Yet another heart attack in our membership, this time it's mine

[caedus]

It seemed like it was taking forever but was likely seconds or minutes.. They got the readout, and said "you are having a massive heart attack sir, we're going to give you a clot busting medication that will break up the clot in your heart but you need to be aware the risks from the drug are stroke, and death". I asked if there was something different they could use and they said no. I then said my wife should be on the way can we please wait until she's here just in case it goes wrong - i atleast wanted the chance to tell her and my kids i love them...and the doctor said absolutely not, we are not waiting!
To hear " you are having a massive heart attack sir" was intense, I expected to maybe hear "your having a heart attack, but the words massive heart attack" was surreal and shocking.
But just as I was accepting that statement, to then hear the drug we're about to give you could cause a stroke or death firmly grounded the idea that I might not make it through this..

Holy shit brother. Glad you are OK. Thank you for sharing. Amazing story.

What all will you do differently now in terms of permanent lifestyle changes?

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[Massive G]

I'll continue a little later, writing it is kinda reliving it and stressful and my left hand was going a little numb.. It always does when I'm on my tablet keyboard, mostly because of GH but just in case I'll take a break.

Please tell us that your not on GH and steroids still!!!

WOW.

 

[grizzly978]

Geeze I hope you are feeling better, that is so scary. Glad that you survived it as well brother

 

[Macrocupcake124]

Can anyone convert my ldl/hdl #'s above into the u.s. #'s ?

.

LDL: 148
HDL: 26

Kind of surprised they prescribed a statin at those levels.


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[dragonfire101]

LDL: 148
HDL: 26

Kind of surprised they prescribed a statin at those levels.


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My doc wanted me on a statin with around same numbers because of the low HDL.

Arko how old are you? I may have missed that if already stated?

 

[xyz14]

glad you're okay and thanks for sharing this..

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

My doc wanted me on a statin with around same numbers because of the low HDL.

Arko how old are you? I may have missed that if already stated?

I believe he said he was 42

 

[Arko.]

With it being so bad I am going to assume they implanted a defibrillator/pacemaker in your heart? I haven't heard you mention if you have one or not.

Hi Maldorf,
No pacemaker / defibrillator. How's things going with you brother?

 

[Arko.]

LDL: 148
HDL: 26

Kind of surprised they prescribed a statin at those levels.


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Thanks Noswttea4u, that'll make it much easier for me to relate to others #'s
Ive done a lot of reading, and will likely stop the statin soon and replace it with natural alternatives, healthier diet and slowly begin light cardio daily.
My uncle had a heart attack 3 years ago, and they put him on the exact same meds. After a short time he developed side effects from the statin, muscle pains, and significant changes in blood sugar and kidney function. So he stopped it.
There are studies in Japan, and the UK, as well as a Dr. In Texas that say no one should be taking them, and that they actually cause hardening of the arteries.
And as you said, and even my various nurses said my cholesterol isn't to bad and that I have a choice if I take it or not and that its just the standard protocol for all post heart attacks.

I'd really appreciate a list of natural alternatives to control cholesterol if someone with knowledge can share.
So far I'm thinking garlic, co-q10 for heart health, niacin but I'm sure there are better options.

 

[Arko.]

Please tell us that your not on GH and steroids still!!!

WOW.

Not taking anything no. But when I'm feeling good again, and my #'s are all stable consistently I'll likely do 1-1.5iu GH/150mg test-week But no aromasin/adex because of its cholesterol sides. My heart doctor mentioned that my trt dose could come down to wherever I can be comfortable at the lowest possible dose, and that my family Dr. Should taper it rather than just cut it.
It'll be at least a month until I consider even taking anything however, and will be working closely with my Dr. For sure.

Worth noting that about 2 hours before going to the gym that day I took a 2.5cc shot 50mg test cyp/200mg mast.p and after withdrawing a lot of blood poored from the injection site.
I always aspirate, but as we all know at times you pass through a vein inadvertently which causes the bleeding. Maybe this somehow contributed to the clot that go stuck in the 80% blocked artery in my heart?

 

[warlock]

Thanks Noswttea4u, that'll make it much easier for me to relate to others #'s
Ive done a lot of reading, and will likely stop the statin soon and replace it with natural alternatives, healthier diet and slowly begin light cardio daily.
My uncle had a heart attack 3 years ago, and they put him on the exact same meds. After a short time he developed side effects from the statin, muscle pains, and significant changes in blood sugar and kidney function. So he stopped it.
There are studies in Japan, and the UK, as well as a Dr. In Texas that say no one should be taking them, and that they actually cause hardening of the arteries.
And as you said, and even my various nurses said my cholesterol isn't to bad and that I have a choice if I take it or not and that its just the standard protocol for all post heart attacks.

I'd really appreciate a list of natural alternatives to control cholesterol if someone with knowledge can share.
So far I'm thinking garlic, co-q10 for heart health, niacin but I'm sure there are better options.

Citrus bergamot, resveratrol, curcumin, pantethine, Beta Sitosterol Plant Sterols, shuddha guggulu. Niacin has always been a top one, but I believe Dante stated something that somehow turned him off and I now feel skeptical. I don't remember what it was. Maybe he can chime in.

I believe citrus bergamot is the best. Also, our great member devenidas suggested I take shuddha guggulu and I must say that my HDL went up 3 points in about a month without any changes in diet.

My HDL is not the highest even on TRT and eating lots of healthy fats. I'm always looking for ways to bring that up. I'm sure some other members will be able to help.

Stay strong.

 

[Arko.]

....continued
They injected the clot busting agent into my iv I think.. I don't remember this 100%, but its possible I also got a direct injection of something, but I don't know. From the point of my processing the idea that it might cause stroke or death everything seemed blurry. They gave me the clot buster, and at some point sprayed nitroglycerin under my tongue and said the pain should begin to lesson but it didn't, they kept asking me from 1-10 where's my pain and at that point it was an 11. They gave me another spray of nitro, and there was slight pain relief, so I asked for more and they gave me more but immediately after gave me a little cup of pills and water which I took. The pain built up again, and I asked for more nitro and I said I think the water washed the nitro down so it didn't take effect.. They debated for a few minutes, and gave me another spray which did reduce the pain to about an 8-9 but at this point even a slight reduction in pain was very welcomed... Then maybe 5-10mins later I felt a really strange feeling I can only describe as a thick clot shoooting through a narrowed artery like air bubbles passing through a tube and all of a sudden the pain dropped to a 2-3!! I could breath again and a calm fell over me..but it was short lived relief...

 

[nothuman]

This is a crazy story. Thanks again for sharing.

From now on, make absolutely darn sure that they test CRP, homocysteine, and Lpa (this test tells you risk of heart attack so you want this number down) next time they draw blood. Doctors are so backwards if they're only testing HDL and LDL. Also get rid of the statin.

Warlock, there were Niacin studies that said it doesn't do anything to reduce risk of heart disease. However, I'm not entirely sure and think there's a chance they may benefit, but probably not essential.

Citrus bergamot, a GOOD fish oil, vitamin K, curcumin, Uniquinol, tocotrienol based vitamin E, and pomegranate juice should be added at this point. Others too but those are all that come to mind as I'm on a bus right now not thinking entirely

Hope this helps

 

[Arko.]

They allowed my wife and kids in, which felt both good and not so good because it was comforting to me but I can only imagine distressing to them. I felt a tremendous sense of guilt for putting them through it, which is hard to make sense of now.
My pain level stayed low for about 5-10mins or so, and I was talking no problem then all of a sudden shot straight back up to a 9-10 in seconds.. They said its a 2nd incident, and likely more clot had built back up so my family had to go through seeing it which I wish they hadn't.
They put me on an iv drip of nitro if I remember correctly, and gave me if dilaudid which is a painkiller..
The pain seemed to level off at a 6-7, and I remember begging them for more painkiller but they said we can only give you so much..
Over the next hour they arranged for a helicopter to take me to a hospital that was equipped to for cardiac procedures but the weather wouldn't permit so they arranged for a transfer via ambulance. At some point my pain level went up and down between a 6-7 and a 2-3...
Then they decided I needed an art line put in to get better accuracy of pressure I think they said. They prepped my left wrist, telling me this is likely to be painful..
They were right, as they attempted to put the line in they hit a nerve which I don't blame them for at all. They do the procedure by using ultrasound and insert the needle while watching the ultrasound screen so im sure its not easy..
When they finally found it, and tried to insert a line it would only go so far so they had to pull it out, and begin the whole procedure again on a different artery but after trying and trying it just wouldn't go. They explained it was because my arteries kept spasming so they abandoned the idea all together..

 

[Arko.]

Here is the result of the art line. Its starting to fade a bit now, but 5-6 of the veins in my forearm look bruised or something, and any time I bend my wrist for more than a few seconds pain in the area starts to build and build. <just tried to upload the pic but fails to upload, anyone knoe how i can make it work>??
Wakes me up a few times every night.
I'm hoping I don't have some permanent damage from the art line.
Anyone know why my veins are bruised, when it was deep arteries they tried using?
Worth mentioning that during the heart attack I never felt any arm, neck, jaw, or other pain. Though my upper mid back muscles definitely took a beating, every time i m on my feet for 30+ mins they start to feel strained.
I think everyone needs to know that just because you don't experience more than 1 symptom of heart attack doesn't mean it isn't. Better to just get yourself to a hospital if you even think its a possibility. Looking back I sure as hell should have gone to the hospital during my first incident a month or so ago because I know it was either a small heart attack or partial blockage or similar. I chose to self diagnose, in pure denial thinking its only my chest there's no other symptoms.. Please learn from that everyone.
If I would have gone to get checked that day they would have found it, and I would have avoided all of this.
Just think if I would have been out hiking an hour or so in the bush, or driving long distance or any number of other things I would not be here now.
Who cares if you don't like hospitals, or whatever other excuse...if you feel like you might be having any kind of heart issue at least get yourself to the hospital and even sit in the waiting area or wherever just in case.
Its because of this decision that I'm still alive, and so greatful to be able to provide this advice to our community because I know how WE are, how I was.... Tough, and stubborn set in our ways, able to handle anything that comes our way, fearful of nothing, and the protectors of others..... Only for one reason or another we tend forget to remember we're not invincible.

 

[Arko.]

Got it to work after I cropped it.

 

[Arko.]

Notice how now that I'm on these meds, and my bp is in good range my veins in general are no longer pronounced. Before the heart attack I had veins on veins.
Anyone else have the same effect from the meds?

 

[Arko.]

Continued....
After abandoning the art line, it was only maybe 10-20mins before the ambulance and cardiac trained nurse were set to transfer me.
Strange thing is up until the time of them lifting my stretcher into the ambulance my pain was up and down, but the second my stretcher bumbed as they lifted the end in the pain was gone, or very close to being gone.
I can't explain how much relief I felt, but I expected it to return like before though it never really did. I'm guessing because of the blood thinner they had dripping through my iv. It was a long trip by ambulance and they gave me ativan which allowed me to fall asleep a few minutes here and there but it seemed like it took forever to get there.
I can't say enough about how amazing all the nurses and doctors were at my local hospital, they saved my life and I'm forever greatful.
I'll write more later about the procedure I had, and outcome so far.

 

[Massive G]

Not taking anything no. But when I'm feeling good again, and my #'s are all stable consistently I'll likely do 1-1.5iu GH/150mg test-week But no aromasin/adex because of its cholesterol sides. My heart doctor mentioned that my trt dose could come down to wherever I can be comfortable at the lowest possible dose, and that my family Dr. Should taper it rather than just cut it.
It'll be at least a month until I consider even taking anything however, and will be working closely with my Dr. For sure.

Worth noting that about 2 hours before going to the gym that day I took a 2.5cc shot 50mg test cyp/200mg mast.p and after withdrawing a lot of blood poored from the injection site.
I always aspirate, but as we all know at times you pass through a vein inadvertently which causes the bleeding. Maybe this somehow contributed to the clot that go stuck in the 80% blocked artery in my heart?

My apologies from that post about numb fingers and GH I thought you were still on it.
Take care of you and your family first.

 

[Dvo36]

Thank you for sharing. Heart attacks can sometimes be a mystery. The people you think will have them don't and the people that appear healthy do. While we can never totally eliminate our chances of experiencing this we can certainly minimize them. I can sympathize with you about not wanting to go to the hospital. It's definitely a macho thing like not asking for directions. We should all be getting blood work done annually. If something is significantly out of whack with the numbers than our goal should be to fix it. I can honestly say your story was very educational as far as I'm concerned. I wish you a speedy recovery and believe you'll be back in the gym before you know it!