HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

new to forum, Dave's Angioplasty & Heart Attack

Support Forums
>
Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
1 2
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/6/2012 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Guys
How are you all doing. Another update so I hope you are still following my posts.
I have just returned from my rambling club after 10 months away and completed a 7 mile walk. It was great to see some old friends after such a long time.I Dont,t feel too bad, all things considered.
.I have aslo joined the local cardiac support group and have been exercising with them twice a week. What a great bunch of people who have made me very welcome and are very supportive.
There is not much improvement pain wise, but I feel I am doing more as time passes. I worry about how many pain killers I am taking and worry about what the long term effects will be such as addiction as some of the pain killers are opoids.I also wonder sometimes wether or not taking pills to achieve more is the right thing to do, but feel it is better than sitting about doing nothing and being negative.
I am still waiting for the endoscopy to see if the pains in my back & chest are gullet related( now that the heart has finally been ruled out) but now feel this is just another elimination procedure and fairly sure it is costocondritis/ upper backpain type symtoms.
Any input here would be appreciated.
Anyway best of luck to all you guys with heart problems and I will post later ( as long as I keep getting hits)
Best Regards Dave
Posted 2/6/2012 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Dave,

1147 hits - I would say your thread is pretty dang awesome. I am jealous of your rambling club, where do I sign on.  I don't think I could do 7 miles but I sure would like to get back into a habit of walking as I felt much better about myself when I walked every day.  I know,  I just need to "do it" as Nike so often reminds me.

I know how you feel about the pain meds but it does sound like they are helping you as you are able to get out and do what you like to do.  If indeed it is costocondritis  perhaps talking with your Dr. about  tricyclic antidepressants would be an idea worth pursuing.  These meds are often useful with pain and especially at bed time.

When is your endoscopy scheduled?  Many people with GERD/LPR have chest and back pain.  I feel bad to know you are in pain especially after you have been through so much.  You deserve to feel good all the time.  :-)

Thank you as always for the update and keep on talking with us. 

Your fan,

Kitt

 

Posted 2/7/2012 8:42 AM (GMT 0)
I went to see the psychiatrist yesterday to talk about problems with anxiaty and depression and discussed problems with relaxiation etc( very difficult when in pain most of the time) As the guy has been linked to the cardiac team.he felt he no longer needed to see me and has advised my G.P. to refere me to a pain management program.So look forward to that. Just feel I need to be doing something other than exercise and pain meds.
I find walking in fresh air one of the best thing I can do and have been a keen rambler for a few years. In the past it has always helped me with back pain. Until I do too much. Unfortunately at the moment I have to take a few pain meds to manage the 7 mile( But need to take them for most things anyway) Generally it is the next day after walking when I suffer and wonder if I am doing the right thing. But feel that if I did not walk it would be a real downer in my life.
My endoscopy is due on the 24th of feb, so not too long to wait and not looking forward to that experience.Once again Kitt thanks for your support and I will ask my doctor about the pain meds you mentioned.
Posted 2/7/2012 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Dave,

Oh boy, now we are into my speciality - anxiety and depression.  smhair I was first dx in 1982 with both of these disorders.  I have learned a lot over the years but the one thing I learned that is most important is that each person is an individual and your anxiety/depression is unique to you.

I would like to see you continue with a therapist as well as look into a pain management clinic as suggested by your Dr.  Any chronic disorder is bound to cause you anxiety and I feel strongly that this is an issue of it's own and needs to be treated as so.

One of the best things I have found that helps me with my own anxiety is meditation. Here is a simple meditation exercise:

Choose a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed by other people or by the telephone.

Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

Eliminate distractions and interruptions during the period you'll be meditating.

Commit yourself to a specific length of time and try to stick to it.

Pick a focus word or short phrase that's firmly rooted in your personal belief system. A non-religious person might choose a neutral word like one, peace, or love. Others might use the opening words of a favorite prayer from their religion such as 'Hail Mary full of Grace', "I surrender all to you", "Hallelujah", "Om", etc.

Close your eyes. This makes it easy to concentrate.
Relax your muscles sequentially from head to feet. This helps to break the connection between stressful thoughts and a tense body. Starting with your forehead, become aware of tension as you breathe in. Let go of any obvious tension as you breathe out. Go through the rest of your body in this way, proceeding down through your eyes, jaws, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, upper back, middle back and midriff, lower back, belly, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet.

Breathe slowly and naturally, repeating your focus word or phrase silently as you exhale.

Assume a passive attitude. Don't worry about how well you're doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say, "Oh, well," and gently return to the repetition.

Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm. After you finish: Sit quietly for a minute or so, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes open. Do not stand for one or two minutes.

Plan for a session once or twice a day.

I understand your reasons for walk and I feel you are doing the right thing.  The only suggestion I would make is to shorten the distance of your walk or perhaps break it into 2 sessions.  The "use it or lose it" motto is a good one.

February 24th will be here before you know it so I will be waiting to hear how your scope goes.

Blessings,

Kitt

 

Posted 2/26/2012 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Guys
Just had the endoscopy so I thought I would post an update. The endoscopy went well and other than finding mild gatric inflamation , nothing else was untoward. I now believe this has also been ruled out as the cause of pain. I do get to see the gastrologist in a couple of days time and discuss a way forward. I am having very little chest pain these days, only in lower and up back. I have started slowly reducing the amount of pain killers so things are generally getting better. I have stopped walking anymore than a couple of miles as tany further does not help me in any way. However I am continueing to swim a couple of times a week and exercise classes once a week so hopefully combined with walking the dog daily and other exercises, I am doing enough to maintain a healthy heart.
Posted 3/1/2012 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Dave,

I was just going to pull up your thread for the members and here you are :-) Glad to hear the scope went well and now hopefully your GI Dr. can come up with a game plan.

I am glad to know you have cut back on the 7 mile marathon and are swimming.  Swiming is a great way to exercise and is easy on your joints.  Now if I did not sink like I rock I would try swimming. 

I love reading your updates and I see you have built up quite a following so this is your place to share, vent, teach and feel safe.

I wish you peace,

Kitt

 

Posted 3/8/2012 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Bump
Posted 3/10/2012 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
 Hi Guys Thought I would give you another update after going to see my  gastrologist. He has prescribed me  omeprozole to reduce the inflamation in my duodenium and stomach. Unfortunately my G.P. disagrees and informs me that this will react with the heart tablets, mainly clopidagrel.So around and around we go.

         It is now 6 months since my Heart Attack and looking back I have really only had the one. I now only have another 6 months on the clopedigrel and my G.P. will give me a medication review in another 6 months. Hopefully I will be able to cut back on some of the other tablets too.

        I am still having some problems with the Costo and the back pain but have managed to cut back on the pain killing patch from 10 micro to 5 micro per hour. But it is tough. So some improvment there. I am still managing to swim 3 x per week and cardio exercise once per week. So all in all things are on the up and I generally feel better.So good luck everyone and hope you are following my thread. Best Regards Dave

Posted 3/10/2012 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Dave, my friend !

Good to see you here and look at how many people have read your thread - Wow.

Your GP is right ! FDA is alerting the public to new safety information concerning an interaction between clopidogrel (Plavix), an anti-clotting medication, and omeprazole (Prilosec/Prilosec OTC), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used to reduce stomach acid. New data show that when clopidogrel and omeprazole are taken together, the effectiveness of clopidogrel is reduced. Patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use clopidogrel to prevent blood clots will not get the full effect of this medicine if they are also taking omeprazole.

Treating heartburn and GERD can be tricky in patients taking Plavix (clopidogrel) because of drug interactions with the medications used to treat those symptoms.  Please do call the GI physician back and discuss this with him as he should have been aware of the Plavix and Prilosec not being compatible.  I have read of people taking Zantac with Plavix but I am not a pharmacy/Dr so that is just an fyi comment.

I am glad to hear your still staying active and I suspect that is what helps you remain so positive.  Congratulations on your 6 month anniversary.

Hugs,

Kitt

 

Posted 3/17/2012 7:25 AM (GMT 0)
H i All and thanks Kitt for the advice which I have taken. My GI Dr has suggested 40mg per day of
Esomeprazole . which my G.P. has agreed and so I have been taking this for about a week now.
Here is a link regarding PPIs which anyone may or may not find interesting.

http://www.clotcare.com/clopidogrelprotonpumpinhibitors.aspx


Anyway since taking the new tablet things have taken a turn for the worse and the chest pains have returned. I have had it checked out so its not my heart so good news. I have been doing more than usual with the gardening season starting so not sure if it is gerd or Costo. I usually feel worst in the morning but inprove after something to eat. I am trying to stay off chocolate and coffee and now alcohol free but unfortunately I have to take fibrogel for constipation which does not help with the GERD.
I am starting to run out of space as I cram even more tablets into my weekly dispenser. I wonder if there is a record somewhere for how many tablets is taken daily by one person.
Anyway lets look on the bright side . The sun is shining and the pain killers are kicking in so Hey Good luck for now. I will post again in a couple of weeks or if there is anything to report.
Best REgards Dave

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 3/17/2012 9:45:29 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/17/2012 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Dave,

I am sorry to hear you are still dealing with pain and I understand why you are not sure if you have GERD or Costo - or dang it, perhaps both.  rolleyes

I direct linked your info that you posted above regarding PPIs.  That is a good article.

The reason that heartburn triggered by food is more discussed than heartburn on an empty stomach is because food is the most common trigger in most people. As you might expect, controlling the types of food we eat and how much of it we consume can do much to help control heartburn. Heartburn on an empty stomach isn’t really much different, except that food isn’t the trigger; a lack of food is the trigger. In simple terms, when stomach acid has nothing to “do” it can become concentrated. Some people report that heartburn on an empty stomach is worse than the heartburn they feel when they’ve eaten an offending food because the acid is very concentrated on an empty stomach.

GERD is not the only cause of heartburn on an empty stomach. Another condition that may cause symptoms that feel like those associated with GERD is a peptic ulcer. Peptic ulcers are small holes in the protective lining inside the stomach and are caused by the acids themselves.

The H pylori bacterium is the most common link in people with peptic ulcers. Medical experts believe this to be the reason that the stomach lining becomes vulnerable to the effects of acids. This is just FYI and remember I am not a Dr.  I do not diagnosis but am simply sharing info with you.  wink

I hear you on taking so many pills - I take a fair amount myself and sometimes I wonder which one is working or if they are all just working against one another.  Grrrrrr.

Keep on posting as your thread has so much great info that is helpful to people experiencing what you are going through.

kindly,

Kitt

 

Posted 3/23/2012 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt Thanks for the reply. Round and round we go. Sorry if this is becoming more of a GERD discussion than a heart related problem. However I now feel quite loyal to the Heart & Cardio section. I am almost convinced that the problem is GERD rather than cardio or Costo. and I am definately worse since taking Esomeprozole. However this may be just a coincidence.  I have decided to make a journal/diary and cut out anything sugary/sweet as well fatty foods which I had already done. The pain killers do not help much with the gerd but do with the lower back pain. This is what makes me think it is GERD and not Costo.

                Anyway some good news. I have joined a new Gym and have been appointed a personal trainer and he has started me on a training programme to increase my fitness and to help my back. I might even give the aqua fit a go, ( even though I will be the only bloke on it)I am now swimming 3 times week and will once again try walking tomorrow. All in All I am now feeling a lot stronger and feel I could perhaps reduce the pain medication even more if it was not for this darn GErd.

        Look forward to any replies regarding GERd. I have been trawling that forum and realize that just about anything could be triggering the GERD but really think it is probably the asprin or maybe some of the other meds too. So where does that leave me?

Post Edited (DaveBax) : 3/23/2012 1:13:14 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/23/2012 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
Good Afternoon Dave,


I think you might be on the right track.  I am going to post the link from our GERD resources for you :

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=1483795

Do consider seeing a GI specialist if you suspect GERD is your problem.  Yes, aspirin could be triggering GERD if that is what you have going on.  Feel comfortable posting in the GERD forum.  This forum is for questions, discussions and support relating to Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD - Heartburn) and include Causes, Complications, Diagnosis, Medical Treatments, Surgical Treatments, and Symptoms.

 

I have GERD with some reflux but I do well on Prilosec 20 mg once daily in the morning. 

 

I continue to admire how you get out and exercise - go for the pool.  It is a great exercise and gentle on your joints. 

 

I know the info in this thread is being read and sharing is what we are about so if anyone has input or questions please do jump onboard.

 

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/13/2012 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Well Dave, here it is April 13th already and I am thinking of you - how are you doing ?  Hope things are well and update us when you have time.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/20/2012 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
I Skitt

         Sorry I have not posted for a while but I am really struggling with chest pain whilst sitting at the computer or watching TV. I am now wondering if my problems are related to my upper back. as more recently I have been suffering with a lot of upper back pain. My G.P. has upped my pain meds and I am now taking 3 x 400mg of gapapentin on top of the 10microgramms Buprenorphine Patch. The Gapapentin has only just been increased from 3x 300mg yesterday . But still no pain relief. I forced my self to go swimming today as this has helped me in the past. Unfortunately it has not worked this time. I have had problems with lowerback pain for years but this is a lot worse. Maybe its time to go for a scan but not sure if I can, now I have had a stent fitted. I am now taking Ranetadine for intergestion but the pains seems to be radiating from my back. I am going on hoiliday in a weeks time which my wife and I have waited a long time for,as I had to cancel my last one due insurance cost (had to wait 6 months after stent fitted) I am at a point wondering if its really worth  going. As it is a cruise I should be able to manage if I could only get a pain med which worked. Once again I am going to see my G.P. on monday . I sometimes feel like it would be easier to live there. If you know what I mean. Best regards Dave

Posted 4/23/2012 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Dave,

I am having some personal medical issues and have not yet answered your post but I promise to get to it soon.  I love to see your updates.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/24/2012 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt. Hope you resolve you medical issues and iIhear from you soon I always look forward to your support. Sorry guys for the negativity in my last post. But its such a roller coaster ride. Anyway some good news . I have an appointment to see a pain specialist when I get back off holliday. I am off on a cruise on Sunday and now hopefully have sufficient medication to drop a horse, so I am trying not to worry about the pain until I get back off holliday. At least now I know its not my heart so perhaps we can now move closer to a proper diagnosis. I have just had an x-ray of my thoracic spine and down for a blood test on friday for screening. Not sure what this meens or what they can tell from these tests. however my G.P. seems to be really trying for me and is quite puzzled why I am not getting the pain relief from the meds. Anyway Kitt I hope you get better soon and hear from you when I get back off holliday. Best Regards Dave
Posted 4/25/2012 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Dave,

Hey there, I wanted to post to you before you take off on that cruise.  I am sorry to read of your back pain and I think you have had just about enough problems for awhile.  Don't know if it would be a better choice for your pain but I was wondering about the Fentyl patch instead of the Buprenorphine Patch ?  Just a thought and your almost to your departure date so probably  no time for a medication switch.

It does look like you need someone to look into your back problems - MRI is iffy with a stent but your cardiologist would be the best one to advise you on that.  I have heard of them being done with cardiolgist input. It makes me sad to know you are  in so much pain and even swimming did not help. 

You have a good heart, Dave, and it is working well so that is wonderful news. 

As for me, I actually went for my lab retest of my LDL as I am in the high range................no results yet and I am not going to worry about it right now.

I do hope your cruise is restful for you but no doing the limbo or break dancing !  Enjoy the shows, the ocean and just relaxing as the world drifts by.  I love to cruise but my cruise partner is no long available. 

Remember when you are on the ship looking out at the horizon that some in MN is wishing you well.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/26/2012 10:30 AM (GMT 0)
Kitt Thanks for the input and support.which always seems to help. High LDL ??
        I still wonder if I am having some reaction to the heart medication but I stlill have a long time to go before I come of the clopidagel.
When googling gapapentin I don,t think your supposed to take ranatadine so perhaps putting me on anything for intergestion tablets of any kind is not a good thing as I think it has weakened the gabapentin.( noe not working) I am so desperate to try and sort this out in the next few days before I go on holliday. I have stopped taking the gabapentin as its not working anyway and taking Dihydrocodiene which works better but not totally. I think this may make me feel ill but not sure.I have also thought about stop taking the ranetadine and taking the Gapapentine as I coped quite well swimming etc before taking ranetadine but suffered with intergestion, not really whay you want on a cruise with all that lovely food. I am trying to keep my chin up and stay possitive. But difficult whilst in constat pain. All the Best for now Best regards Dave
Posted 5/15/2012 11:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Folks I see I am still getting a few more hits, so I thought I might update you guys.I Got back after a really nice cruise where I visited Rome and went to the see The vatican, St Peters square and the Basilica. Absolutely fanatastic and you have to see it to believe it. Anyway back to the more depressing stuff.The rest on the cruise has done me the world of good( I sometimes wonder if I am trying too hard to get fit that is) Anyway I came off the intergestion tablets and I now think the gapapentin is now working to relieve the pain. I am now booked into to see a pain management specialist in a few weeks time. So I suppose he might be able to tell me why the meds are not working. The results of my Xray on my spine came back OK and the blood test on Bone marrow?? not sure what thats for but they all came back normal. On the whole I am feeling a lot better but tired with all the pain meds, however I am now back swimming a coulple of times a week, so can,t really complain. Hope all you guys ar looking forward to summer( When it arrives) so good luck, especially you Kitt. Best Regards Dave
Posted 7/24/2012 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi folks

        Its been quite a while since I last posted, so just thought I would just say hello and wish you all well. It is almost 12months since my heart attack. I have recently been taken off the statins as there might be some reaction with my thyroid medication( thyroxin). I must admit I am feeling much better now and I am back walking again ( 7 miles or so) and a couple of days a week swimming. My fitness levels are now much improved but still have to take pain medication for costocodritis and lower back pain. All in all I can,t complain too much all things considered. Hope too, all is well with you all . Just goes to show what can happen with just a bit of time. Good luck everyone. Best REgards Dave

Posted 7/25/2012 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Dave,

Fantastic to read how well you are doing and just think how far you have come over the past year.  You are truly a prime example of what perservance can do.  Your exercising is amazing and you are a great example to so many.

Blessings,

Kitt

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12