Complications from heart cath?

[RebelebeR]

To get an informed response to my question I think I need to go onto a little detail. 5 months ago I had a heart attack because I had 2 100% blockages in an artery. I had an emergency heart cath and ended up with 2 stints. I was informed of another blockage on a follow up of the heart attack and had another heart cath and 2 more stints. I felt great but a few weeks later I started feeling bad. Tests showed the bottom of my heart periodically missed beats so I got a pacemaker. The atrial lead became dislodged so 2 weeks later I had a lead revision, followed by another heart cath the following day because of an abnormal stress test. I felt wonderful for about 2 weeks then started feeling bad again. Another stress test came back abnormal. Time for a 4th heart cath to open another 90% blockage. Every day since the 4th heart cath I get a pounding headache out of the blue, instant shortness of breath, diziness, tingling arms, tight chest, minor chest pains. I had a CT Scan, multiple ekg's etc. My doctor says it is a tension headache, but I think maybe since he came up with that diagnoses 5 seconds after I pointed out I don't normally get headaches or any of the other symptoms until after the 4th heart cath that he might be covering his butt. Is it possible to have these complications after a hear cath. I kinda expected to feel much better after it like the 3 times before, but I only feel slightly better. Sorry to make this so long, but I figured a history of the problem might help.

[ed34]

I continued to develop blockages for three years and then my Doctor sent me to see a relaxation therapist. I couldn't understand why because I was always so laid back. I was always the cheerful person in the room making jokes. Nothing used to get to me and although I had a very stressful job, I loved it. In 2003 my wife was diagnosed with cancer and we had 3 children to look after. Balancing a job, looking after the kids, visiting and supporting my wife, stress certainly raised but I still felt like I could handle a lot more. After the largest amount of chemo and radiotherapy allowed thru 2004 my wifes cancer seemed to go dormant. In 2007 I seemed to pay for the stress and had a heart attack requiring my first stent. In 2010 my wife was told her cancer was active again and they would have to remove it surgically. They said this will give her another 40 years of life (she was 40). The surgery went well, but she developed severe pneumonia and was put on life support. I was told to expect a phone call in the night because there was a 2% chance she would make it. The phone rang, but it was the hospital saying there was a trial for a new medication, do I consent to trying it. I agreed. 3 days later she was off life support but then unfortunately suffered a large stroke. Lots of home care and rehab, a few weeks later she was doing everything she could do before. Then I had another attack. 2 more stents. Everytime I go through these stressful times, I have more stents and have 10 now. The relaxation therapist proved to me that I was always stressed, but I didn't realise it. My jaw was always clenched tight, my shoulders were always raised, and lots of other signs such as breathing in my chest rather than down in the abdomen. After several sessions I began to change my stress levels and feel so much better for it.

[RebelebeR]

I asked why myself. The doctors response was "I don't know. It just happens sometimes.". My lifestyle has changed dramatically since the heart attack, but we often have to pay for past mistakes. I quit smoking the day I had the heart attack. I changed my diet to a low fat, low cal, low cholesterol, low sodium diet. I jokingly tell my friends I can eat cardboard if I don't put salt on it. My bp has been under control for years with medication. Up until the heart attack the worse thing that happened to me was severe tonsillitis about 15 years ago. Now I feel pretty much like crap most of the time, I realize I'm lucky to have survived the heart attack considering it started over 12 hours before I went to the ER. I'm brilliant. I thought it was bad acid reflux at first. Sometimes lately I just really don't feel a;; that lucky, like when I look at my meds all lined up in a row (9 pills a day not counting otc meds).

[ed34]

The first thing I have to wonder is why you are forming so many blockages, all within a few weeks of each other. Normally they would take a long time to form, unless there is something seriously wrong with your lifestyle. Your Doctor mentioned a tension headache, and stress certainly has a strong association with blockages. It causes high blood pressure, inflammation of the arteries, then blockages. Are you smoking? are you eating healthily? are you exercising every day?