chest pains after stents

[billben38us]

i had two stents put in three weeks ago.ive been very fatigued and the last few days started having some pretty severe chest pains.yesterday the pain was so intense i took three nitro pills in fifteen minuteswhich finally releived my pain.my question is.is it normal to have this kind and amount of pain after having this done?and should i go to the er ?

[captainmerrill]

I've had a quadruple by pass 5/13/09 after being told by another Dr. that my pain was not related to cardiac and I was probably imagining it.  Two weeks after my by pass I had a hematoma so they opened me again.  Then three weeks later a by pass collapsed they inserted three stents.  Now two of the by pass locations look poor and I am still having angina.  It is irritating and does get painful.  I use nitro on an almost daily basis along with other nitrates.  Dr.'s so far have been useless.

[MamaBush]

Angina is very common when someone has had stent implantations. I'm on medications for my angina, which surfaced after my first heart attack..however, with the medications, I no longer suffer from any angina.  

I guess I, as well as many others I know, are lucky since we have all felt fantastic after stent implantations.

billben38us was complaining of "severe chest pain."  I'm no expert, but I am a heart patient with stents and angina, and I've never had "severe chest pain" from the angina.  It was an irritating pain, but not so severe that I had to use my nitorglycerin to relieve it.

[ed34]

People who have stents which hold the vessel patent do not necessarily feel fantastic.
I believe there is a term called refactory angina where people with seemingly normal
hearts still feel angina. Here in the UK there is a trial which will place refactory angina
sufferers into rehabilitation to see if their condition improves.
When an angiogram is performed it only gives limited information regarding vascularization. If the very small arteries leading through heart tissue are blocked, it will
not be seen. Only special scans can reveal underlying problems such as this but they
are very expensive and there are only so many scanners.

[MamaBush]

So, did you go to the ER, or see your doctor as advised by mammo?

After stent implantations, if they hold, you should feel FANTASTIC, with no further chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue, or the need to use nitroglycerin, at least until or if you have further plaque blockage in the future.

[mammo]

Yes, go to the ER.  These stents can collapse.