stenting side-effects

[queenofcups]

Hi! I am a 56 yr. old, slight build female. In 2007 I had a heart attack during an exercise class, and one of my arteries received 6 drug-eluting stents. I have not felt really well since (middle chest pain, left scapula pain, and angina, especially during emotional stress) despite several tests which showed my heart to be in very good condition and "completely" healed. Pain does not occur with physical exertion. Unable to take calcium channel blockers and beta blockers due to very low blood pressure. Also, nitro has some adverse side-effects, as well. In 2009 an endoscopy showed that I had developed GERD, and also another cardiologist diagnosed coronary artery spasm, which he said was the probable cause of my initial heart attack, and to avoid stressful triggers. My question is: could having such a large number of stents placed in one artery at one time have caused some nerve damage, or be affecting my autoimmune system (I do have problems with inflammation)? I kind of wish the surgeon had done a bypass instead!

[queenofcups]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and has some advice for me. I am fit, 57 years old, have low blood-pressure and follow a very good lifestyle. I had my first heart attack in 2007, at which time I was given 6 drug-eluting stents in the right artery. I was eventually told that my heart attack was due to coronary spasm. I had a very difficult time with the meds and for over 2 years I was pretty uncomfortable, especially during stressful situations, but was told my heart was "completely healed" and my chances of having another heart attack were almost nil. I finally went back to full-time teaching this Sept. and just had another heart attack (after an aerobics class).  This one was a blood clot at one of the stents, and as of yet we do not know the extent of the damage. However, I was told it was a serious heart attack, and they may still do a bypass.  I have had a number of complications to deal with: first an allergy to the antibiotics in the hospital (for pnuemonia) which caused a burned skin reaction, then an allergy to the florastat I was given to correct my gut imbalance (itchy rash), then the pnuemonia came back, and now I am pretty sure I am having a reaction to the prasugrel I am taking (SEVERE skin itching) which is partially relieved with hydoxyzine (which may be causing my blood pressure to go even lower - dizziness and a little nausea). We had to wait for hours at the clinic for an x-ray because my family doctor had a cold and refused to see me. Thank goodness the (new) cardiologist will see me today, although my husband had to phone 3 times, and finally threaten to yank me off the prasugrel if we don't get some help. I know it's Christmas and all that, but I'm feeling pretty low with all of this and am using zoplicone to sleep. Help!

[queenofcups]

Thanks for your input, especially about bypass repercussions.  Hope your appt goes well and i'll be looking to see!

[ed34]

This is quite confusing. So you had a heart attack, went into hospital and they fully opened an artery using 6 stents. Now, 2 years later they decide you have unstable angina which probably caused your heart attack? This is a sudden and strange change of mind. Have they witnessed an artery having spasms? I'm not really sure how this is accurately diagnosed unless witnessed which again would be very difficult unless you are on the Cat Lab table at the time. You say the discomforts usually come on with emotional stress, which is when you get a burst of adrenaline. The discomfort doesn't come on with exercise, but this is different in the way the body adapts the heart. Emotional stress, such as a sudden bout of anger sends a sudden rush of adrenaline to the heart, getting you ready to fight. This doesn't happen when you exercise, everything is far more gentler.
We are in very similar situations, and I am sure I don't have an artery which spasms. The symptoms don't fit. I also get angina if I get angry, Im suddenly finding it hard to breathe. I had five stents put down my left artery, very similar again to yourself. We even had our heart attacks in the same year. I have many questions to ask my cardiologist on 12th Jan, I will certainly be posting here what his replies are and maybe (hopefully) they will help you.
So please keep looking. On a final note, you say you wish they did a bypass. Believe me, you don't. I had a triple in 2007 and it lasted 3 months. Like you, I had a lot of disease down the artery and so there was really no clean area to graft onto. I went through a lot of discomfort for nothing basically. They probably knew a bypass wouldn't have worked. Also, there are no nerves which the Cardiologist could have damaged. He is always inside the arteries.