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Avatar universal

What does it feel like to have a fatal heart attack?

Hi there

I need to know for two reasons.  My father died of an acute ruptured MI last week, despite having no health problems and never having seen the doctor much in the last 20 years.  He seemed to go out like a light but unfortunately we resuscitated and then the ambulance people did for about 1 hour 15 mins.  I say unfortunately because i am so frightened that my dad might have been concious through some of it and that he was terrified.

He went blue really quick.  Does it feel like suffocating?  That's what i'm worried about.

Secondly i'm worried for me.  I'm female and 39 years old.  I get 'twinges' in my chest and i've had an irregular heartbeat issue recently.  I am on treatment for hypothyroidism and when they increased my thyroxine the symptoms seemed to abate - but since dad's death i feel and am aware of my heart a lot.  I feel twinges, not pain and i'm aware of my heartbeat a lot.

My doctor is willing to give me a stress test but i have to wait for it to be arranged.  My last cholesterol check was very good, he said he'd wished a lot of people's were as good as that.  He's tried to reassure me but i'm frightened.  I'm not so much frightened of dying, but of suffocating.....that's why i need to know what it feels like?

I know that sounds crazy.

They tell you to call an ambulance the minute you feel a chest pain, well with those tiwnges i'd be doing it all the time......so what do i do?

thanks for your time!  :-)
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Avatar universal
Hi, your post touched me.  I just lost my 44 yr old boyfriend who was thought to be in good health, went to the doctors and walked everywhere since he lived in a small town.  I do know he drank a couple beers each week since his teenage years and honestly had a drinking problem to wash away his problems.  This past Tuesday he called 911 complaining of severe leg pain and trouble walking.  Emts got there, asked if he was able to get on the stretcher.  He got up, collapsed dead.  Emts worked over 20 minutes to revive him, but he didn't wake up.  He was taken to first local er, transferred to the bigger hospital with an icu then tranfered again to a umpc hospital.  Still on life support and in "coma", he didn't wake.  Eeg tests confirmed he was brain dead.  Now I heard 2 stories for this last part...this one I believe more is that after his brother was told there was no hope, he's brain dead. His brother said to stop life support.  The other thing being said is he died before they stopped life support...is that even possible?  Life support continues to force some parts of the body to function, hence its life support.  A person on life support should not pass until support functions are stopped.  Everything happened so fast, I wasn't home when icu called me at home...not on my cell.  And there was no message from them for me to call.  This all happened in a 24 hour period.  I didn't get the chance to be there when he needed me, but it haunts me...did he suffer, with brain death, a enlarged heart and clog veins with a large blood clot...with all of this I wonder did he feel pain or fear or if he never knew what hit him.  What if-ing ourselves will never help you heal.  Focus on the facts and know your loved one knows your pain.  Best wishes and thank you for allowing me to share my own grief.  Sincerely...mandi
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976897 tn?1379167602
Yes you could have an angiogram on one day then a couple of months later die of heart attack, there is no knowing. There are heart attacks, such as mine which build up over many years, or those which are instant and unexpected. Sad but true.  There are also many people riddled with disease who would be dead already if collateral vessels hadn't opened up to make them feel normal.
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Avatar universal
I am so very sorry to hear of your lose and will remember you in my prayers!  Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.  It does help to hear that there was no pain.  My daughter is a doctor. On Sunday, we had a family get together at my daughter's house. For some reason, she checked all of our blood pressures and vital signs and asked my brother if he had had any chest pains or shortness of breath and he said no.  He was so happy and laughing and said he felt fine.  Then on Wednesday, he had the massive heart attack and died instantly on a job.  She doesn't know what compelled her to ask him those questions on Sunday except for the Lord answering questions she would have had, had she not asked him.
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976897 tn?1379167602
I can only tell you what I felt with my heart attack in 2007, which I luckily survived due to speedy angioplasty. I felt pain on exertion but that was when it was building up to a heart attack. During the actual heart attack I felt no pain at all and just sweated and felt very dizzy, like I was going to pass out. I believe heart attacks are different for different people in how long they last. Some people pass away very quickly, while others it can go on for quite some time. I know I was fighting to hang on. Luckily for me, the paramedics gave me lots of nitro and aspirin which helped just enough to get to hospital. I was stabilized there and then sent by ambulance to another hospital for angioplasty which took 30 minutes to get there. If I had died, I know it would have been pain free and I would have just passed out due to no oxygen to my brain and died. I really hope this helps people.
I know what it's like to lost people who are close to me also. I've lost my parents and my wife who was just 44. If it wasnt for the fact I have 3 children, I would have given up.
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Avatar universal
I am so sorry about your Dad!  I lost my Dad to Cancer 14 years ago and I still cry over him.  Now, my only brother who is 5 years younger than me just died of a massive heart attack leaving behind two young boys.  He was a single parent raising them alone.  I am so glad I found you guys.  I knew so many people are feeling the same thing I am feeling and it feels good to be able to talk about it.  Thank you all!
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Avatar universal
Hi, I know exactly what you meant by your question because my younger brother just died of a massive heart attack and I want to know the same exact thing!  This is so devastating when someone you love so much dies so fast.  It's gut wrenching.  What was he feeling as it was happening?  Did he know he was about to die?  Was he in pain or pass out before he realized what was happening?  All these questions are the same things I want to know. I  am so lost without my brother.
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Avatar universal
Rosemary, I know this post is old, but I am like you 5 years ago. I just lost my father on March 28th, 2015 due to cardiac arrest. My mother was with him at their house at the time it happened. She said he came out of the bedroom (he just got done mowing the lawn and had showered) and told her to call 911...something's wrong. My father had no prior known illnesses, and didn't go to the doctor very often. My mom said she grabbed the phone (my dad had gone and laid down on his bed), and went into the bedroom and he had already turned blue, his jaw was locked, his hands were jerking (like someone having a stroke) and she did mention the gurgle noise. He had no pulse and the 911 operator told her to get him on the floor and start CPR, so she did CPR until the EMT's arrived. They then worked on him for at least an hour if not more. They flew a helicopter in to airlift him to the hospital. When they were trying to get him to the plane, they stopped at least 3-4 times in the road to resuscitate. They never put him on the helicopter, they ended up taking him to the nearest ER in an ambulance (which makes me think he was already dead before they left with him). My mom didn't want an autopsy done (I didn't agree with this, but it wasn't my decision - I'm the type of person who likes to know why, what, when and where). The death certificate reads "arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease" as the cause of death. A couple days after he died, I found one of his personal calendars (he liked to keep notes of his daily activities) and on the Monday before he passed, he had recorded that he experienced dull/tingling pain in his left shoulder/arm with heart palpitations. This happened twice to him on that Monday, once in the morning and once in the evening. He had nothing else recorded after that regarding pain or heart issues, so I assume it went away. He had setup an appointment that week with a doctor, but the appointment wasn't until a couple weeks after he passed. Sorry if I'm being longwinded...just want to make sure I get all the details in. When we got to the hospital, we waited for about 30 minutes and then they said we could come back. We were walking down the hallway and finally got to the door, which had "Chapel" written on it. That's the moment I knew he wasn't with us any longer. He had just turned 60 this past Nov. While we were in the chapel (or lack of), one of our church members came in (my dad was a preacher). The gentleman was at the house while the EMT's were working on my dad. He said that when everyone left to go to the hospital, one of the EMT's came up to him and asked him who Linda was (Linda is my mom). He said that every time they would resuscitate him, he would say "Linda, it's beautiful". My dad was a man of few words and I know you don't know him, but if he said it's beautiful, it was most definitely beautiful. That part gives me a sense of peace that I don't think I would have if I hadn't heard it. But I am like you....my mind keeps wondering if he went through any pain or suffering or was he unconscious before he knew what was going on. There's no doubt in my mind he knew something was wrong and that he had some pain in his arm when he came out and told my mom to call 911, but I dread the thought that he had severe pain and fear the whole time the EMTs were working on him. My dad was very dear to me, and everyone around him. There were people standing outside the church listening through the windows at the funeral because there weren't enough seats. He lived his live helping and giving to others and (not that anyone deserves it) did not deserve any suffering or fear. I keep telling myself that he didn't or why would he be able to say "it's beautiful" in a time of pain an fear, but I mentioned it to my mom and she said if I could had seen him, he looked like he was in severe pain. The prior posts have helped ease my mind that he was not conscious for the whole thing, but then if he wasn't conscious then hoe could he speak those words? There are so many questions that run through my head (like if he had told us earlier in the week he was having pain, someone would had made him go to the doctor right away and he might still be here with us). I know they can't be answered with certainty, but I think it helps talking about it and hearing what other people have gone through who have experienced the same thing. I know the pain will never go away completely, but I hope it gets easier to deal with time. It seems like right now, the ache in my heart will never stop and I can't do anything about it. Hope you and your mom are well. Thanks for listening to me.
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Avatar universal
Glad I revisited, it's that time of year.....next week will be the 5th anniversary of dad's passing.

Bit weird reading my posts.  I talked too much back then, lol.

Ed34, yes that stuff is fascinating, I think there's a man/scientist named Sam Parnia in Southampton who's doing research into NDE's at the moment with people who are in cardiac arrest.  I will be looking out for his research findings and if they are of interest, I'll bring them along to here.

Erijon, thinking of you and your late cousin Tony at this time too.  You were the first person I 'found' who had gone through the same thing as I had.  All the best!!
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976897 tn?1379167602
I have been doing quite a lot of research on this over the last year and what I have uncovered quite astounded me. When patients have died and been revived, quite a substantial number report an experience regarding an afterlife. Science put this down to a natural brain reaction as it chemically shuts down. They concluded this because fighter pilots experience the same thing quite often when training in extreme gravity forces. A few years ago a Cardiologist noticed something odd though. His patients had brain activity monitors used to help the anaesthetist, and when these patients experienced an afterlife, they had no brain activity at all. Without brain activity we can't see, hear, dream or anything. Science is now at a loss again to explain this. Quite fascinating.
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Avatar universal
I had a massive heart attack and Sudden Cardiac Arrest, no prior ill health, and was one of the lucky ones to be resuscitated successfully. No pain initially, just sweaty and vomiting, then abrupt into a parallel world--when I was at the beginning of this I had the most awful pain in my chest. When that ceased I was fine, and into a most warm,golden and joyful place, where I saw people waiting---had no desire to leave, but a voice called me back. Truth. So, your dad probably had a similar departure , and welcome awaiting him.
Get any tests done to ease your mind. I had a heart check 5 months before, and came out with very healthy results! Try to avoid long term stress is my advice.
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Avatar universal
I had a massive heart attack and Sudden Cardiac Arrest, no prior ill health, and was one of the lucky ones to be resuscitated successfully. No pain initially, just sweaty and vomiting, then abrupt into a parallel world--when I was at the beginning of this I had the most awful pain in my chest. When that ceased I was fine, and into a most warm,golden and joyful place, where I saw people waiting---had no desire to leave, but a voice called me back. Truth. So, your dad probably had a similar departure , and welcome awaiting him.
Get any tests done to ease your mind. I had a heart check 5 months before, and came out with very healthy results! Try to avoid long term stress is my advice.
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Avatar universal
PikaPika88

Thanks for your time!  It's good you have the pacemaker to prevent faints.  You have answered my question to a degree because my worry is that when my father lost conciousness, he didn't fully lose conciousness....and he knew what was going on around him and was afraid.  From what you and others say, when you lose conciousness you don't know what is happening at all.  Although your condition is very different from what was wrong with my father, it is comforting to know that when you passed out you are not aware of much.

That 'mesh' thing sounds really interesting, especially if it's to prevent ruptures...I will look out for news on that.

I hope i've made things a bit clearer.  Thanks for your post  :-)
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88793 tn?1290227177
I have a pacemaker to prevent faint.  Other than faint, the pacemaker also can pace out of any unwanted rhythms.  

The procedure that I mentioned above is not a stent.  It is a mesh to wrap the heart.  I saw that website approx. year ago.  

I'm not quite understand your questions.  I was 16 years old that time.  No internet yet.  I wasn't frighten at all.  I knew it was the only way to convert my tachy.  I never thought about what happen if I can't wake up........ Anyway, I don't have to worry about if I can't wake up.  Now I'm worrying, if I wake up with broken arm or injured head or spinal cord.  Internet so much info now.   Take care.
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Avatar universal
Thanks cblmn7

Hope you are ok now?  I can see how 'sneaky' heart attacks are - what i don't understand is why a trained nurse couldn't have warned me about that.  I could do so now, so why couldn't she?

Sorry to hear about your mother.  My prayers will include you and everyone here who's posted on my thread.  Thanks for responding.  :-)
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328381 tn?1269364102
I am sorry for your loss and you have probley had your question answered . heart attacks are sneaky sometimes i thought i had acid reflux or a chest cold coming just a pain right in the middle of my chest i took pepto and put vicks on my chest then 4 hrs later a bad heart attack and off to the hospital. myprayers are out for you in your loss i know what its like i still miss my mother who i lost 2 yrs ago.
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159619 tn?1707018272
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks, that does help! FYI, his son was able to stop the truck and radio for help but he was dead before the medics arrived on scene.

Thanks again,

Jon
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Avatar universal
Hi thanks for telling your story.  I hope you are okay now with the treatment you are having.

The procedure you mention to prevent rupture, i wonder if that's where they put stents into the artery.  They hold the artery open I believe......but i don't know a lot about it.

When you passed out those times, you were not aware of much?  Were you afraid, or does it take you over completely?  

Thanks for listening to me and responding
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Avatar universal
Jon i'm so sorry to hear about your cousin Tony, but it sounds like he was a happy guy?  It does sound like he died doing what he loved.  Was his son ok?  I'm wondering because he was in a car when it happened?  I am really, really sorry to hear your story.  This whole experience has given me so much more compassion.

Regarding the rupture, my doctor told me that there was probably no tear or rupturing of the heart muscle - that the term 'rupture' is used because a fatty plaque comes away from the artery wall, it 'ruptures.'  When it does this there is a bleed inside the artery and a clot forms, it was the clot that killed my dad.  I can see that it's possible that a person could have an MI, and be left with a necrosis which then weakens and tears........i don't like the thought of that and i will have to check out whether that happened to dad.  He'd had 'indigestion' for two days so i guess it's possible......

That indigestion was fooling us all though.  Even the nurse on the medical helpline said it sounded like a stomach bug and not a heart problem.  How did i ever listen to her?  He had no pain in the chest or down the arms or anything, at least not until it was too late.  I'm wondering whether to complain though.  Not once did she say we should go to a doctor.  I feel she gave us a false sense of security.

I suppose the fact that i saw this happen to my dad means that i might have something to help you.  If i think what the best outcome of this would be, then his staring at the wall was the start of unconciousness.  The fact that he didn't answer me mean't that he was already confused or losing conciousness.  He didn't cry out in pain.  The whole thing lasted about 2-3 minutes before he was out.  I don't know for sure this was the case, but it's possible - just as possible as the alternative that i dread to think about.

Another thing that might help is what my doctor said to me.  Most people 'dissociate' from a cardiac arrest.  There's some research somewhere to say that the sense of 'self' is linked to the function of the heart so when the heart ceases to function the person feels that they are outside of their body, if they are concious at all.  They feel that things are happening to someone else and not them.  Interesting idea/theory.....

I will pray for you tonight, pray that we both can find some peace of mind with time.
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Avatar universal
To Ed34

Sorry if i hastily judged you when you were just thinking out loud and didn't intend anything bad with your question above.  People are more sensitive on this forum than on other forums and i should have given you the benefit of the doubt......just a difficult time for me.  

No offence was really taken.  :-)
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88793 tn?1290227177
I'm so sorry for all of you lost your love one.  A cardiologist told me, only thing that the pacemaker unable to protect me is heart rupture.  

When the heart muscle is hardening (MI), there must be having a very tiny thin spot along the wall.  This is the spot will rupture later on.  It can prevent before it ruptures by a kind of medical glue or mesh (a website published).  Unfortunately, I haven't heard anyone come across in this forum to tell this procedure...........

I personally had a few faints during my palpitations.  I didn't know it was fatal or not but it was so lucky that I woke up by myself everytime.  Otherwise, you won't see me sitting here and post.  The last one was fainted at the hospital ward. My palpitations were lasted over 24 hours non-stop.  All medications used but still unable to convert.   I woke up in the morning (palp still going) and prepared to brush my teeth.  Few steps away from bed I felt very lightheaded, blurr vision, squashy head and the vision change colour to amber..... I told myself, stand still it'll go over.  Then my head suddenly very very cold.  Short of breath.  I couldn't control and collaped.  While I fall, my head hit on the leg of the steel bed.  It didn't hurt.  Perhaps it was a very comfortable pressure hit.  Didn't know how long it passed.  I woke up (my hand is still holding the toothbrush)!  My whole body was very very cold.  Still having the fade vision but able to climb back to my bed.  My head (hitting spot) started pain..... Covered with the blanket and slept until a big group of doctors and nurse came in.   That time I was only 16 years old.  I have wpw and now I'm still having wpw with a pacemaker (it is the number 4).  
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159619 tn?1707018272
COMMUNITY LEADER
I just saw your last post after I posted. The way it was explained to me is that the heart muscle was damaged so badly by a previous MI that the dead muscle finally ruptured leaving a gaping hole in his heart. I was told this type of MI is almost always fatal. There is no way to replace the amount of blood being lost and now way to keep  a pressure high enough to get blood to the vital organs. This usually causes an immediate loss of consciousness that the victim will not ever recover from. That's what his cardiologist told me at the funeral, hope it helps you understand the mechanics involved.

Jon
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159619 tn?1707018272
COMMUNITY LEADER
I can understand some of what you're going through and I am very sorry for your loss. I recently lost my very close 46 year old cousin whom I grew up with, we we're like brothers. He too died of a ruptured MI. I think he had the original MI a week earlier as he went to see a cardiologist out of the blue. I'm sure he felt something that worried him.

The next week he was in a race, he was the driver of a Super Truck class desert race team. He was racing between Las Vegas and Reno and had his fatal MI 260 miles out. His cardiologist said he was dead before his head hit the steering wheel. If I know my cousin Tony, he went out with a huge smile on his face, doing what he loved with his son by his side. At least that's how I want to think of it.

I think the pain comes from the suddenness of his death. On Wednesday we were joking about his race suit and he was dead on Thursday, I have always had a hard time coming to terms with that. Like I said, it was just a month ago and I have many questions as well, that's why I was attracted to your post. If you find any answers that help ease the pain, please share them with me.

Jon
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Avatar universal
I think the other thing i don't understand is how they couldn't save him if they had all that medication they were putting into his system.  They worked on him for so long at the house before transporting him to hospital.

I'm curious why the survival rates are so low for cardiac arrests, especially if the heart is kept beating artifically.  What actually kills them?  Too much death of the heart muscle?  
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Avatar universal
Yes on the issue of my post being moved, I just had an email telling me it had been moved.  When i originally posted i don't remember being asked for payment - i would have paid.  I will look into it further tomorrow
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