Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells

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Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells

by Pete
(East Texas)

Had a heart attack one month ago due, I guess, to being sick. The Dr. put 3 stents in one artery that had degenerated due to sickness affecting my heart.

I am feeling much better but I often feel dizzy and light headed. The Dr has adjusted my medication a couple of times but I wondered if others have experienced the same.

The Dr said my arteries were very smooth and my heart looked great but the lining of one of my vessels was stopping it up because it was coming apart.

I am a very active person and I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I am a basketball coach, but I just don't seem to feel very good.

I wonder if I will be able to get back to a normal lifestyle?

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Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells

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What is causing this?
by: Anonymous

I had a stent placed 6 weeks ago, and was put on clopdidogrel, aspirin, beta blockers and simvastatin (20mg). I feel lightheaded, depressed, everything tastes like a strong citrus (sour) taste, and it also feels as if I have been drinking or eating something very strong peppermint flavour, all this accompanied by anxiety, insomnia and fatique.

I have changed my diet to a cholesterol reducing diet, but am getting very despondent now, because this is definitely not a good quality of life for anyone.

Could the simvastatins be the cause????? or could the blood be too thin?

worried in NC
by: Anonymous

wow i love reading these articles. i had a stenet put in about 4 weeks ago. have alot of anxiety and worries. they say my heart and other arteries are clear.... but i worry about it reblocking. it was in the widow maker and my heart stopped 2 x. had to shock me to get me back here. i feel if it blocks again ill be a goner....dizziness. lil pains here and there... sometimes the dizziness scares me badly. i feel im gonna pass out hope it gets better

heart failure
by: Anonymous

my husband had heart failure and altho no stents were necessary he has a lot of medication which keep him up and moving;
and every day he feels like he has vertigo he says - he has to lay down he feels nausea a lot too
seems its the strong medication to me

After Angioplasty....
by: Anonymous

On 23rd October 2011,Dr. have placed 7 stents and he is fine now but sometimes feeling dizziness can anyone tell me its normal.....

same dizzy feeling after one stent
by: Dee

I had a 1 stent placed in my LAD to cover 2 blockages that were side by side on 7/29/11 ~ I'm 45 yrs old. No chest pain leading up to the heart attack, just shortness of breath and fatigue. Since then, with all the added meds - I'm exhausted and dizzy constantly. I went back to work 5 days later on light duty. My dizziness has increased to the point of syncope now at least 4 times. I've seen so many drs, tests, I'm really frustrated. I willingly stopped driving after running my car over a curb during one of these episodes. Nothing seems to point to the cause but it's a daily battle to stay on my feet. I'm starting to think this is just "one of those things" after a surgery like this and it's going to remain. We've totally changed our diet, I'm taking meds as prescribed and living a new life as much as I can with the dizziness. Walking is a challenge most days.

Dizziness
by: Anonymous

The medications that accompany recovery change your body chemistry in fundamental ways. Not surprisingly, dizziness, nausea, feeling "spaced out" are very common side effects. Men were bad at first but over time, they have lessened and are certainly a lot less troublesome than the heart problems that they control.

Talk to your doctor, a change in meds may help, sometimes it makes it worse, so perseverance is probably good advice

dizzy spells after a heart attack
by: Anonymous

i have 5 stents in my rca (medicaded)on 7 types of meds. i had my attack in june 2011 and iam 40 yrs old and its end of oct and was felling some what ok i guess had sympotoms after, fatique ,dizziness ,lightheadedness some chest pains. since ive been back to work now my symptoms have increased alot the dizziness and lightheadedness.and feeling of weakness. my job is very very physical lots of bending from the ground with 50lbs boxes up over my head into a machine.because of my job i really feel like 100 years old inside.life will change on you after an attack hopefully the symptoms will reside but with depression and anxiety and panic attacks i just dont know.so yes other people have those fellings after an attack.

Be Careful
by: Anonymous

My mother had one stent put in three years ago and she was doing fine. The light headedness and dizzy spells started back up about two months ago. She started having really bad chest pains and migraines to boot. She just got the second stent put in three days ago and goes for the thrid stent next week. She is only 56 yrs old. If you haven't changed your diet, I would do so accordingly. Just be aware of what feels normal to you. Don't wait it out. Cause sometimes the symptoms just don't go away.

Same thing happened to me.
by: Olen

The same thing happened to me except I only had one stent put in. They placed it in the left heart section. I had a blockage needless to say. I was experienceing dizzy spells to where it felt like I weighed 400 pounds and at times all I wanted to do was lay down and I wasn't getting anything done. I finally had a very servere dizzy spell. Lightheaded and dizzy I walked into the ER and told them what was going on. They took me straight in ahead of everyone that was in the waiting room. The doctor came in and I explained how I felt. He said it is very common after a stent proceedure to becoma stressed and dehydrated. He said it was my nerves and I thought he was a little on the crazy side. He sent in a nurse to put Adavan (not sure how to spell it) but in just 15 minutes my dizziness was gone and I felt like my old self again. They also had me drink a few glasses of water. You have to watch your pee isn't yellow as that is a sign of dehydration and that in itself can cause dangerous problems of lightheadedness and nausea. I left that hospital an hour and a half later and I felt completely back to normal and so far no more dizzy spells. Remember you need loads of water to keep your blood thin so that stent don't get stopped up and slow your oxygen supply to your body. I hope this has helped although I wouldn't just take some adavan you happen to have laying around. I would see a doctor as he would know the right dose to give you and may even feel you need to be on it as just the worry about your new hospital bills and missing work and all the test you need down is very stressful. Stress is a bad thing and doesn't always have the same symptoms. Everyone is different. Good luck everyone and remember to watch your saturated fat intake and your cholesterol intake as well and sodium and you should be fine.

I was also dizzy for awhile
by: Anonymous

I received one stent but I never had medication in my life. I would get light headed and kind of panicky. My doctor told me to switch around how I take my medicine to see if that would help. It did and I feel much better. For the record, I'm taking Plavix, Toprol, Effient, and 325 mg. aspirin. I'm probably on these for a long time since I have a medicine releasing stent and I was told it would reblock without the medicine - or as my doctor told me, I'm on medicine forever.

Review you medication if you don't feel well
by: Ian

At age 66 I had a heart attack and had previously been very active, not overweight and never smoked. But I did ignore saturated fat warnings and I believe that's what caused the plaque to build up. After looking up "heart attack" on Google I realised what was happening and was taken by helicopter to the heart unit in Atlanta for angioplasty with two stents which saved my life.

To those that are still feeling unwell I urge you to review your medications, and in particular any statins you take. After two years I had very unpleasant side effects and had to adjust my medication. The doctors don't take side effects seriously and the patient has to supervise his own health regime.

My Brother Had Dizzy Spells Too
by: Anonymous

Pete,

My brother had 2 stents and was hospitalized multiple times, felt dizzy. This was Apr thru October of last year. After the second stent and medication adjustment plus drinking more water he started feeling better. In February he went for a week of cross-country skiing and is still doing fine. Hang in there - exercise and eat as directed. Best wishes.

Recovery is a every day
by: Linda

Pete, the recovery period is an everyday effort. I received 4 medicated stents that were put in 2 years ago. The beta blocker I was put on did cause dizziness and lightheadedness. I'm on the lowest dosage and ever so often experience it. Be sure you are eating heart healthy and exercising. I just started feeling the full effects of the good exercise and that does help with the blood flow. Remember with the stents we have been given another chance at life and we both did experience a life changing event in our lives. Just need to regroup and march forward.

It Takes Time
by: Sandra

Hi Pete,

I just wanted to let you know that it took some time for me to feel "normal" again. My recovery was challenging - I reblocked at 3 months, was in and out of hospital a number of times over 5 months. I remember asking my doc "will I ever get better and feel good again?" He said some people have a more difficult recovery than others and then one day they turn a corner and carry on. That's exactly what happened to me.

It's important to keep talking to your doc if you have concerns or if you keep having dizzy spells or any pain.

But otherwise, take your meds faithfully, follow a smart heart lifestyle, and give yourself some time to adjust and heal.

It's five years now since my heart event and I am leading a very active life. Best wishes to you!

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Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells

Comments for Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells

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Stents placed in heart and can't get rid of dizzy spells