odd sensations in chest after stent placement

Im 49 years of age and in seot. 09 I had a qaudruple bypass. the by pass basicly failed in 6 weeks due to the way my body healed. apparrently when they dig that deep into me i develope scar tissue that blocks the arteries and sends me back to the hospital. i currently have 10 stints the last one was thursday july 29th and already Im feeling a faiure and a another blockage coming on. Ive been told the same as most of you that you cant feel it until it is blocked but I accruatly estimated thusday blockage between 85 and 90%, and have done so with most of my procedures. ive been told by doctors that there isnt anything else that they can do so it leaves me feeling like a walking deadman. i assuming what they mean is al they can do is keep adding stints. The last proceedure they put a stint between to already placed stints. My chest has been espacailly sore ever scince. I called and aske the doctor why the extra pain and was told that in order to do this kid of placement they need to strech the artery to place the new stint. there are no nerves on the inside of the artery but there are on the outside of the artery so this is where the pain is coming from. Its been five days since the procedure and I still feel like Ive been stepped on by a snow shoe. and now Im begining to have syptoms of another blockage. I have no answers but feel I need to share this with people going through the same scenario I have been. I may be lost i dont know but all i can do is keep letting them try.
Thanks for listening, John

I did not think I would find anything like what I am experiencing with chest pain but I found these responses very helpful. After a failed stress test after experiencing unusual chest pain while jogging, I had a cath and they placed an Endeavor drug emitting stent in my mid LAD which was 95% blocked in March 2010. The doctor ordered Plavix, aspirin along with a statin. This was my first experience with heart issues. Initially I felt so much better, but after going back to jogging, I found that if I overexert (heart rate over 130) I get chest pain in the area of the heart. It generally only lasts a day then I am fine until I overexert myself again. If I run with my heart rate below 130, I am usually OK. I do have reflux and have been taking Aciphex for it for some time. I have not discussed this new pain with my doctor yet, but I think I will now.

I also have a water cyst (2 inches in diameter) in my kidney which the doctors know about but don't think it is anything to worry about. I have had pain on my left side below the rib cage where it is located for about 8 years now. I am seeing a urologist in a couple weeks about having it removed, but now I think my new pain is related to the stent I recently received based upon the above discussions. Although the reflux I have does not help things, or my kidney cyst either for that matter, my overexertion pain that I now have is unique and started after I got my stent. I hope to get to the bottom of this very soon.

Thanks for your posts! These pains are frustrating and real.

hi i am 58 & i wil be 59 in nov. i had my first stent in 11/09 for chest pain, i was ok for about 6 weeks. i my chest started to hurt again & i had the drug eluting stent put in 1/10 a few weeks later i started to have bad chest pain & breathing problems. the dr went back in & checked the stent on 2/10 he said the stent was in place, well with all the med. i was still having breathing problems & chest pain. i went to another dr. he gave me some difference med, but i had the same problems. i went back in the hospital on9/2/10 to 9/4/10 & i am still having problems & it is getting worst . i am like some of the rest of you, i don't think that they are taking me serious, i am in a lot of pain & don't know what to do next. alone with these stents & plavix i am really having a hard time. i have had many health problems before but this is really getting the best of me. thanks for sharing your story with me i now know that i am not the only one with these problems.i really thank we should all ban together & try to get something done about this. maybe there is something that can be done to help us feel better.

Hello everyone. It really irritates me when doctors don't respond to persons with pain issues. I think possibly that they are afraid of being sued or that they have actually done a procedure that does have risks that they don't tell you about. I believe the only way to get this noticed, is to complain to the manufacturer or maybe their website...as you receive a little card with a number ID on it from your stent. My sister had this surgery just a few days ago. All seemed to go well, with the exception of this "All of a sudden" "NEW" pain in her chest which she has NEVER had before. She had 80 percent blockage on just one side. Stent went in...she recovered nicely, no problems with the exception of this on coming chest pain. Look folks, Doctors that say that this is all in your mind are not worthy of being doctors. Family that don't believe you need to read a little online without being so...doubtful? I would say that if they were having crushing, stabbing, and spasms...they would be yelping for help. If my sister continues to have this new pain, I will raise hell. This is supposed to jump start her life again. If you can be allergic to the stent...it is a sort of implant...that could be the problem. I gave my sister a muscle relaxer...soma...and a pain pill...vicodin, heck...she just got home from the hospital yesterday. Since when does a patient not feel any pain whatsoever after a surgery? Uh...ok...maybe a few of you are tarzan...but, to say that to my sister...irritated me. The doc on call when we had to call after this horrid pain developed into the night at home...said YES, there is expected pain from the expansion of the arterie. As some of you have felt pain for years?...I feel for you and there is something wrong with the surgery performed. I worry about maybe a tear, cut or nerve damage in that area of the arterie...but, if an MD would come on board and tell us what he has heard...that would be great. I don't think any of us will listen to a doc that states that pain does not happen...and chest pain seems to be the most common pain. Good luck folks.

I too had 5 stents, more than needed until he tore the aota two times and caused a heart attack. Thankfully I lived thru the" event" as they call it. I always have an ache in the center of my chest. Of course it is all in my head according to DRS, ALSO have shortness of breath at times.It comes with no exercise or reason.The ache is worse when laying down and it is an ache not sharp or tearing. I passed stress test with flying colors. I am happy to have survived just wish they(drs) were going thru the same after effects so they could understand what we are going thru. Good luck to all

Have any of you experienced nausau, fatigue and dizziness as well as pains? I too, was told it was in my head after mulitple tests.

I am a 49 yr old male. I had a stent placed in my LAD on 3/9/11. I had 80% blockage. The first week after surgery I went to work and had enough energy to do my job. Upon waking up in the morning I had an erection, my heart was working better than it had in some time. I was able to ride my Motorcycle for an hour after work on Thursday. On Sunday, I took two of my kids to the museum. We walked for three hours.

Since then it seems as if I've started regressing. I'm feeling really tired, strange mild pain/pressure over my sternum and feeling lightheaded/dizzy. Walking very short distances today tires me out and makes my heart race. I am short of breath....as in I have to take a big breath of air just to finish a sentence. My blood pressure is high and my pulse rate is low ( 48, 47, 49 ). I feel dizzy and I'm seeing these little swirling white lights in my peripheral vision, again, just like before the surgery.

I'm on PLavix 75mg, Lipitor 80mg, Asprin 81mg, and Lopressor 25mg x2 daily. I took a ride in the ambulance last week to the ER due to low pulse rate, shortness of breadth, and mild chest pain: Prognosis-- 1. Stop taking Mobic (anti-inflammatory for herniated disc), 2. Stop taking ibuprofen, 3. Cut Lopressor in half from 50mg x 2 daily to 25mg x 2 daily. With the exception of the excruciating chest pain, I have similar symptoms prior to the heart cath.

I went to see my cardiologist today. The nurses did an EKG on me and everything looked normal. Based on this test, my Dr. informed me that the stent is working fine. I began inquiring about the shortness of breadth, he reminded me that he is a cardiologist and those questions should be addressed to my family physician. I was flabbergasted. And pissed.

I'm trying to stay hopeful/positive. And it's still a great day to be alive, I'm just concerned that I'm not getting better. I'm starting my research as to "what's normal" post angioplasty/stent implant. Thanks for reading....thanks for sharing.

Sounds exactly like my problems. I am 62 and had two stents put in at 59 and one at 60. I am normally an active person, but that is hard to do anymore. I have been told by a Cardiologist that it was all in my head. She ran a nuclear stress test, switched meds around but still the same. I have since changed my cardiologist and just recently he did another angiogram to make sure the stents were still open and passing as they should. All was ok. He has witnessed my BP when it went up by 30 pts right in his office. Basically he says there is a problem but it is not the heart and said I should see my family physician. Lately the chest pains are so severe they wake up at night or make it hard to sleep. I too have the vision problems, but have had them for years. Also the dizziness and shortness of breath. I am on Kosar 50mg and Amlodpine 10mg. My wife gives me fish oil, vitamins, low dose aspirin, and CoQ10. I am just trying to hang on until I retire, which I hope is soon. I just wonder if there is a problem with the stents. Getting someone to listen to that will be impossible. Good luck and hope you finally are able to live a pain free life.

I'm 38yrs old and had 4 medicated stents placed 11 mos ago.  I have not felt comfortable since the stenting.  I have had chest discomfort since the procedure.  Recently I've been experiencing major fatigue when performing basic actions like carying my 11 month old son or even just light walking.  Additionally I've experience possible heart palpitation for the first time recently.  It's a quandry because when I read web md I have the exact signs of heart attack.  However i did go back into the ER twice in the first 6 mos after surgery because I was very concerned and stress tests were negative.  I can't affort to take this time off work anymore and I know just to mention to my doctor i have chest pain means he will insist i check myself in for 24-48 hrs...

Where do I turn.

I had a stent fitted last week (9th May) following chest pains and normal ECG and blood results the stress test really showed the issue and it was sorted quickly (same day). I just hope its going to be OK as so far I've had no issues

My husband (55) had a stent put in on 12th May following a heart attack.  The following day he was discharged home.  The day after discharge he began to develop what he described as a strong 'chest ache' and was re-admitted to the coronary unit for 48 hours where they found nothing wrong.  Sent home and told to take 4 paracetemol a day! This pain has not gone away over the past two weeks and he is unable to sleep well and obviously worrying about it.  He was given a bagful of pills - bisoprolol, clopidogrel, ramipril, lipitor, and aspirin.  His blood pressure averages around 115/60 and pulse rate between 40-45.  He has no check up with the cardiologist for 6 months.

We don't know what to do now.  How do we know it isn't the medication levels that are wrong if no-one is checking it?  Any advice?

Josi.

Hi, my name is Ricky and I live in Scotland, im 49 and had a stent fitted at the end of November 2011.  I am fit and healthy(!) its a family trait to have heart disease.  I was out walking two days after being fitted with the stent, after a week or two I started running on a tredmill I then went and bought a tredmill.  But now Im having these twinges, pains in my chest central to left, I was running for 30 to 40 minutes at a pace that kept my heart beat between 107 and 127 (usualy 115)  but now Im down to 15 minutes and that includes the 10 minute warm up Im also having to slow the tredmill to fast walking pace to keep my HB in the zone, this does not make me feel happy.  The pains come on anytime doing any activity or none.  I was at hospital last week and I got the it must be indegestion or heartburn treatment, I dont have and never have suffered from this, it took quite a while to persuade the doctore to investigate further.  They are now going to do the tredmill test and maybe another angiogram.  At the original angioplasty the two surgeons did ask another surgeon to come in for another opinion so maybe more work needed.  I will let you all know after the test whats going on.  At least here in Scotland we dont have the added worry of having to pay for our treatment, I do feel for those who have to think about money before they think of their health.

 

Ricky

I also have same issue chest pain and breathing problems after stint put in 2 weeks ago, they insinuated it's in my head but have talked to other people with same problem.. The only thing that helps is an anxiety drug
Lorazapan 1 mg. 3 times a day, originally give by hospital,

I had a stint put in on 2-9-12 having breathing issues and slight chest pain neuropathy worse in feet. Was also told nothing wrong. Started taking Lorazapan 1 mg. 3 times daily has helped breathing issues. No i'm under no stress or problems or ever had anziety attacks all from stint. Have heard several others complain about same problems.

Joanne here, it has been two years now and am still having shortness of breath and discomfort in my chest also get tired very easy. Had treadmill test last week and passed with flying colors. Still have very vivid dreams and sleep evades me most nights. Never had these problems prior to stents.Docs have no idea all in my head. Oh well perhaps I am just old