1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Cardiovascular Disorders

Angina worse after stents

Posted , 4 users are following.

grace50435
grace50435

We're trying to get to the bottom of a mystery!

My dad has a history of heart trouble, with heart attack & quadruple bypass about 25 years ago.  After major lifestyle change, he's lived pretty well but with some angina in past few years.

He's had swollen feet for a long time so recently had ultrasound on his heart which came back fine, no problems other than very minor valve leak which the Dr said didn't need attention.  My dad then got a little too pleased with his results and went and pushed himself very hard on a treadmill (yes, we shouted at him later!) and the same day had a minor heart attack!   Was admitted, had CT scan which showed his major artery was clear and then an angiogram at which they put one stent and balloon in place.

All other tests appear fine, no significant signs of heart failure, or anything else, and yet since the stent, his angina is worse.  He had it yesterday at rest (it was always on exertion before the stent) and it wasn't relieved with GTN, so they admitted him again.  Tests are clear this morning, he's not had another heart attack but remains a mystery why, 4 weeks later, he's getting worse pain than before.   Could it be artery stretch? Or something else? 

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • sharon77083
    sharon77083 grace50435

    Posted

    I would be interested in seeing what other people think too. After 2 stents i now get angina at rest but not on exertion!
  • pauline1920
    pauline1920 grace50435

    Posted

    Is the stent blocked? Is the stent itself occluding an artery (happened to me) he really does need to go back. Pain at rest is 'Unstable Angina' it should always be investigated. It could just be he sustained more heart damage after the last attack but it isn't wise to just leave it better a nuscience than a corpse
    • grace50435
      grace50435 pauline1920

      Posted

      Thanks. He was admitted again and they have referred him for a nuclear scan in 3 weeks, but they sent him home, otherwise happy with him overall.  He's not had pain since but is still very breathless on minimal effort, so he's just taking it easy.  They've put him back on an anti-angina drug too.
  • pauline1920
    pauline1920 grace50435

    Posted

    In my case that's what happened the stent occluded an artery and it died causing physical damage on a branch artery
  • grace50435
    grace50435

    Posted

    Well, a few months on and dad is still having angina. It's only on exertion, so they sent him for a nuclear heart scan. Alas, he had to walk a mile from the car park to the unit and once he got there, had to take his spray. They didn't feel it was wise to go ahead with the test (which involves speeding up your heart) if he'd just had some angina.  So, now it's wait and see.

    There's a definite improvement from where he was at. At first he couldn't even walk up the road, now he's capable of walking about a mile or so.  But still, he was hoping to be angina-free.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.