Heart attack?

[hunting1]

Glad you are OK!

What does it feel like? Is it a pain on the left side of your chest (where you heart is)? Was it hard to breath? Did you pass out? Curious to hear what to look out for from a symptom standpoint from someone who has actually experienced it

Started two weeks ago with a burn in my chest like a cold almost when hiking or working out. Saturday it went to a full out burn in the muscle tissue in my chest and like an elephant standing on my heart until my pulse dropped low. It almost knocked me off my feet and my wife said you are going. All I was doing was loading snow shoes and gear in the truck. My blood test is what showed I had the heart attack or the Troponin levels spiked. Thanks God I had a good ER Dr that day! At the hospital it was blood thinner, stress test and ultra sound you could see my heart not able to push the blood. My blockage was 95%, two stints later, aspirin, 2-blood thinners, and Lipitor all looks good.

No damage to my heart they say so pills and diet I should be good. It was a wake up, I was worried about dying and not being able to do the wilderness adventures is why I was asking who went through this. Scared the hell out my wife and kids. Glad it all worked out.

Crazy you are awake watching the procedure on a TV, technology is awesome!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Started two weeks ago with a burn in my chest like a cold almost when hiking or working out. Saturday it went to a full out burn in the muscle tissue in my chest and like an elephant standing on my heart until my pulse dropped low. It almost knocked me off my feet and my wife said you are going. All I was doing was loading snow shoes and gear in the truck. My blood test is what showed I had the heart attack or the Troponin levels spiked. Thanks God I had a good ER Dr that day! At the hospital it was blood thinner, stress test and ultra sound you could see my heart not able to push the blood. My blockage was 95%, two stints later, aspirin, 2-blood thinners, and Lipitor all looks good.

No damage to my heart they say so pills and diet I should be good. It was a wake up, I was worried about dying and not being able to do the wilderness adventures is why I was asking who went through this. Scared the hell out my wife and kids. Glad it all worked out.

Crazy you are awake watching the procedure on a TV, technology is awesome!

Yeah man, sounds like you had a best case scenario (no damage). How old are you?

 

[Forest_Ghost]

Hey Hunting1, I'm very glad you are doing ok now.

I just wanted to add to the thread about my experience and how important a heart plaque score cscan is. As men we can be stubborn sometimes and easily ignore things like this, many times for the worse.

I went in for yearly physical and my cholesterol was around 250, Dr. was concerned so I had the csan done. Turned out to be 0, thank God, and I just have naturally high cholesterol, but the scan itself took 15 minutes and was less than $300. Its an easy test that can spot problems way ahead of time. I just want to encourage others to stay on top of these kinds of things and not ignore them as when a problem does come up it can be to late. Stay on top of your health, dying on a mountain is not as romantic as we make it out to be.

 

[MattB]

So you’re saying the spike in heart related issues is higher in unvaccinated people or people that had covid? That’s some statistical manipulation and does not separate the groups vaccinated vs unvaccinated. At this point almost everyone has had some version of Covid and yes there all kinds of long term side effects of it. I personally know 3 people that were diagnosed with miocarditus (spelling error probably) as a direct side effect of getting the mRNA vax.

That is impressive considering the NIH suggests myocarditis occurs in 2 people per 100,000 who have received one of mRNA COVID vaccines. Their data suggests that myocarditis occurs in 40 per 100,000 who test positive for COVID-19 and 226 per 100,000 who are hospitalized for COVID-19.

Q&A: COVID-19, Vaccines, and Myocarditis

Benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh a very small risk of heart complications

covid19.nih.gov

 

[MattB]

Hey Hunting1, I'm very glad you are doing ok now.

I just wanted to add to the thread about my experience and how important a heart plaque score cscan is. As men we can be sometimes stubborn and easily ignore things like this, many times for the worse.

I went in for yearly physical and my cholesterol was around 250, Dr. was concerned so I had the csan done. Turned out to be 0, thank God, and I just have naturally high cholesterol, but the scan itself took 15 minutes and was less than $300. Its an easy test that can spot problems way ahead of time. I just want to encourage others to stay on top of these kinds of things and not ignore them as when a problem does come up it can be to late. Stay on top of your health, dying on a mountain is not as romantic as we make it out to be.

This is a cheap scan for anyone who has factors which put them at elevated risk. Had never heard of it until my doctor told me about it a couple of years ago.

 

[hunting1]

I am 49-years old, pretty common I guess or everyone in this age range has some sort of heart disease they told me. Get those check ups!

 

[Dsnow9]

That is impressive considering the NIH suggests myocarditis occurs in 2 people per 100,000 who have received one of mRNA COVID vaccines. Their data suggests that myocarditis occurs in 40 per 100,000 who test positive for COVID-19 and 226 per 100,000 who are hospitalized for COVID-19.

Q&A: COVID-19, Vaccines, and Myocarditis

Benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh a very small risk of heart complications

covid19.nih.gov

Yeah it sucks. Two out of three have young kids. That article is also six months old and a lot of the stuff I have been reading has come out in the last two month. It’s all changing daily as they learn more. I just think it is something to take into consideration and have a conversation with your doctor and in most cases get multiple opinions on serious issues.

 

[Forest_Ghost]

This is a cheap scan for anyone who has factors which put them at elevated risk. Had never heard of it until my doctor told me about it a couple of years ago.

I honestly do not know how this is not a routine procedure for everyone, can catch a whole slew of problems early for very little time and money.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Hey Hunting1, I'm very glad you are doing ok now.

I just wanted to add to the thread about my experience and how important a heart plaque score cscan is. As men we can be stubborn sometimes and easily ignore things like this, many times for the worse.

I went in for yearly physical and my cholesterol was around 250, Dr. was concerned so I had the csan done. Turned out to be 0, thank God, and I just have naturally high cholesterol, but the scan itself took 15 minutes and was less than $300. Its an easy test that can spot problems way ahead of time. I just want to encourage others to stay on top of these kinds of things and not ignore them as when a problem does come up it can be to late. Stay on top of your health, dying on a mountain is not as romantic as we make it out to be.

I honestly do not know how this is not a routine procedure for everyone, can catch a whole slew of problems early for very little time and money.

I had no idea such a thing existed. Very educational, thanks yall.

 

[Shraggs]

Glad you’re on it now. Please stay on it!

No heart attack, but damaged heart from vax. Was very difficult to live for 6 months until the progression of allowable tests got us to Electrocardio gram, stress, test, and echo. I’m lucky it was not full heart myocarditis but one area in left lower ventricle.

The four specialists in my care team I’ve known for decades as I called on them as a rep, not one of them would report the side effect of the VAX per FDA regulations. For those of you, that may be concerned, be persistent on this subject, as there is some hesitation in the provider community.

Boosters are contraindicated if you’ve had any symptoms of the spike protein from the vax in cardio symptoms - I still get pressure to get boosters from the provider community despite. Those that have noticed anything abnormal should really get checked, winded, tired, chest pressure etc. FYI. As well as for historical reasons idmf heart attack ie blockages

Laura Ingram Has frequent national clinical leaders on her show and a week or so ago they were talking specifically in younger men, especially athletic that the projected rate of sudden heart attack is 10 times higher if annualized. They conveyed a correlation with being vaxed.

 

[Fatcamp]

My Dad had his widow maker blocked at age 49 laying in bed one morning. He was shocked a total of 18 times during 3 different codes before it was all said and done. Spent a week knocked out in the ICU but he made it through though. He worked a physical job in the oil field and went to the gym 4x a week. Doctors say he has small veins/arteries. My Grandpa had his at 67. He was also very active, he actually got done feeding cows, closed the gate, shut off the pickup and just died. Both happened on New Years Eve 8 years apart.

My hunting mentor (uncle) on my Mom's side died 10 years ago at the age of 58 from his.

One of my action items for the new year is find a doctor and start doing annual physicals yearly at a minimum. Only 35, but you never know. And I'm sick of walking around on New Years Eve waiting to fall over and die.....

New Years Day morning for my father at 45.

I learned this year that there is a large uptick in cardiac events around Christmas and New Years.

 

[MattB]

I honestly do not know how this is not a routine procedure for everyone, can catch a whole slew of problems early for very little time and money.

Yeah, and mine was only $250, happily paid out of pocket.

 

[Touchdown88]

I have a ton heart issues. Pacemaker at 33, 70% blockage and stent on the widow maker at 34, and chronotropic incompetence.

The first time I had any issues, I passed out in the shower at work after running 1.5 miles in 10 minutes. Since then my backcountry hunts have turned into front country hunts. I'm not physically able to do what my mind wants me to. You'll have to find the new normal. Only you will be able to do that.

 

[49ereric]

Lost a brother 11 years ago to heart attack. Dad had a heart again last spring he is 88. He had excessive gas belching and passing gas and I mean constantly he said but never told me for a couple of weeks. Called him from the maple sugar camp where I was boiling and told him to go to the clinic the next day and tell them ”I think I had a heart attack” he was pissed off on the phone big time but he did go in. Ambulance ride to the hospital shortly there after going to the clinic and was immediately sent in for the first of two stents over 3 1/2 days. lucky sob had no heart damage.
@25 years before after his first stent doctor told him to walk often and strengthen the heart muscle and the damage would be less when he has another attack. Not to overdo the exercise but just keep moving.
Yearly health dynamics physical for me provided for by my Union shows I have great chance for heart attacks but EKG’s show no issue yet.
i am completely covid vaccinated 5 shots.
I know several young people dead from being anti vaxxer‘s.
pick yer poison cuz you are free to do so.
Grandmother almost died of the Spanish flu so I retired when it came and no regrets. Learn from the elders or take your chance.

 

[TheGDog]

What were the symptoms, exactly, you had experienced? And did the ER confirm that a heart-episode is what you had? (as I recall there are some protein markers that would only be there after an actual heart event)

I had an episode of some kind while at home. Got terrible vertigo. If I did not lay down "the room would spin" in terms of visual. Nausea. Had to spit up a couple times. Clammy sweatiness (cold sweat) on shoulders.

At the time we were using a Kuerig, so at first I chalked it up to potentially nasty contamination within the water lines inside the device and we ditched it's use in our home.

As time went on, more and more I believe I probably had a heart event, brought about by high caffeination and it during an timeperiod of high inactivity (which for me are time-periods where the coding becomes more intense, and thus those stressors as well, besides being lassoed to a chair/desk).

Was scary as sh!t. Happened while my son was at home, so I just crashed on his bed when it happened because I just happened to be in at his room when it occurred.

To walk down the hall to go to the bathroom was quite an event. Cause I had to have both arms outstretched to the walls of the hallway to stabilize myself, it was that bad. And the vertigo lasted a long time afterwards. Quite a number of days!

But yeah... any blood test I've ever done, I was always just within high-side of the normal range for the bad kind of cholesterol. I'm careful about that stuff because my grandfather had to have a quadruple bypass at 70yo from arteries chokin' up. I always figured it was because he would have been a young man during The Depression so he probably had habits used to indulging in inexpensive Fatty foods a bit, would be my guess.

NOTE: I've been diagnosed as Hypertensive since 22yo. Some peoples kidneys just produce a lot of angiotensin. Apparently I'm one of them. Causes smooth-walled muscles (i.e. autonomous muscles, such as arteries and veins and the like) to remain tense and rigid, so when the heart pumps... the side/walls of my veins would tend to be more rigid then another "normal" persons, thus resulting in higher blood pressures. Less complaint "give" and flex to the arterial walls, due to the effects of the angiotension.

P.S.S. - BOTH Covid SARS (aka The Bird Flu at that time) and then (23yrs later) SARSv2 (aka Covid-19) took me down harshly for two months at a whack. So I know darn well it likely hurt my lung function some amount. Been pretty good about going to the gym like at least 3x a week, after a long period of just not going due to depression over other things. I can still bust 3.10 miles in 30min at 10 elevation and 12 resistance on Precor elliptical with an expenditure of about 400cal, BEFORE I then go and do leg-lifts on roman chair, and THEN do all the other lifting stuff. With my back issues progressing, I'm trying to be good about going regular. And since I get my boy a gym membership now, I bring him along and we workout together and I focus on teaching him good form and so forth. Been thinking this year I wanna start getting back into MTB rides and start bringing him with so he can start to get experience in the dirt. Want him to have that experience so it'll help him with driving a car. Knowing what to do when traction goes bye-bye. Since most folks tend to panic and freak and make it worse. Want him to learn like I did.

 

[49ereric]

vertigo can be caused by the cystals in the inner becoming dislodge and takes a few days to get the balance back.
I missed work once due to it and couple of other times worked thru it but running heavy equipment I shouldn’t have.

 

[hunting1]

What were the symptoms, exactly, you had experienced? And did the ER confirm that a heart-episode is what you had? (as I recall there are some protein markers that would only be there after an actual heart event)

I had an episode of some kind while at home. Got terrible vertigo. If I did not lay down "the room would spin" in terms of visual. Nausea. Had to spit up a couple times. Clammy sweatiness (cold sweat) on shoulders.

At the time we were using a Kuerig, so at first I chalked it up to potentially nasty contamination within the water lines inside the device and we ditched it's use in our home.

As time went on, more and more I believe I probably had a heart event, brought about by high caffeination and it during an timeperiod of high inactivity (which for me are time-periods where the coding becomes more intense, and thus those stressors as well, besides being lassoed to a chair/desk).

Was scary as sh!t. Happened while my son was at home, so I just crashed on his bed when it happened because I just happened to be in at his room when it occurred.

To walk down the hall to go to the bathroom was quite an event. Cause I had to have both arms outstretched to the walls of the hallway to stabilize myself, it was that bad. And the vertigo lasted a long time afterwards. Quite a number of days!

But yeah... any blood test I've ever done, I was always just within high-side of the normal range for the bad kind of cholesterol. I'm careful about that stuff because my grandfather had to have a quadruple bypass at 70yo from arteries chokin' up. I always figured it was because he would have been a young man during The Depression so he probably had habits used to indulging in inexpensive Fatty foods a bit, would be my guess.

NOTE: I've been diagnosed as Hypertensive since 22yo. Some peoples kidneys just produce a lot of angiotensin. Apparently I'm one of them. Causes smooth-walled muscles (i.e. autonomous muscles, such as arteries and veins and the like) to remain tense and rigid, so when the heart pumps... the side/walls of my veins would tend to be more rigid then another "normal" persons, thus resulting in higher blood pressures. Less complaint "give" and flex to the arterial walls, due to the effects of the angiotension.

Troponin in your blood is how they can and did tell. My early signs were a slight burn in my chest. Got worse until almost fell over. Go get checked out even for minor changes.

 

[yfarm]

At age 33 I heard a talk on longevity from a cardiologist from Wash U. Most important predictor of life length was genetics, 2nd was 81 mg of Aspirin daily. Started on it the next day, am now 69 1/2. Ran 7 min mile for 3 miles a day for 30 yrs. When I was in my mid 50s we got a new fast CT scanner and to test the scan protocols I had a coronary CTA, showed totally clean coronary arteries after a life eating whatever I wanted. Havent had my cholesterol checked in 25 yrs. Are my clean vessels from genetics, aspirin or running? Who knows. Lots we dont know. I do think there is an argument for doing screening cornary CTA in asymptomatic high risk individuals. CTA Computed Tomographic Angiography.

 

[Michael Rankin]

Any of you on here had a heart attack? I got a scare last weekend or had a blocked artery, Was heading out snow shoeing when the check engine light came on. Was in denial since I am still fairly young, eat healthy, and exercise regularly.

I have stints in and no damage to my heart but wondering what heading into the wilderness will look like. Thanks

The identical thing happened to my best friend I elk hunt with in 2017. Had a heart attack, no damage to his heart. This was in may.

We hunt a really rugged wilderness, that almost everything you read about it says you need horses ti hunt it. Archery season rolled around, and we were in their backpack elk hunting like every other year. His doctor cleared him for this. Just had a smart watch to monitor heart rate.

We went slower than normal, but still hunted all the usual spots. One of the medications they had him on did make his muscles cramp and fatigue. He killed a bull opening weekend quite a ways in the wilderness that took a couple days for us to get out.

After 2 years he was fully back to normal like it never happens.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I get annual complete phyicals, and the last two years I had occasion to undergo more extensive medical exams. Last April I had hip replacement surgery, well, not 36 hours after being released from hospital I was back in ER because I passed out. When they ran blood work they asked if I had any chest pain, to which I said nothing. Dr. told me I had elevated Troponin level and that may indicate heart attack so they admitted me. I underwent every test there is to monitor heart. Because I was three days out from hip replacement the treadmill test was out so I had and induced stress test. Bottom line, there was nothing wrong with my heart. The cardiologist told me, if you have a heart attack you will have high troponin levels, but not all high levels are because of an attack. When ever your body is under stress the level may be elevated. Mine were elevated because of the stress on my body because of the surgery. But they had to eliminate any possible heart problem before they could clear me. The other time, I was sure I was having a heart attack, and was admitted and also underwent every test there was. My symptom were classic heart attack symptom, chest pain, tightness in my jaw, pain in my left arm and back, and sweating. After all the test and three days in hospital it was determined the symptoms were caused by restriction in my esophagus, which mimic a heart attack. They preform a procedure to stretch my esophagus ( while I was under ) and that took care of the problem. Bottom line guys, give up the macho man crap and get complete annual physical. I am 73 and want to see my grand kids for many more years, and enjoy more years with my wife of 46 years. Speaking of surgery, I'm having left knee replace Feb. 9th. I hope I don't have same issue I had with hip replacement, passing out and ending up back in hospital to undergo all the same heart monitoring test.