Had a heart attack? What symptoms did you have?

[Colin of Kent]

I've recently found out that I have a lesion in one of my coronary arteries.

I'm aware that we Type 1s can have different symptoms or even none at all when a heart attack strikes. My cousin, who's also Type 1, got some very strange symptoms.

Obviously, we're all different, but I'm curious if there's anyone here who could relay their own experience?

 

[Colin of Kent]

Anybody?

 

[satindoll]

@Colin of Kent ......

Ok I realise I'm not a t1 so was reluctant to intrude but..........all I had was a persistent ache in my lower arms over a few days that wouldn't shift, went to the GP and jokingly said "Think I'm having a heart attack"........luckily he took me seriously as I had no chest pain and 5 mins later the machine proved I was.......that was in the March and in the Sept I had a quad bypass.........but this was 2 years before I was diagnosed with t2........hubs on the other hand had all the classic symptoms, arm and chest pain, grey colouring and sweating etc...........though he has since been diagnosed as pre diabetic...

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Colin of Kent ......

Ok I realise I'm not a t1 so was reluctant to intrude but..........all I had was a persistent ache in my lower arms over a few days that wouldn't shift, went to the GP and jokingly said "Think I'm having a heart attack"........luckily he took me seriously as I had no chest pain and 5 mins later the machine proved I was.......that was in the March and in the Sept I had a quad bypass.........but this was 2 years before I was diagnosed with t2........hubs on the other hand had all the classic symptoms, arm and chest pain, grey colouring and sweating etc...........though he has since been diagnosed as pre diabetic...

From what I have seen on the media, women tend to have different symptoms from men. I don't think the powers that be know why.

 

[ninaleonard78]

my mum a type 1 had silent heart attacks no sign or symptoms...due to other health conditions too we had her a year from her first heart attack, shes been gone just 4 years now...she where ive just been diagnosed with type 2 from...

 

[Pasha]

Mine was almost 30 years ago. Generally felt unwell and then before bed felt a tingling dull pain in my left arm. Went to hospital and was quickly admitted into the cardiology dept. Thirteen years later complained of extreme tiredness and three days later underwent quadruple by pass surgery. I was 46 years old at the time of the heart attack.

 

[ChrissiG]

I had a heart attack 3 years ago aged 64. Took me a while to realise what was happening. The pain was a squeezing pain up under my ribs - reminded me of my gall bladder pain but more to the left. Eventually rang 111 who sent the paramedics. They confirmed it was a heart attack and took me to hospital. Had an angioplasty at Blackpool hospital but unfortunately had a cardiac arrest on the table! Luckily they were able to shock me and bring me back! On a shed load of meds now. I’ve lost a stone since then and keeping my BS under control so fingers crossed.

 

[Stephen Lewis]

Same age as ChrissiG but five years ago. I went to the doctor with severe burning in the chest, sweating and very tired etc. His comment was that I had the "classic symptoms". An ECG the next day showed no signs! I year later after being forced to retire, several specialists and a misdiagnosed apnea, a new doctor suggested blood pressure tablets. After 6 month of trial an error for different tablets and doses I have never felt better.

 

[Latedecember1963]

Hi Colin! I was diagnosed in May 1979 with type 1 at the age of 15. When I was 35 I started getting pains in my left side like a kidney infection and was not able to walk to work any more as the pain got worse. I went to see my GP, who specialised in Diabetic Care (lol) he told me I was only 35, a woman and had never smoked so it could not be my heart. I saw him 3 times over a period of 8 weeks.

Eventually after 8 weeks I had gone to my Mum's for tea and this pain became so severe that I couldn't eat. I asked Mum to look after my son and went home to rest. I was up all night as I was scared to sit down in case I died. The following morning I rang the surgery at 8am and a GP came out to see me, he thought I had a broken rib and sent me for an x-ray - there was nothing broken.

I rang the emergency Doctor that night and was told by a triage nurse that if I wanted to see a doctor I would have to travel 6 miles to see one. I got a taxi with my Mum and Son and had to wait another 2 hours to be seen. This Doctor sent me to A&E after he rang them with his suspicions, but not by ambulance - by taxi. I was redirected to a ward and a Doctor came running towards me - he looked at my Mum and then at me and asked who had pains. Obviously after over 30 hours of pain I was glad to get some morphine, but it was too late to have the injection to break the clot. 6 years later after 3 angio-graphs I was told I had 3 narrowed arteries and had a quadruple by-pass at the age of 41. I had no chest or arm pain, it was in my back and I had previously had a kidney infection and thought it could be that again.

Make sure the Doctor takes notice of your symptoms - good luck! Hope you are OK.

 

[Muddikins]

Ache in my jaw extending to my right shoulder. No 'crushing' chest pain at all.
I went to the GP, they did an ECG and referred me to an assessment clinic. Sadly they didn't actually look at the ECG because 10 days later at the clinic they did and told me I had had a stemi and required immediate admission. I had assumed that all would be well so had made no plans for Jackthedog and told the quack that I would have to go home and sort that out before they admitted me. He went pale and made me sign a 'discharge against medical advice' form, even though I hadn't been admitted.
I even went to ASDA because I didn't have any PJ's so the whole thing was somewhat bizarre. Once I got back to hospital they made me lie in a bed whilst they wheeled me to a ward having only just taken Muttkin for a last walkies in case it was my last walkies. I smoked my last fag in the carpark on the way in
I am, at the time, finding this all highly amusing (cos I actually feel just fine) and even better was the fitting of the stent with the Polish doctor and the female nurse bantering about lady drivers (the machine you lie on moves in all directions to facilitate the live scan) and Polish plumbers. At the end they said I should probably be dead but since I wasn't not to worry about it, so I don't.
I am, luckily, as fit as a fiddle now considering the diabetes and the heart attack

 

[Oldvatr]

I am a T2D male aged 71. 5 Years ago I had an A&E visit 5 years ago where they found I had a staph aureus infection. It attacked all my organs, including my heart. My blood showed that I had the markers for heart attack, but all I had was a sharp pain in my collarbone and shoulder that paracetamol dealt with. So this appears to have been my first heart attack.

At the start of March I had an episode of breathing difficulties and we called the medics via 111. No pain, and at that time my ankles had no swelling. Blue light to A&E and again markers for heart attack. Absolutely no pain or discomfort at all, just fluid on the lungs giving breating problems. But my ankles did get a bit puffy.

On the assessment ward I continued to have episodes of intense breathlessnes, but ECG was clear. Finally I woke up with heartburn. burped and it went away, but told the nurse about it. I was rushed to the Cardio Care Unit where I spent an uncomfortable night on pressure breathing and feeling very sorry for myself. Blood markers confirmed another CVE, so the next day I had the angiogram and echoscans that proved heart failure. The consultant who was looking after me the night before came in and was quite surprised to see me sitting up in bed and showing no effects from the night before. He thought I was a gonner. Not me!

Anyway, I have had more tests etc, I am now waiting for a triple bypass operation, But this hospital does not do operations, so I am waiting to transfer to the County Centre of Excellance, and I have been waiting a month now. No sign of when I will get a slot. Another guy on same ward has been waiting two months for his at the same COE. Told waiting period is 3 months, and if I go home it can be over a year to go in as an outpatient. But I could get the call tomorrow.

Edit to update@
Thr guy on the ward was taken to the hospital today. Then they cancelled the op and have no bed for him. He is queueing in a corridor in the hope they can squeeze him in at the end.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi @Colin of Kent

I really don't want to derail your thread, but I wanted to emphasise the fact that men and women can have VERY different heart attack symptoms, and it may help people if posters identify whether their experiences are that of a man or woman - yes, I know that seems pedantic, but some poster's names and avatars do not make clear whether they are male or female.

This link describes classic symptoms for women
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/heart-attack/women-and-heart-attacks
and this describes classic symptoms for men (with a section for women)
https://www.medicinenet.com/heart_a...heart_attack_early_warning_signs_and_symptoms

and then, of course, as Colin says, there are atypical symptoms too...

 

[Bluetit1802]

Having read through this thread, there are hardly any duplicate stories. I am amazed at how many different symptoms there are.

My only experience of heart attacks relate to other people.

Firstly an old friend (male) . He was a T1 diabetic since the age of 9. In his late 30's he was in hospital for an unconnected issue when he was told that he had had a silent heart attack at some point in the past. He had absolutely no idea.

Secondly, many years ago I was visiting an elderly man in the course of my work. He left the room to find something then I heard him making a few loud gasps, very loud. I went to find him but he had fallen to the ground behind the door, which I could not open. His gasps had stopped. I called for help, which came extremely quickly. He was dead. I was later told it was a severe heart attack. Prior to this he had shown no signs whatsoever of being ill or in pain. He was talking to me normally. I have never completely got over that incident. It happened so quickly.

 

[lovinglife]

My very fit and health conscious non diabetic brother 54 had a massive heart attack on holiday in Switzerland, no signs what so ever- no pain, he was extremely lucky as he was in the hotel restaurant- he raised his glass to his wife said cheers, grunted and dropped to the floor, technically dead, a German nurse saved his life twice with CPR and a defibrillator before the ambulance arrived - he died again in the ambulance and they got him back. The consultant treating him said only 10% of people survive this kind of attack

He is now recovering but has heart failure and only has 60% of his heart working, he had a defibrillator fitted in Switzerland and his life is very different now. They are looking at genetic - I've had extensive tests and I'm fine - in fact all my markers are very good. Of course it could still be genetic and have started with my brother. His kids now have to have tests every 2 years.

 

[pete254]

I've recently found out that I have a lesion in one of my coronary arteries.

I'm aware that we Type 1s can have different symptoms or even none at all when a heart attack strikes. My cousin, who's also Type 1, got some very strange symptoms.

Obviously, we're all different, but I'm curious if there's anyone here who could relay their own experience?

When I had a heart attack 5 years ago the only symptom was mild indigestion and not feeling quite right.
No pain at all.
After the angioplasty (and 3 stents) I had another attack caused by bleeding around one of the stents.
This time the symptoms were classic - acute chest pain and laboured breathing.
So the symptoms were completely different for two events within 2 days of each other.
I am guessing that (for me anyway) the different symptoms were because one attack was caused by a slow blockage in the artery and the second was much quicker. Hope this helps.

 

[Wendi22]

I've just had an angiogram because other tests were irregular and the doctor asked me when my previous heart attack had been. I wasn't aware I'd had one!

 

[KK123]

I've just had an angiogram because other tests were irregular and the doctor asked me when my previous heart attack had been. I wasn't aware I'd had one!

Which would have been enough to give you another one Wendi, gosh!

 

[Colin of Kent]

Wow, so many stories, thank you all for sharing.

I'm aware that symptoms vary between men and women, and in particular I was interested to hear from other T1s.

So far, I think I'm asymptomatic, but I do get short of breath at times when my younger self wouldn't have done so. I'm approaching 40 now, and exercise regularly, don't smoke or drink.

I'm due for a pre-assessment in a few weeks' time to assess my clinical need for angiogram, but it could be July before that happens...

 

[Oldvatr]

Wow, so many stories, thank you all for sharing.

I'm aware that symptoms vary between men and women, and in particular I was interested to hear from other T1s.

So far, I think I'm asymptomatic, but I do get short of breath at times when my younger self wouldn't have done so. I'm approaching 40 now, and exercise regularly, don't smoke or drink.

I'm due for a pre-assessment in a few weeks' time to assess my clinical need for angiogram, but it could be July before that happens...

May Good Fortune go with you.