Current Events > Had a heart attack today guys.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Got woken up from my sleep with the strangest feeling in the world, like a halo of numbness and pain was going from head to toes in waves. I became instantly aware that my heart was fighting out of my chest, and I threw on my fitbit w/e and it immediately started screaming at me to seek help.

Roommate drove me to the ER. Sinus tachycardia + AFIB attack in my sleep. I was at 180/120 and about to bottom out but the doctors put me on a ton of medicine very quickly and I normalized. Then they ran some scans, some with contrast, and are currently in the process of finding out what it was. My (post attack) heart rate and blood pressure is surprisingly well above average for my age and height, they told me. No clots, arteries clogged or anything bad whatsoever on the scans they took.

I was discharged saying it's stress and anxiety related (Been working OT for over a year to support my mother, who lives a state away, who has spinal cancer.) and that I need to make enormous strides to changing my mental health before I actually die.

Fuck, man. I'm scared.

damn man, I'm glad you were able to catch it in time.

hopefully there's some way to reduce your stress.

Although it is good news that it isn't a clot, artery, or anything like that it is also kind of scary that you appear to be perfectly healthy but just had a heart attack from stress. That to me is almost more worrisome. Hope things turn around for you.

Probably a panic attack or something similar.

Not a heart attack. I can assure you that you would not have been discharged if you had an abnormal EKG or elevated cardiac enzymes.

Glad it was caught in time.

Make sure to take it easy in the coming weeks/months.

Sorry to hear that. Stay on topic of your doctors make sure they run everything on you to check your ticker .

TheSuperSilver posted... Probably a panic attack or something similar.

Not a heart attack. I can assure you that you would not have been discharged if you had an abnormal EKG or elevated cardiac enzymes.

Yes and no, I was dead asleep and had a very calm and normal night. I know it's a horse/cart situation, but I was in there for close to ten hours before they felt good enough to let me go.

In a way that's reassuring if it wasn't a bonified attack though, but he made a point to mention that sinus tac while asleep is very unusual and I have a fleet of cardiologist referrals to get to the bottom of it before it gets any worse at least.

First off, you need to try to relax since Im sure youre worrying over the recent health scare you just went through and thatll just make it worse.

Try to think of something positive.

I know its going to be tough to do, as Im prone to the occasional anxiety attack if I let something get to me enough, but you need to calm yourself and most importantly let your body get some rest since its not in any real position to carry on under the stress levels youve admitted to be suffering under.

Is there anybody else in your friend group or immediate or extended family that can help you look after your mother while you rest up?

Ill try to keep you in my prayers for the next couple of days or so, by the way.

C-zom posted...

Sinus tachycardia + AFIB attack

So you didn't have a heart attack...?

Did they run a troponin blood test?

Fascinating. Can't imagine how it feels to have such an incredible experience. What was the physical pain like? Was it like a bad headache or something completely unbearable.

Absolutely mortifying. Shit like this torments me, having a family history of early heart attacks. Needless to say, take care of yourself and keep us posted. Feel better.

C-zom posted...

Yes and no, I was dead asleep and had a very calm and normal night. I know it's a horse/cart situation, but I was in there for close to ten hours before they felt good enough to let me go.

In a way that's reassuring if it wasn't a bonified attack though, but he made a point to mention that sinus tac while asleep is very unusual and I have a fleet of cardiologist referrals to get to the bottom of it before it gets any worse at least.

Oh sure, they'll have you referred to outpatient cardiology for follow up. That's perfectly fine.

But an NSTEMI or full on STEMI is a different matter altogether. If they diagnosed you with either of those 2 things, you would have been rushed over to the cath lab and stented. I do this for a living so I'm just telling you.

ER stays are often long even if they don't ultimately admit you for anything. Sometimes it's just for observation, sometimes they're waiting for labs and/or imaging studies to return, etc. Those things can take time.

But in any event, glad you're alright.

pupeye posted...

So you didn't have a heart attack...?

Did they run a troponin blood test?

I'm not a medical guy. I just know what they said. They were basically of the opinion that it was an extreme spike, I caught it in time, happening while asleep is very bad and to take care of my stress. They really pushed the anxiety attack angle, too, but I've dealt with panic attacks or anxiety all my life and haven't even gotten 10% as close to this event.

They did. Paperwork is 0.05 ng/ml which google now tells me is precisely at the end of the safe range list.

TheSuperSilver posted...

Oh sure, they'll have you referred to outpatient cardiology for follow up. That's perfectly fine.

But an NSTEMI or full on STEMI is a different matter altogether. If they diagnosed you with either of those 2 things, you would have been rushed over to the cath lab and stented. I do this for a living so I'm just telling you.

ER stays are often long even if they don't ultimately admit you for anything. Sometimes it's just for observation, sometimes they're waiting for labs and/or imaging studies to return, etc. Those things can take time.

But in any event, glad you're alright.

I appreciate the feedback. I didn't mean to sound argumentative, just scary + in shock. It's reassuring it could have gone way more south and way harder but I pulled through with their help.

I hope you didn't tell your mother that. It would break her heart if she thinks for one moment that your panic attack was due to her sickness that is ALSO out of her control.

God, this sucks all around. But yeah, you need to dial it back a tad to lower the chances of preventing this again. I know, easier said than done.

I can assure you, that definitely wasn't a heart attack seeing as how I had two before and they were nothing like you described. And you are definitely not posting on CE the day of. Mine, I felt really cold on my left side of the body with a lot of numbness. Then the severe nausea kicked in, then....nothing. I blacked out. First time, I woke up a day later, the second, I woke up a few days later and found out that I was intubated.

Like another poster said, you may have had a panic attack. Heart attacks are no joke.

Vicious_Dios posted...

I hope you didn't tell your mother that.

There's no chance I would ever tell her.

DirkDiggles posted...

Like another poster said, you may have had a panic attack. Heart attacks are no joke.

I believe you. As said above, I'm extremely familiar with panic attacks and anxiety all my life (I'm much older, near my 40s) and I've never known them to be able to strike in my sleep or bounce my heart out of my chest. I guess I don't know about them as much as I thought, nor that they could be potentially life threatening if unchecked out of a dead sleep.

Sounds like you got a lot going on. As someone who also suffers from major stress and anxiety disorders, I hope you take some time for self care.

faizan_faizan posted...

Fascinating. Can't imagine how it feels to have such an incredible experience. What was the physical pain like? Was it like a bad headache or something completely unbearable.

That traumatizing huh?

How old are you?

That's terrifying. Glad you pulled through.

faizan_faizan posted...

That traumatizing huh?

I went to bed man. Needed some rest.

The waves of pain felt like your arm/leg falling asleep but starting from your head to the toes. Paired with an insane blood pressure, being physically aware of my heartbeat, and a tightness in my chest.

That "pang" you get looking over a way up height for a split second, but involuntary and came in waves with numbness/pain attached is my closest metaphor.

C-zom posted...

I went to bed man. Needed some rest.

The waves of pain felt like your arm/leg falling asleep but starting from your head to the toes. Paired with an insane blood pressure, being physically aware of my heartbeat, and a tightness in my chest.

That "pang" you get looking over a way up height for a split second, but involuntary and came in waves with numbness/pain attached is my closest metaphor.

I see. Thank you for describing your experience. I wish you a quick and easy recovery.

Holy shit that's terrifying