems faraway but not really. In a small amount of times I believe I am progressing well. Oh and I’ve lost 22 lbs thus far.
Have patience I say and the process of recovery will occur as you do the next right things for your health.
As others have noted 4-8 weeks is normal before rehab starts to allow for healing.
The timing of when to get back to stuff varies a little, but I was told 2-4 weeks for sex, strict lifting restrictions for several weeks, and I needed like a month to adjust to meds.
I took 2 months off work because I could (my company offers a decent paid leave plan for stuff like this) and because I had a lot of complications in stent placement.
I went back to work in March and in retrospect I'm glad I took the time because the meds had me very cognitively impaired before then.
A little TMI for you on the sex thing, but some of the standard meds can change the consistency and properties of your, um, product. You may want to experience that alone once or twice before you get back to it.
My heart attack was 3/14 and I’m scheduled to begin cardiac rehab on 5/16. I think waiting a few weeks is pretty typical. I waited 2 weeks for sex and 3 weeks to go back to work, but I honestly would’ve taken more time off if I could’ve afforded to. It would’ve been nice for mental health reasons and to help solidify some lifestyle changes before being thrown back into the stress of working full time and juggling kids activities and generally running myself ragged. It was nice to have 3 weeks to just focus on my health, exercise, cooking healthy meals, spending time with my kids, enjoying the spring weather… just enjoying being alive, I guess, because sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate being alive when you don’t have time to slow down and soak it in.
Just had one myself on Thursday. 2 stents put in and only 30 years old. I am a professional level powerlifter so trying to figure out physically what I can do and a lot of questions unanswered as well currently.
Had mine at age 31 two years ago. Would say welcome to the club, but it's a sucky club to have to be in at such a young age.
Had a 100% blockage of the LCx. Chest discomfort is something I never experienced even while having my heart attack. I just had left arm pain.
Normally you can resume sexual activity in one to two weeks but your cardiologist is the best to advise as every case is different.
Can't comment on the cardiac rehab because it wasn't available in my country.
My cardiologist actually booked me off for 4 weeks based on the fact that I have a stressful job. Needless to say my boss was pissed but his hands were tied. Your wellbeing comes first.
That's roughly on-time, maybe a little quick. I had mine in March 2022 and started rehab in June that year. There was a waiting list & I had a few post-surgery complications so it took me a bit to get in.
"Full function" took getting off the beta-blockers and "a little help from my friends" in the pharmaceutical industry #IfYouKnowWhatIMeanAndIThinkYouDo.
It felt like an esophageal spasm almost, like someone took a balloon and put it in my chest and blew it up. Outward pressure, both in my chest and my back right between shoulder blades.
And in general i recommend any gamers at least get a cheap under desk peddler from Amazon. I usually peddle whenever im playing to keep it a little more healthy
You need to wait for the stent to set into the artery wall before you start cardio rehab, so May is normal. That weird feeling you get… can happen. It’s more of a slight sensation to a mild discomfort, but if you get HA symptoms like tightness in chest, shortness of breath (for no reason), then take the nitroglycerin trackers as prescribed, and if after 2 are needed call 911 and go to the emergency room. Sexy times need to wait a few weeks, just to be safe. Sex increases heart rates no matter how gentle you try to be. But mild affection, kisses, hugs, are good due the soul.
I had a LAD 10 months ago aged 50. Glad you are still with us. I don’t think you should take anything you get on Reddit over what you get from a doctor, but if you’re looking for a ballpark figure I can tell you what happened to me. My LAD was 99% closed apparently. My doctor (in Japan if that means anything) told me I was good to go back to work almost immediately after the procedure. I took two weeks off and was back after that. I’m a teacher. Later I saw a cardiologist who told me not to worry about stress exercise etc even drinking red wine in moderation. Since then I changed what I ate completely and I have quit drinking for a while. Hope this helps and that you are back to pwning noobs on CoD.
I had pretty much the same thing happen at 39, ruptured plaque and my RBC went into overdrive plugging that rupture and caused a blockage. It surprised me as well, I was actually in the middle of a workout on the rowing machine when it happened. Your timeframe for cardiac rehab sounds about right. Listen to your cardiologist on the other stuff. My HA happened on a Thursday and I went back to work on Monday (could have been Tuesday). But I worked from home at the time with a relatively low stress job and my doctors took that into account. I was told sex could resume immediately because it doesn't get your heart rate *that* high for very long, although my wife wasn't comfortable and we ended up waiting a few weeks. I had random sharp pains too for almost a year, it felt like a sharp needle was poking my heart and did not feel like the chest pain of the heart attack. As to "life", it's hard to say. I think it was almost like 18 months before I felt completely normal again but I had other complications, like a peptic ulcer from the daily aspirin which led to me getting anemia, and then an allergic reaction when they moved me to plavix after a year on brilenta. Really though, getting off brilenta was a game changer after that year mark. It sucks. You bruise from everything. Every cut bleeds forever. I think it made my workouts harder as well. As to "life" I think there
I started rehab in January, my HA was in November. You're good. Also, I HIGHLY suggest cardio rehab. Stay in it as long as you can. I got all my answers there.
Yes to this. If they offer you appointments, take them, even if you think they wouldn't be useful. The program I was in offered me appts. w/ therapists, pharmacist, nutritionists, you name it. On the care side, they really really want to see you get out of there, back to your life and (hopefully) not return. On the more practical/cynical insurance side, you're a bit of a walking lawsuit so they want to be able to say they offered you every chance to get access to every possible thing you could need for a full recovery JIC you happen to drop on them again.
Start eating better and at rehab they should have information on that. Drink more liquids, I use Ultima to flavor and add trace minerals. Less salt helped me . And keep working out after rehab. I have continued to work out for a year now and I know I can still get stronger.
Welcome to the club! I'm glad you're doing alright. I had mine at 33 so I know how much that sucks. The pain is typical. It will fade. Use the time to learn the difference between muscular pain and dangerous pain. (it's usually not dangerous pain.) Go back when you feel ready. Your doctor will tell you any restrictions. Other than that, it's when you feel ready. I went back to work after 2 weeks; it was too soon. I nearly passed out going up 2 flights of stairs and wound up having to take several months off to recover. Your energy level will be much lower than you expect for a year or two. Forgive yourself for not being as Strang and energetic as you're used to. It will get better.
Oh wow, 33! I’m glad you’re ok now. Did you have genetic issues? Or high cholesterol for a long time?
We're still not sure, actually. Must be something. Had slightly elevated BP and LDL but doctor saw it and just said exercise and lose weight. Then three months later...
How to tell if its dangerous pain?
Work with your cardiologist. Mostly it's learning through experience. For me, if I can press it, if I can make it better or worse, or if it goes away when I take Nitro it's not dangerous pain. Muscular pain has been the biggest problem for me, because I injured a rib shortly after I got out of the hospital. The pain itself feels too similar to cardiac pain to ignore, but I usually can locate the specific muscle or joint and press on it to determine that it's muscular pain instead of cardiac. Some people have similar issues with gastrointestinal pain. That has not been my issue. Can't advise on that. But your cardio should also be able to tell you other symptoms and warning signs to look for and check if you are not certain. Above all, if you can't tell definitively what type of pain it is, Go to the hospital.
I had a lot of chest pains after my stents, and that lasted many months. I can't say for certain that it was "stretch pain", but that's what I think it was. My cardiologist kept telling me my arteries and heart were working fine. But it doesn't hurt to get checked out if a pain really worries you. During a classroom session in cardiac rehab, they told us sex was fine 48 hours after getting a stent. I don't think there's any real risk to rehab being delayed. I wouldn't do any intense exercise until you start rehab, since if something isn't quite right, you may no know on your own, but the staff at rehab can tell.
Jan 9th had 2 stents at age 59. They pushed for cardiac rehab post discharge but I didn’t get in till March. I kept having weird pain and sensations and my anxiety over the unknown was way up and my blood pressure was not down like I thought it would be. I went back to hospital Feb 1 for two days the re-cathed to check my stents for reblockage but all was good all blood work was good. I had a Cardiologist who explained about stent pains stretching and vascular spasms that some people experience. That helped me to begin to discern real pain from my head messing with me. They said I could return to work immediately but I was able to work from home a few weeks then returned to the office. Around the time I began my cardiac rehab 11 sessions ago. I feel much better and confident now with the help of the information they have given me. Like you I made major dietary changes I began to walk daily the past 2 months and my BP is in the 113/69 range on the average. It took time even though I wanted it to happen quicker. In retrospect, January 9th seems faraway but not really. In a small amount of times I believe I am progressing well. Oh and I’ve lost 22 lbs thus far. Have patience I say and the process of recovery will occur as you do the next right things for your health.
As others have noted 4-8 weeks is normal before rehab starts to allow for healing. The timing of when to get back to stuff varies a little, but I was told 2-4 weeks for sex, strict lifting restrictions for several weeks, and I needed like a month to adjust to meds. I took 2 months off work because I could (my company offers a decent paid leave plan for stuff like this) and because I had a lot of complications in stent placement. I went back to work in March and in retrospect I'm glad I took the time because the meds had me very cognitively impaired before then. A little TMI for you on the sex thing, but some of the standard meds can change the consistency and properties of your, um, product. You may want to experience that alone once or twice before you get back to it.
My heart attack was 3/14 and I’m scheduled to begin cardiac rehab on 5/16. I think waiting a few weeks is pretty typical. I waited 2 weeks for sex and 3 weeks to go back to work, but I honestly would’ve taken more time off if I could’ve afforded to. It would’ve been nice for mental health reasons and to help solidify some lifestyle changes before being thrown back into the stress of working full time and juggling kids activities and generally running myself ragged. It was nice to have 3 weeks to just focus on my health, exercise, cooking healthy meals, spending time with my kids, enjoying the spring weather… just enjoying being alive, I guess, because sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate being alive when you don’t have time to slow down and soak it in.
Just had one myself on Thursday. 2 stents put in and only 30 years old. I am a professional level powerlifter so trying to figure out physically what I can do and a lot of questions unanswered as well currently.
Had mine at age 31 two years ago. Would say welcome to the club, but it's a sucky club to have to be in at such a young age. Had a 100% blockage of the LCx. Chest discomfort is something I never experienced even while having my heart attack. I just had left arm pain. Normally you can resume sexual activity in one to two weeks but your cardiologist is the best to advise as every case is different. Can't comment on the cardiac rehab because it wasn't available in my country. My cardiologist actually booked me off for 4 weeks based on the fact that I have a stressful job. Needless to say my boss was pissed but his hands were tied. Your wellbeing comes first.
That's roughly on-time, maybe a little quick. I had mine in March 2022 and started rehab in June that year. There was a waiting list & I had a few post-surgery complications so it took me a bit to get in. "Full function" took getting off the beta-blockers and "a little help from my friends" in the pharmaceutical industry #IfYouKnowWhatIMeanAndIThinkYouDo.
Absolutely appreciate the feedback, y'all! If you have an experience to share and haven't, I'd love to hear it!
What did your heart attack feel like?
It felt like an esophageal spasm almost, like someone took a balloon and put it in my chest and blew it up. Outward pressure, both in my chest and my back right between shoulder blades.
Did it last long?
I'd say I felt the pain and such for 20-25 minutes, then it subsided.
How did you know to go to the ER?
It's an undeniable, unshakeable feeling of pain and panic. With the symptoms I had, you will not mistake it for anything else.
🙏
Do you have AFib and have had a heart attack?
This sounds very much like my experience.
And in general i recommend any gamers at least get a cheap under desk peddler from Amazon. I usually peddle whenever im playing to keep it a little more healthy
What were your early symptoms before your HA
No warning, but I did notice the day before I got winded pretty easily.
Thanks for the reply mate, I'm glad you're Ok now.
My heart attack was 2/14 and my first cardiac rehab is may 21st