IamA A Heart Attack Survivor just released from the hospital, AMA!!

Did you experience any of the initial signs? If so, what did you feel.

Just persistent chest pains combined with a terrible pain in my jaw.

Thanks for your reply mate, I always get paranoid when I get slight chest pains which turn out to be nothing. I'm sure there's a name for it.

I would have never taken it seriously until I checked my blood pressure. I thought it was a panic attack, as my brother had died the previous day. But luckily the VA provided me with a fancy blood pressure monitor so I checked it just in case.

So sorry to hear about your brother

Thanks.

So your bro does the day before you had a heart attack!? I’d say it was partially stress related.

Perhaps. The doctors were very interested in that story while I was there. They asked a million questions about everything.

So the pain in your chest or jaw wasn't worrisome enough to get you to the ED? Interesting. What was your blood pressure? Any cold sweats or nausea?

Some cold sweats and slight nausea. Checking my blood pressure was the final straw. I tried to tough it out at first.

What did the blood pressure reading say?

The highest I saw as 210/135

My condolences and as well, wishes for continued good health for yourself.

Thank you.

Can I ask you what the values were?

210/135

Have you ever experienced those chest or jaw pains before ? Together or separately and were they to that severity if so ?

Chest pressure, yes, jaw pain like that? NEVER.

Was it obvious what it was? Its always my fear that I will shrug it off.

You will NOT shrug it off. It wasn't obvious what it was but it was VERY obviously something.

Were your eye sights clear or you were seeing everything blurry?

Eyesight was fine.

Were they sharp, quick stabs of pain or a pressure sensation lasting for seconds?

No .. it was steady and unrelenting.

I have very bad anxiety and I convince myself that I am having a heart attack 2-3 times a week which my doctor has prescribed as severe acid reflux.

Would you say a heart attack and acid reflux share the same symptoms in some respects or would you say there’s a significant correlation between the two?

Asking for my own peace of mind but I’m glad you’re okay buddy!

Edit: a word

I've never had acid reflux but I did learn from this experience that you can't almost have a heart attack. There are clear signs on your EKG as well as enzymes that show up in your blood work that make it certain.

You should get a blood pressure monitor.

How much did it cost in the end?

I am a disabled Vet. my health care is free.

God bless. Happy you are okay.

Thanks!

Veterinarians get free health care? Weird.

PETA pays for it.

How do you find the VA healthcare when it comes to major surgeries? I've heard horror stories regarding major operations, and I've had a couple issues of my own with them over the years.

How long were you in patient before your discharge? Cali has some of the best nursing laws, did you find the quality of care satisfactory, and how would you compare it to other healthcare facilities, VA and outside network (if you have recent experience)?

Hope your follow ups go well!

I am very happy with the VA.

What went through your mind when you got the heart attack?

Also, maybe you should cover your last name and/or part of your date of birth.

I thought I did. Dangit.

What were your immediate thoughts, if any, during the heart attack?

Hope you're okay :)

Honestly I had no idea what was happening. I was overwhelmed by a VERY bad feeling but couldn't put my finger on it. Luckily I have a blood pressure cuff and thought to take my blood pressure and the numbers were off the charts, 200/130ish .... seeing that I immediately went to the ER.

I didn't concede it was an actual heart attack until the ER doctors confirmed it and by then I was on my way to surgery.

Did you get surgery or stents? I'd be surprised if they didnt at least attempt stenting.

I was immediately rushed to the cath lab where they attempted, unsuccessfully, to place a stent.

Ah. Yea saw that comment further down. I remember watching cath try to stent a guy and they couldnt get him stented. Unfortunately the hospital couldnt do open heart so he got sent out on ecmo.

The cardio doc decided medication would suffice in my case.

That is just what they say when they can’t fix it, they don’t have any other options, occluded vessels can’t be bypassed.Presumably you had a portion of your heart wall not getting blood, they weren’t able to open it, now that tissue will die. I imagine they kept you in the hospital for your infarct to end. your pumping function, known as your ejection fraction will take a hit. Normal is 60%, it is likely that it was reduced to 30 or 40%, if it’s below 20% it warrants an insertable defibrillator because you are much more likely to have an arrhythmia. Even if you did have a reduction in your EF, it is likely to bounce back, and the requirements are that you take medicines for three months I think, to see if it does come back before doctors are allowed to put in the ICD.

If the doctor wasn’t able to fix the blockage, it tells me the disease is very advanced, you may have highly calcified vessels which makes delivering a stent very hard. Or you have so many blockages that one stent won’t cut it, or it’s too complicated and might damage other vessels.

Dr sometime sugarcoat their findings. “Yeah you had a heart attack, but we weren’t able to get it open, we are going to put you on some meds, you will be fine.” But the reality is, you have heart disease, now maybe heart failure, more chances of arrhythmias that cause death, likely atherosclerotic disease in your carotids and brain that can cause stroke, and everywhere in your body that can give you problems. I am not a doctor but I have assisted in the same procedure you had over 8,000 times. I will tell you that even one cigarette can cause you to have another heart attack. Every time you smoke your vessels constrict, that’s what gives you that lightheaded feeling, or used to. This constriction can release plaque from your vessel wall, and cause a heart attack.

Next time you see your cardiologist, ask him what your EF is, ask him to write down any blockage you have over 20%, which vessel and where it is. One will be 100%. Ask him what other preventative tests we can do for finding atherosclerosis in other parts of my body. Good luck and take care of yourself.

A sobering, yet informative response. I posted my situation on r/askdoc right when I got home hoping to see a comprehensive answer like this but unfortunately no one commented.

Thanks.

I lost my dad at 55 to a massive heart attack, thank you for sharing your experience. He was overweight and a 2 pack a day smoker. I always wondered if it happened so fast and he died pretty quick or if he was in pain and suffered? Your ama has really helped clarify the pain you felt, I wish I could have been there to get him to the ER. Thank god you are ok best of luck with what you do next, enjoy every second of family time because I'm sure they would miss you if you left them.

Thank you!!

I got prescribed adderall, and within about a week I convinced myself I was having a heart attack. Chest pain and all. However, eventually I talked myself into realizing it was a panic attack and not an actual heart attack. What were your go to signs that made you confident in your decision to seek out a doctor?

Blood pressure in the red zone. I checked WebMD and the chart there instructed me to seek emergency medical attention.

Out of the 5 classical risk factors (age, sex, smoking, hypertension, diabetes), which ones do you have?

Is there any talk of chronic heart failure? What's your post-infarction LV ejection fraction?

Sorry, I'm more into the technical stuff.

Age (55)? Hypertension and smoking. I still have follow up appointments next week because they didn't provide any of that information. I will ask though.

Are you planning to quit smoking because of this?

Planning to try.

Best of luck with your recovery and with becoming a non smoker. Can I offer two suggestions?

1. Get "Alen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking"
2. Subscribe to r/stopsmoking

I started smoking at 14. I smoked 10-15 cigarettes a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

About 5 years ago I get this weird pain. Started in my jaw and moved to my chest. I thought it was a heart attack... but it passed after about 3 minutes. I look it up online, and it said that the pain was most probably 'stress induced', but tobacco was definitely a factor. 6 months later it happens again. Then again. I had heard about Allen Carr. I downloaded the book. It stayed there, unread, until that weird pain happened for the fourth time. I started reading the next day.

I was 'relieved' that the first instruction in the book is keep smoking until you're done. I took a while to read this small book, ironically because I only read it while smoking. Halfway through the book, smoking started to be a chore. Something that I HAD to do, not something that I enjoyed doing. I made it a point to only read while smoking to make that lesson stick.

The last day I smoked I smoked 4 cigarettes. They all tasted like shit. It felt so satisfying to read that last page, smoke that last cigarette (only half of it) and throw it away with my lighter.

I got cravings, sure. But the book teaches you how to deal with them, how to play the mental game of quitting.

BTW, I quit 1,251 days ago. I have not had that weird pain since I quit smoking.

Upvoted, thanks!

It’s not perfect, but switch to a vape like Juul and then quit. Fucking walk in the park compared to cold turkey.

In conversations with my daughters, who both used this method, that is where I plan to start.

Legit took me two days to switch over. Took my friend one session of using it. And they have lower nicotine pods now, so it’s easier to “step down” in a way. Godspeed bud.

Thanks!

Then I wish you the best of luck.

If you keep loosing the battle a family member had great success with vaping.

That's my first step in trying to quit.

Are you prepared for the fifty percent chance of depression?

I wasn't aware of this. I don't feel depressed at all, rather I feel very lucky to have survived.

What did the attack feel like?

It felt almost like a panic attack but with chest pressure and jaw pain and it would NOT stop.

What branch did you serve in? (Im a USMC Afghan war vet. Hope that heart gets its shit together for you brother.)

USMC early 80's.

You know how they say that there are signs of an incoming heart attack? Is that true?

I didn't notice any signs. Just a terrible pain set in and wouldn't stop.

Damn that’s though

Are you ok now?

It started about 30 hours ago but thanks to some great medical care I feel normal again.

That’s great I’m really happy for you!

I hope your health continues to get better

Thank you!

How is your weight and do you exercise regularly?

Thank you for answering questions as it is educational. You may be saving others’ lives.

I'm a little overweight and I don't exercise much as I had been advised by my doctor to keep exercise at a minimum.

What went through your head while you were having the heart attack? Also, did your life flash before your eyes/religious experience?

No. I never felt like I was dying.

Glad you made it out OK! A little of topic but what did you do for a living to be able to retire at 55?

Disable veteran.

Was it as painfully as people say? Some people say the pain is so bad it cripples them.

It was definitely a debilitating pain, but I could still walk and talk.

Has there any ban on Alcohol consumption from the doctors?

Nope. They never even brought it up.

I've been at this for 5 hours now and need to take a break. I will check back in a little while.

is this a lifestyle change? and if so how?

I'm going to try to quit smoking and eat better.

In light of your (very) recent experience, what’s your thoughts on the idea that heart attacks are nearly all preventable? I liked a doctor (forget his name) who said: “I don’t mind the idea that one day I’m going to die, but I’d prefer it to not be my fault.” Would you ever consider a Dr. Esselstyn, Engine 2, or Forks Over Knives diet?

I've never heard of those diets but rest assured, I will be looking more closely at diet, lifestyle, etc ... from now on.

Excellent. Just know, even as an internet stranger, we’re all glad you survived it and are here with us sharing your story. You’ve got a tough journey ahead with some VERY drastic lifestyle changes. Don’t forget you are lucky. Take care of yourself.

Thank you!

Did you call 911 yourself or was there a point you told someone you’re not well?

I told my daughter to come get me and take me to the ER.

did you get that DMT high that's apparently occurres right before you die?

No.

What did the hospital do? Treatment wise and diagnoses?

The EKG came first along with the blood work. I had IV's inserted into both arms and I am not sure what they were pumping into me. In less than an hour I was in a cath lab where they worked on me for a couple of hours. From there it was the ICU for the next 20 hours.

Did your diet play any role in you having a heart attack, and if so, what changes were you told to implement, if you don't mind me asking?

Low sodium seemed to be the mantra, a diet which I have never followed in my life.

How did it happen? When and how did you notice? How did you call 911?

It just started happening and wouldn't stop. I called my daughter who took me to the ER. I never lost consciousness or the ability to walk and talk.

What did you do to provoke it?

It all started back in 1963.

What kind of question is that?

why did you neglect your body?

Because I wanted to regale Reddit with my personal health crisis and get condescending, worthless feedback in the comments.

Thanks.

I work in a cardiac cath lab and help the doctors do these procedures. Did they use a radial or groin approach and what do you say you remember most about the care the staff gave you?

Radial but what I remember most was the awkwardness I was feeling as a male and female stood on either side of me shaving my groin while my little soldier must have been shriveled and trying to hide.

I am a male and trust me it is awkward for us to shave either gender. We do try and keep people covered up with a towel while we do that though.

I was joking nervously until the meds kicked in then I just laid there and listened as best I could.

Were you alone or with others? Who called the ambulance and how fast did it arrive?

I was alone. I called my daughter and she took me to the ER.

Next time call an ambulance. As a paramedic a heart attack is one of those situations where time is muscle. Plus generally if you're having an ST elevation MI (one diagnosed by the EKG) the medics can diagnose it in the field. They'll take you to a facility capable of PCI and give them a heads up so the cath lab is prepped.

Edit: I mean, ideally theres no next time...

I was given that advice while I was there. I won't make that mistake if it happens again.

At what point did you realise it was a heart attack and not something less serious like heart burn or muscle injury?

Also, glad that you came out of it fine, hope you make a full recovery!

When I measured my blood pressure and it was deep in the red zone.

Did you have any symptoms of the impending attack earlier than the day it happened? Like chest pain for a week or anything like that?

Nope. No hint.

Ha! I was sick with flu and run down, I made a massive batch of congee, prob julienned 1/3 pound into it and had a couple of big nourishing bowls. Went to bed soon after and woke like , an hour and a half later with the full on reaction. Freaked me out. Wanna know what I did as soon as I finally got my breathing and heart rate down to a level that doesn’t induce panic.....? (Which took close to 10 minutes)

Do tell ....

Your main image doesnt actually offer verification of a heart attack?

What treatment did you receive, did you have a catheterization, any stent, did they call it a code stemi, which artery was blocked, did you have high values of troponins, etc.?

Because a gp follow up for a heart attack isn't what they normally recommend, it is usually a cardiologist and if they put in a stent your instructions say to keep taking your anticoagulants, what to do if you have symptoms, when to call 911, etc.

Edit: viewed the dropbox, looks like the same single page. I had heart attack discharge paperwork despite not having truly had one, my immune system attacked my brain/body and screwed up my blood flow, I still had the standard AMI/acute coronary syndrome discharge paperwork which is pages long and it said the diagnosis on it. I've never seen a heart attack only have the instructions to see your GP

You sure you had a heart attack and not something else like bad angina?

My discharge papers didn't list the condition for which I was treated, HIPPA regulations I'm guessing. I messaged the mods about that and offered to send them a list of my medications which would likely confirm the diagnosis.

I was immediately rushed to the cath lab and they attempted to remove a blockage and insert a stent but had to stop because the clot had "calcified" and they decided further intervention would be too dangerous.

I have a cardiologist that I will be reaching out to tomorrow.

My discharge papers didn't list the condition for which I was treated, HIPPA regulations I'm guessing.

Even if they don't list the explicit condition they're supposed to give you instructions at a minimum telling you what to expect/when to call 911 after being treated for a general condition. Lol I had one packet that was huge, it was filled with everything from cardiac warning signs to warning signs about when to call 911 for a stomach flu. I promise you HIPAA has nothing to do with what they give the patient, hipaa is for people other than the practitioner/the patient.

I messaged the mods about that and offered to send them a list of my medications which would likely confirm the diagnosis.

What meds are you on? What did they give you in hospital?

I have a cardiologist that I will be reaching out to tomorrow.

I mean, tell your GP and all, but I'm just shocked by the lack of discharge paperwork for a heart attack and how they only tell you to see your GP. They don't even mention what to watch out for if the location they entered to catheterize starts to bleed internally/the natural bruising? Just seems weird for what you went through

but I'm just shocked by the lack of discharge paperwork for a heart attack

I got 10 pages of instructions plus Cardio Rehab pamphlets and other things as well. I just chose not to present the entire book on Reddit AMA.

They don't even mention what to watch out for if the location they entered to catheterize starts to bleed internally/the natural bruising? Just seems weird for what you went through

I got all of that as well.

Upon discharge I was prescribed: asiprin, atorvastatin, clopidogrel, isosorbide, and metroprolol tartrate.

What are you retired from? Do you use tobacco? Are you overweight? What's your diet like? Do you exercise? Thanks!

Disabled Vet/Cigarettes/No/Lots of red meat and salt and sugar/Rarely.

You doing okay now?

I feel much better, thank you.

How did they treat the heart attack? Did you get any stents? If so, how many & where?

They rushed me into the cath lab and tried to install a stent but said it was unsuccessful.

Did they explain how they treated the occlusion? Perhaps ballooning?

The head cardio doc said it was calcified and that further intervention would be too dangerous. The ballooning didn't work.

What did you see? do you really have a 7 minute dream about your life?

Just lots of doctors and nurses.

what so you saw doctors and nurses when you were dead?

I was never dead or even lost consciousness.

That’s weird. I always thought that a heart attack results in losing consciousness.

Not in my case it didn't. I slowly realized something was wrong, made my way to the ER as quickly as possible and started asking for pain meds as soon as I got there. The pain meds (morphine) leveled out the pain and I slowly relaxed. 20 hours in the ICU was very taxing though.

oh i see thats strange what was the actual order of events then? Did your heart stopped working but doctors were able to save you in time but you were still aware of everything going on?

My heart never stopped beating. It just went into a crisis mode. I was aware of everything that was happening.

wow that must have been an experience well i am glad you are ok and spend this extra chance you have been given 🙂

Thank you. I was only relating my experience.

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No family history and the doctors could not pinpoint an immediate cause.

Did you display the classic symptoms or were there other signs that were - yep - hospital time?

Yes and no. I had lots of pain and pressure in my chest but also, inexplicable, a terrible pain in my jaw.

How did it affect your family? Did they have to look after you more?

It just happened. I got home from the hospital this afternoon. We shall see.

Hello, thank you for your time!

Black out your name and DOB?

Tell us about your hottest nurse/provider?

Her name was Sarah and she was in the triage unit. So gorgeous.

Did you pray to god for sparing you?

Not religious.