by Carolyn Thomas ♥ @HeartSisters
A friend’s daughter (who happens to be a cardiac nurse) phoned to check on me a few days after I was discharged from the hospital following my heart attack. I felt so relieved to hear Kate’s voice because something was really starting to worry me: I was still having chest pain.
Hadn’t the blocked coronary artery that had caused my “widow maker” heart attack just recently been magically unblocked? Wasn’t that newly revascularized artery now propped wide open with a shiny metal stent? Shouldn’t I be feeling better?
And that’s when I heard the words “stretch pain” for the first time. . .
She explained to me exactly what I would later learn more about from cardiac researchers in Germany: most “stretch pain” symptoms are due to the dilation and stretching of a coronary artery that’s caused when a coronary stent is being implanted inside that artery.(1) And for the majority of heart patients, she added, stretch pain is not a danger sign.
But if you’re like me, you may still be concerned, after your stent has been newly implanted, to find that the chest pain that sent you to the hospital in the first place is still happening.
At the time, I could find no information about chest pain AFTER a stent procedure in any of the patient education material I was given before I was discharged from the CCU (the Intensive Care Unit for heart patients).
But now I was learning that this new chest pain might be BECAUSE of a stent procedure.
The German researchers agreed that post-stent chest pain is likely not a reason for us to panic. But they did acknowledge:
“This is a common problem. Although the development of chest pain after coronary interventions may be benign, it is disturbing to patients, relatives and hospital staff.”
Disturbing? No kidding. . .
New chest pain is very disturbing to a person who has just survived a heart attack.
In the German study, researchers found that stretch pain can be experienced after different types of cardiac interventions:
- about 40 per cent of the patients they studied developed chest pain after having a coronary stent implanted (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI)
- 12 per cent developed chest pain after balloon angioplasty
- 9 per cent developed chest pain after diagnostic angiography
As cardiologist Dr. Allen Jeremias explained in his book, Your Personal Guide to Angioplasty:
” The air pressure in your fully inflated car tires is about 2 atmospheres. By comparison, the high pressure used to inflate a balloon inside a coronary artery during angioplasty is between 10-20 atmospheres.”
Researchers suggest that chest pain in recently stented patients can be associated with continuous stretching of the treated coronary artery during an invasive procedure, which they described like this in the journal, Circulation:(2)
“Non-ischemic chest pain develops in almost half of all patients undergoing stent implantation, and seems to be related to blood vessel over-expansion caused by the stent inside the diseased vessel.”
U.K. sources add that it’s common to experience this new chest discomfort in the first few days and weeks following a stent procedure.
“This is because your artery has suffered some trauma and bruising from the stent being fitted. You can have episodes of pain or discomfort as the stent settles into place. This pain is usually felt quite locally in the chest, and is often described as sharp or stabbing. This type of pain can often be relieved by taking acetaminophen (Tylenol).”
Symptoms have been generally described by patients as mild or moderate, and also “unlike the pain of angina” that they had experienced before they came into the hospital for treatment. Three-quarters of patients with this pain described it as “continuous, squeezing pain located deep in the chest.”
What if stretch pain continues or gets worse?
Stretch pain is typically a short-term issue while we are recuperating. But sometimes, it is not just short-term.
The Journal of the American Heart Association reported that about one third of heart attack patients studied were still reporting occasional chest pain at six weeks or longer.(3) These symptoms happened infrequently – about 80 per cent experienced symptoms once a month on average, but of the remaining 20 per cent, chest pain was happening weekly or even daily.
This kind of chest pain may not be just your average stretch pain.
If chest pain persists or worsens over weeks, it may indicate another cardiac issue that must be checked out. In a 2018 U.K. study, researchers turned the cardiology world on its ear by suggesting that stents may not address chest pain as we have always believed – especially for patients who have not had a heart attack.(4) Coronary artery disease (CAD) typically affects many blood vessels, and so stenting only the largest blockage may not make much difference in a patient’s symptoms. As the New York Times described the findings of this study:
“A few arteries might be blocked today, and then reopened with stents. But tomorrow a blockage might arise in another artery, and cause a heart attack.”
Always consult your own physician for ongoing or new chest pain, or any distressing symptoms that simply do not feel right to you. See also: “ISCHEMIA Study: That Blockage Isn’t A Time Bomb In Your Chest“ about the controversial 2019 research that suggested stents or coronary bypass surgery are no more effective – except during a heart attack – than providing optimal medical/drug therapy; as I noted at the time, however, fewer than 1/4 of the ISCHEMIA study participants were women. Until women are appropriately represented, researchers will continue to study (white, middle-aged) men whose experience may or may not be comparable to our experiences.
But meanwhile, my own question on stretch pain is still this:
” “If stretch pain caused by having a stent implanted is as common as cardiac researchers seem to suggest, why aren’t heart patients like me warned about this before hospital discharge so we don’t need to panic during recovery?”
♥
1. Jeremias, A. et al. “Nonischemic Chest Pain Induced by Coronary Interventions: A Prospective Study Comparing Coronary Angioplasty and Stent Implantation”. Circulation. December 1998: 2656–265.
2. Chao-Chien Chang et al. “Chest pain after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stable angina”. Clin Interv Aging. 2016; 11: 1123–1128.
3. Fanaroff, A. et al. “Management of Persistent Angina After Myocardial Infarction Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the TRANSLATE‐ACS Study”; Journal of the American Heart Asssociation. Oct 2017.
4. Rasha Al-Lamee et al. “Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Stable Angina (ORBITA): a Double-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial”. The Lancet, Volume 391, ISSUE 10115, P31-40, January 06, 2018.
♥
NOTE FROM CAROLYN: In my book, “A Woman’s Guide to Living with Heart Disease“ (Johns Hopkins University Press), I wrote much more about chest pain and other (common and uncommon) cardiac symptoms. You can ask for this book at your local library or bookshop (please support your favourite independent family-owned shop!) or order it online (paperback, hardcover or e-book) at Amazon, or order it directly from Johns Hopkins University Press. Use their code HTWN to save 30% off the list price when you order.
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Q: Have you ever experienced stretch pain after a cardiac procedure?
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Please do not leave a comment here asking me about your current symptoms. I am not a physician and cannot offer you medical advice. Always see a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing distressing symptoms.
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Heart Sisters 
Thank you so much for this article!!
I had a stent put in on January 31, 2024 and I still have occasional chest pain to varying degrees virtually every day.
It’s getting better (less frequent and less severe), but it’s still happening. I was fortunate in that my nurses did tell me that stretch pain might occur and reminded me that a foreign body had been inserted in my heart and might cause discomfort for a bit, but they provided no time line.
My cardiologist, on the other hand, was very dismissive with an attitude of – You’re fixed. Get over it!–
When I complained of still experiencing pain at my follow up, he just shrugged and said, “There’s a hundred reasons why you might have chest pain. If it doesn’t feel like it did before surgery, don’t worry about it.”
I am in cardiac rehab and walk most days, but I still felt anxious about the stent pain until I found this article. I will also reach for my nitro tabs sooner and more often than I had been. It sounds silly as I write this, but I was honestly paranoid about having to get a refill because I didn’t want to be perceived as an over-reacting woman.
Thank you again for this article.
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Hello Traci – I’m very glad you found this article and so were able to read about cardiac researchers (e.g. the four studies I cited at the end of this post) who disagree with your cardiologist’s view.
I don’t make this stuff up. I’m dismayed that there are still cardiologists out there who seem to believe “If I don’t know about it, it does not exist!”
You’re not alone. In fact, there are NOT “100 reasons” you might have chest pain after a stent – but there’s ONE MAIN REASON – according to a number of cardiac researchers – which they found affects about 40% of stent patients. Please don’t be dissuaded by being dismissed by your doctor.
In my opinion, it’s a waste of your time to continue trying to educate somebody who thinks he knows everything there is to know. Your only job now is what I tell all of my readers: become the world expert on what has just happened to your heart. Knowledge is power. The fact that you landed on this website is a good sign you’re already doing that.
Remember also that you’re in relatively early days yet (just over five weeks). The good news is that your chest pain seems to be happeneing less frequently, not worsening. That’s a good sign! Also very good is your participation in cardiac rehab – so important, especially for women!
Your reluctance to refill your nitro prescription for chest pain is not silly at all – you’ve never been through this before, so no wonder you were feeling confused. You’re not over-reacting – you’re reacting in a very common way that any newly-diagnosed heart patient might feel, too.
As I like to say “NITRO IS YOUR FRIEND!” I wrote more about nitro here in case you missed that article.
Good luck to you – sounds like you’re doing all the right things so far!! ❤️
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I had a stent nearly a year ago, and whist it instantly stopped the pain I was going through, I have since had shortness of breath (so the doctor took me off Bisoprolol) and a chest pain that was not there before my STEMI.
I went to see the doctor who suggested that I see a counselor for anxiety and when I told him that I wasn’t suffering from anxiety, just chest pain he said, and I quote: ‘I’m not going to feed you any old bullshit and send you out the door…’ I couldn’t believe it. He was there to help me.
I’m still in pain, I still have breathing problems and it shows no signs of stopping. 😢 I guess this is my life now.
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Hello Stephen – I’m so sorry that you have been going through this for almost a YEAR. I’m not a physician so cannot comment specifically on your situation of course, but my general view is that accepting pain and breathing problems will just be your life from now on is a disturbing prospect.
I’m curious about whether or not your doctor prescribed nitro for chest pain, and if it helps to reduce this “new” chest pain? It’s also important to remember that there are many reasons for chest pain (many of which are not heart-related at all) so you might want to rule out some of those reasons. Here’s an article about causes of chest pain that might ring some bells for you. It’s encouraging to know that your doctor is “there to help you!” I hope your symptoms begin to show signs of fading, but if they continue, or if they become worse instead of better, I’d suggest you get a second opinion from a cardiologist.
Good luck to you. . .
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Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for your very informative article. This definitely makes so much more sense. I had an RCA stent put in on Valentine’s Day for a 95% blockage. They say I have another 90% blockage on a smaller artery in the back of the heart.
Soon after discharge with Brilinta and aspirin, I was having serious breathlessness and occasional pain. The follow up team helped get me in sooner (a week after stenting) with the nurse-practitioner, as an appointment with the cardiologist was 6 weeks out. She changed it to Plavix and that has helped tremendously.
However, I’ve had three episodes of chest pain, going to my back, under armpit and even down the left arm. When I saw the NP, I asked about nitro, as recommended by the pharmacist and she prescribed it.
So I’ve taken nitro on two separate days following the pain…that also after googling how much pain to bear before taking the nitro!
I’m so frustrated that now I’m looking for another cardiologist. I have strong family history of heart disease and aortic aneurysm, though I didn’t have any heart issues before this.
Last time the pain hit, apart from pain in the arm/shoulder, I had breathlessness and my heart was thumping so hard, it hurt. Thankfully the pain subsided after second nitro in about 45 mins.
How does one decide when its prudent to head to the ER? I don’t want to be a frequent flyer there and the cardiologist’s office is pretty useless!
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Hello Joy – sorry for the delay in responding to your comment (it somehow ended up in the Spam folder!)
I’m not a physician so cannot offer medical advice, of course, but I can tell you generally that what you’re describing is typical in many stent patients. You’re in relatively early days still (only 3 weeks) which is when – if this is in fact due to post-stent stretch pain – we’d normally expect the body to react with symptoms like this.
It seems to me that you’ve done all the right things so far! Following up immediately with your clinical team, asking for that nitro prescription (I am wondering why that wasn’t routinely prescribed before you even left the hospital?!) = all good!
Remember that NITRO IS YOUR FRIEND! Read this post about taking nitro for chest pain – based on solid advice from the late cardiologist Dr. Bernard Lown – who encouraged his heart patients to start taking their nitro as soon as the symptoms start (many of us sit and wait to see how much worse the symptoms will get! Don’t do that.) I met a woman once who was a tournament tennis player who also lived with chronic angina. She would take her nitro dose BEFORE playing each game, and pause halfway through the game for another dose, sit and wait five minutes – and then resume playing – pro-active preventive dosing! She’d been doing this for years.
In answer to your important question re ‘when do you decide when it’s prudent to go to the ER?’ the standard medical advice is basically to see if the nitro works. If, as in your case, nitro does seem to relieve your symptoms after one or two doses, you know that it IS working. If chest pain persists despite the first two doses of nitro, that’s when I’d recommend calling 911. But if your nitro doses continue to help ease your symptoms, that’s a good sign that it’s working the way it should. If you were having another heart attack, no amount of nitro would relieve those symptoms.
Nitro is a vasodilator, meaning it helps our coronary arteries to dilate enough to allow blood flow to reach the heart muscle.
I would never leave home without my trusty nitro spray in my pocket or purse. I use it routinely almost every day. Aside from the famous “nitro headache’ (it dilates all arteries, including those in your head!) which becomes less bothersome over time.
Good luck to you. . . ❤️
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Had Stent inserted on Thursday. Today (Saturday) feels sort of like heartburn. A slight burning sensation, some tightness. That’s why I was doing this search. 63 yo female, open heart 3 years ago.
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Hello Becky – I’m not a physician but I can tell you generally that it’s very common in these early days to feel a range of recovery symptoms after a stent is implanted.
You’ll probably notice that these symptoms change a bit day by day. They likely won’t be anywhere near the significant recovery symptoms you experienced after your open heart surgery, of course, but any invasive medical procedure will cause some discomfort as part of the healing process. Most stent patients start to feel longer periods of ‘normal’ every day and fewer periods of “OUCH!” over time. If symptoms continue for more than a couple of weeks, or if they get worse, call your doctor. You should have a follow-up appointment with your cardiologist in the near future where you can have your concerns addressed. And if you haven’t already been referred to a cardiac rehab program by then, ask your cardiologist for a referral!
Good luck to you – take good care. . .❤️
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I got out of hospital today. When I told them I was having chest pain, they ignored me. I even asked if nitro would help, and no answer. They were awfully mean and didn’t explain anything.
This helps and I hope this is what my pain is. My experience was just so hateful and mean by most all at Mission Hospital, Asheville NC. It was just unreal. Didn’t even know they were going to put in a stent, they said was just to look and gave me so much stuff I passed out until it was almost over. Don’t even know if I needed one. They sure didn’t tell me or explain anything, just rushed me out this morning.
It hurts and is scary but I hope it’s normal and eases off.
Thanks for writing this.
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Hello Sarah – I’m sorry this was an awful experience for you. I hope that you continue to heal and improve day by day. As this article suggests, it may take some time for healing, but if this is post-stent stretch pain, it is almost always temporary and benign.
You have already learned a valuable lesson during this hospital experience: it’s quite common during such as stressful time for us to have trouble understanding what’s being said around us. (I remember thinking when I was in the Emergency Department and a cardiologist was called in to see me, that I could see the cardiologist’s lips moving and I could hear sounds coming out of his mouth, but I simply couldn’t comprehend what he was talking about! ) I think I signed something – probably the consent form that is required before all hospital procedures – but patients are so often overwhelmed and scared at this point, that we don’t even realize what we are signing or hearing.
Of course, we can’t turn back the clock to re-do those interactions, but now that you’re home, your only job is to become the world expert on what has just happened to you.
Learn as much as you can about what’s going on with your precious heart, what stent procedures can and cannot do, what coronary artery disease is and what causes it, and how you can help avoid this in the future. You will discover soon that “Knowledge is power”. Reading this HEART SISTERS article is a good sign that you’ve already taken the first step (I have hundreds of articles here on this site about women and heart disease – I would recommend that you start with this 4-part series for newly diagnosed heart patients based on Dr. Wayne Sotile’s wonderful book Thriving With Heart Disease. It’s important to also remember that you won’t always feel the way you’re feeling now. You will get through this. You will feel better. I know you feel awful now, and yet that is almost “normal” when we have a big wake-up call like this in life.
At the bottom of each of those four posts I mentioned, you’ll find a link to the next in the series. And if you don’t already have a follow-up appointment with your doctor, usually 4-6 weeks after the diagnosis, call to make one. Bring a written list of ANY questions or concerns you have so that you and the doctor can effectively clear up any lingering confusion going forward. And if you have not yet been referred to Cardiac Rehabilitation, ask for a referral, and then GO TO EVERY CLASS.
GOOD LUCK to you, Sarah . . . ❤️
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After (not recognizing) symptoms Friday and Saturday, I ended up in the ER on Sun afternoon, 9/10/23. Two stents deployed: one each to my LAD (100% occluded) and PLAD. Discharged Tuesday afternoon.
Feeling some pain last night and this morning. Searched ‘pain after two heart stents’ and your article popped up. I’m relieved. After reading the surgeon’s notes, it makes sense there would be continuing pain.
Thank you.
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Hello Christina – I’m so glad you ended up in that ER, and also glad you found this article! You are in very early days still, so your symptoms are not surprising. Try not to be distressed by every painful twinge, but at the same time, if chest pain continues or becomes worse over time instead of gradually better as you heal, see your doctor just to be on the safe side. Take care. . .♥
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I just had a stent placed in my Left Anterior Descending coronary artery for an 80% blockage.
My case might be a little unusual as I have very little plaque anywhere else. It’s possible that it was caused by radiation damage. My artery tore a little when they tried to insert the stent so they did a balloon to stop the bleeding, then finished the stent. I had to have 12 hours of a nitro drip due to chest pain after the procedure.
I was sent home on Imdur due to continuing chest pain, and it causes continuous headaches. And I’m still having frequent pains like you describe! It is scary.
I’m 3 days post-procedure and questioning every twinge. I had very little pain pre-procedure, the issue was caught with a routine stress test. So this is distressing.
I figure my poor artery was quite traumatized. The good news is I have more energy and can breathe a little easier. It’s also scary being on 6 new meds all at once and wondering if they are all interacting. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Hello Kathleen – what an experience you have lived through (and it all began with a routine stress test – so you likely didn’t even see this coming!) You are in very early days yet, and I’m glad you’re already breathing easier and feeling more energetic. I’m not a physician so cannot comment specifically on your situation – but I am wondering if anybody in the cath lab suspected Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection when your artery tore? I can tell you generally that headache is indeed a commonly experienced side effect of taking nitrate-based drugs like Imdur. Some patients find that the headaches ease up over time. Meanwhile, it might put your mind at ease if you ask your local pharmacist to do a meds review with you to assess interactions between any of your new drugs, and also to recommend something (e.g. Tylenol?) that could safely help to relieve your headache pain. It may take a while for you to feel like you’ve turned a corner both physically and emotionally.
You are not alone – every bubble or twinge can feel frightening – especially in the early days. Hang in there – but do not hesitate to contact your doctor if your chest pain worsens instead of gradually improving. And try to use that increasing energy you’re feeling to get outdoors every day to walk in nature even if you’re going slow – good for your heart, good for your soul.
Best of luck to you. . .♥
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Thanks very much for your reply, I will definitely have my pharmacist take a look. The cardiologist suspects that my artery was scarred from radiation and was less able to stretch during the procedure.
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I had 2 stents placed in RCA in 2016 after a heart attack. I did well then. I had 3 stents placed this past Monday in 3 arteries on the left side of my heart, where they encountered problems. Surgery lasted 2.5 hrs instead of 30 to 60 minutes. They used balloon and catheter stretching.
I ended in the ICU for the day and night, then sent home.
No one ever said I would have any pains of any kind! They never even gave any real instructions for aftercare except for where the catheter was placed. I’ve been having sharp pains in my chest off and on, pain in my back behind the heart and even weird pains (feels like in my veins or arteries) in arms and legs. Sounds crazy, but they are for real! )I also have blockages in both carotid arteries which pinch occasionally.
Of course, this scares me since I didn’t know what to expect, because the first time after the heart attack, I was just tired, no pains at all. I don’t know if this is normal or if something is wrong.
I am a 67 yr old female.
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Hello Kristine,
Last Monday’s experience must have been quite the shock for you, because you went in naturally expecting you’d do just fine this time, like you did in 2016! Surprise!
I’m very sorry (and shocked!) that nobody in the cath lab or in Intensive Care mentioned that (especially after your 2.5 HOUR procedure!!) that you might expect to feel discomfort or pain because of that procedure. I’m not a physician of course so I cannot comment specifically on these symptoms, but I can tell you generally that although it does not feel “normal” at all now, stretch pain is so common after a stent is implanted that it could almost be predicted.
You seem to have a range of pain locations (chest, back, arms, legs and even your carotid) – one or more may or may not be heart-related, but if these symptoms were not present before your stents, but are now – it’s reasonable to suggest that this pain is indeed linked to that long procedure in the cath lab. Stretch pain typically begins to improve over time, little by little, day by day.
If your symptoms do not gradually improve, or if the pains get worse, call your doctor. Be sure to describe your symptoms to your doctors in terms of FUNCTION – for example, “The pain was so bad that I was unable to ________” (insert some routine but important activity that’s been affected by your symptoms). This is good to keep in mind because doctors need to hear that this isn’t just garden-variety discomfort. And start a Symptom Journal (more on this useful tool here) – e.g. the location and kind of pain, what time of day, how long it lasted, what you were doing/feeling/eating/experiencing in the hours leading up to the pain, etc. Sometimes a pattern begins to emerge that can help your doctors solve the mystery.
Meanwhile (I’m sure I don’t need to to tell you this since you’re an experienced visitor to the cath lab!) BUT be absolutely religious in taking your anti-platelet medications and all prescribed drugs. You’re a person with a history of blocked arteries, so it’s even more important for you to not miss a dose of the meds that can help keep your coronary arteries relaxed and open as long as possible.
Good luck to you, Kristine! ♥
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Thanks so much for answering. I’m a month out now and having many problems. Still sharp pain in my chest and in my back behind the heart. BP and pulses are all over the place. Started out low before stents and even after, then spikes/then low, with always high pulses now. I was always low, now I’ve been 177/111, 102 pulse, 150/109BP
Also, there obviously was a lot of the contrast dye used, being 2 1/2 hrs and nothing given to protect the kidneys. I have had constant kidney pain. I never used to sweat, and now I pour sweat that smells like ammonia. Just awful smelling!
And I’m exhausted! It should not feel like this!!
The Doctor is out of the country… he says double up all meds and see him in a month!!! And he doesn’t believe the contrast has anything to do with the pain and sweating ammonia. Really, he has not seen me since he did this, saw a nurse-practitioner a week after, not him.
How can he just say double everything??? Double Losartan and Coreg when blood pressure is 95/68 – 86P?? I can see if it were high, but that low?
Any suggestions? Going to try to find a Nephrologist in my area for kidneys but this heart isn’t getting any better. My life is absolutely on hold! I don’t feel well enough to leave the house.
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Hi again Kristine. Good grief, I’m just appalled by what’s been happening. It’s unfortunate that your doctor is away. It also seems odd (that’s one word for it) that any physician would say “just double your meds” given your current situation.
Any possibility of seeing your nurse-practitioner before the doc returns? You need medical assessment to solve this mystery and to help you finally get some relief.
When you say “I don’t feel well enough to leave the house”, I feel both angry and sad for you. SOMETHING is causing these distressing symptoms. I hope you can see a nephrologist soon (even if it means a trip to Emergency for that referral – in light of your missing doctor). We know that that ammonia smell can certainly be linked to kidney problems. It’s apparently also more common when you’re dehydrated – so that’s one small remedy you can start today: make sure you’re drinking lots of water.
I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this. Hang in there, Kristine – but do not hesitate to seek Emergency help if symptoms worsen. ♥
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It’s been four months since my heart attack and two stents put in. I still feel discomfort. Usually at night lying down. Some also under ribs and stomach area only after the stents. Some pinching and dull pain. Dr. Said not to worry and I didn’t need another ultrasound to see if Stent was good. What do I do at this point?
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Hello Rose – I’m not a physician so cannot comment specifically on your situation. But I can tell you generally that discomfort which gets worse when lying down is a common gastro-intestinal symptom. As an experiment, try propping your upper body higher (with pillows) when in bed to see if that reduces symptoms. Here’s an article from the Cleveland Clinic (considered one of the top heart hospitals in North America) with more detail.
If this experiment decreases your symptoms, return to your doctor to ask about other possible non-cardiac reasons for what’s going on.
If your symptoms get worse over time rather than a bit better day by day, seek a second opinion. Good luck to you.
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I had an angiogram yesterday and since then my heart hurts. I did have a stent put in though. Can the catheter going through my heart arteries cause pain? I also had a bad reaction to the catheter going through my arm. It’s all swollen and painful in my forearm.
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Hi Linda – if you re-read this post again, you’ll see that I explained the basics of why post-stent pain typically occurs.
It’s also common for the injection site in your arm to look worse before it looks better (nothing compared to stent patients whose catheters were inserted via the upper thigh/groin area which often leaves the entire leg with black and blue bruising.
But if the pain/swelling does get worse than it is today, call your doctor, just in case.
Good luck to you. . . 🙂
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I wrote that wrong! Sorry! I did NOT have a stent put in! That’s what I was wondering why I have pain in my heart if I did not have a stent put in.
Could the catheter caused it by stretching my arteries? Thank you for you original reply!
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Hi again Linda – although it’s more common to experience stretch pain after a stent is implanted (again, as this article says, researchers tell us that 40% of patients report having stretch pain after a stent) researchers tell us that having a balloon angioplasty procedure (no stent, as in your case) can cause pain in about 12% of patients, and even a diagnostic angiogram (no stent, no balloon inflation) can cause pain in about 9%.
Angiography is typically performed by skilled and experienced cardiologists, but rarely, some complications can still occasionally cause pain after the procedure – perhaps caused by spasm in the artery during or afterwards, or injury to the arterial wall while introducing or moving the catheter (which is a remarkably small plastic tube). This procedure, although very common in the world of cardiology, still involves inserting a foreign object into an artery.
Again, you are in very early days yet (barely one day!) so you should begin to notice that your chest pain (and your arm pain) become gradually less noticeable as the days pass. If the pain doesn’t begin to decrease day by day, contact your doctor.
Good luck – I hope you start feeling much better soon. . .
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Thank you so much for all your information!
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Hello Carolyn
I am writing from Turkey. I am 39 year old Man. Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I have had bone pain at a certain point on the left side of my chest. Sometimes it also occurred on the right side. Pain was increasing when pressed with my finger.
3 weeks ago I had a terrible pain in the right side of my chest that lasted for about 2 hours. But I thought it wasn’t related to the heart because it was on the right side and I have been in pain for 3 years.
The next day I didn’t have much, but extra beats in my heart started to occur and were increasing. When I went to the emergency room, it was understood that I had a heart attack. Angio was performed immediately and a stent was placed in my 100% occluded LAD artery. My other coronary arteries were open. Even though a day had passed, my heart hadn’t been hurt much.
However, 3 weeks have passed since my story, but nothing has changed. I still have the pain that has been going on for 3 years. When I have a heart attack, my aching place continues to ache occasionally without being too painful. Additional stabbing pains began. I am having a little shortness of breath. I go to two different doctors and they both say it’s not related to the heart. Then what is it about?
sorry for my bad english “google translate”
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Hello Murat – Google Translate did a very good job translating your words. 🙂
I am not a physician so cannot comment specifically about what’s happening to you, but I can tell you generally that you are still in early days (meaning just three weeks since you were in the hospital for your stent).
It’s not uncommon to still feel symptoms for a while (and as you say, your “ache” is not too painful). Ideally, as time goes by and as your artery heals, you’ll feel these symptoms ease up as you get better little by little – if the symptoms are being caused by the stent procedure itself.
It is also possible to consider that these strange chest symptoms that have gone on for three years may not be heart-related. (Sometimes people can have a heart attack AND a completely unrelated diagnosis at the same time). Read this article about other non-cardiac causes of chest pain to see if any of these make sense to you.
You mentioned that for a long time, the chest symptoms got worse if you pressed down with your finger. This would be unusual – but not impossible – during most heart attacks because most cardiac chest pain usually does not get worse by pressing on the chest. Again, I’m not a doctor, but this description reminded me of another condition called costochondritis, an inflammation of the rib joints. Symptoms are sometimes mistaken for heart attacks. And it’s not uncommon for “costo” patients to suffer for years before being correctly diagnosed. This condition causes chest pain that you can often reproduce by pushing on the chest in the front of your ribcage. Read more about costochondritis here.
If your symptoms do get worse instead of getting a bit better every day (for example, if that “ache” becomes more painful), please see your doctor again. Meanwhile, I hope you will get outside to walk as much as possible while you are recovering. After a heart attack, the heart needs work more than it needs rest.
Good luck to you. You have been through quite a lot – and at such a young age. I hope you and your doctors can solve the mystery.
Take care. . .
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Thank u carolyn for reply
you are a really good person and you have a very beautiful heart
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Thank you for your kind words, Murat.
Good luck to you . . . 🙂
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Today is 7/3/23. I entered hospital, via ambulance Friday 6/24 with heavy chest pain. They quickly discovered I had High troponin (heart attack), Heparin drip.
I couldn’t get angioplasty Sat/Sun (Cath lab closed) so I had angioplasty (and 2 stents) on Monday morning. Over Fri/Sat/Sun, my troponin levels were increasing. Does that mean I was having a second and third heart attack or more permanent damage to heart?
I was released on Tues after successful angio on Monday.
1) is memory loss common? I’m in my 60s and I don’t remember most of four days. Will I get that back?
2) I read and read to try and understand what I’m feeling. I’m supposed to walk “a little bit” but from living room to kitchen, near winded so I go extra slow.
3) but what scares me most of all is this strange, intermittent but often, then stays 1-2 hrs, sharp pain above my right breast (not in the center of chest like heart attack). If this pain (a very specific spot inside), above my right breast continues, do I have to go back to hospital? I don’t know why the Dr and nurses wouldn’t warn me about this “stretching pain”! Angioplasty was one week ago today. If this is normal, and safe, only stretch pain, then how
I can’t believe it! I just lost most of my note and questions. I’ll probably rewrite later
Thank you!!!
Sincerely,
Terri Gee
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Hello Terri – first of all, sorry about losing those notes/questions. Sometimes when I’m in the middle of responding to a reader comment, half of what I’ve written so far just evaporates! I hope this response to you will not be one of those!
I’m not a physician, so of course cannot comment specifically on your medical questions. But I can tell you some fairly general info that might be useful during this overwhelming time.
Please remember that at barely one week post-op, you’re still in very early days yet. Lots of healing is going on (both physical and psychological) plus the profound mental shock you’ve just endured (which also may help to explain your memory problems). You’re NOT going crazy – you just feel like you are.
– re troponins increasing: troponin levels may remain high for up to two weeks after a heart attack. More info here.
– extra-slow walking is perfectly fine: just walk every day as slowly as you’re comfortable with. During the first couple of weeks after my stent, I had to lean on my son’s arm just to make it to the mailbox at the end of the street and back!!! I was horrified, but he was not. Try walking outdoors where you’ll have lots of beautiful things to look at. Stop to take pictures of lovely flowers as you walk. (One of my readers told me she started doing this during COVID every day, and she is still walking and taking pictures 3 years later because she says it makes her feel good).
Soon, you’ll be walking longer distances just like a normal person.
– you’re absolutely correct: you should have been warned before hospital discharge that post-stent stretch pain is common, and almost always benign and temporary while the arteries are healing up. It’s not unusual at all to experience these odd chest symptoms for a few weeks as the body heals. If your pain above your right breast worsens over time instead of gradually happening less often (it could be referred pain from a confused nervous system) – see your doctor just in case it if starts getting worse.
Hope this helps a bit! Please take care – keep in touch if you have anything more you’d like to share here. Meanwhile, be kind and gentle with your healing self. ♥
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Ordered the book from Amazon. Looking forward to reading it!
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Had a stent put in 5 days ago and am having a full feeling in the chest intermittently;
reading this has made me feel a little better. I assumed there would be some soreness after having a foreign body inserted in my artery but it’s reassuring to read others do too.
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Hello Kaz – you are definitely not alone in your post-stent chest symptoms. Five days is still considered “early days” – each day as your coronary artery continues to heal, you’ll likely experience fewer symptoms over time.
Good luck to you. . . 🙂
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I happened upon this article by chance – I think it’s a God wink! Thank you for this!
I had a stent put in 2 weeks ago and still get these ghost pains that, as you said, are pretty darn scary.
This helped. And I shared!!
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Thanks magisark for taking the time to let me know that this article was helpful to you!
You’re in very early days still, so remember to take one day at a time. If these ‘ghost pains’ get worse instead of getting very gradually better as your coronary artery slowly heals, call your doctor.
Meanwhile, take care. . . ♥
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That was a great read, and it describes my experience, and although I’ve had pain and discomfort in my chest for three months, it seems to be almost gone after four-plus months. I’m taking Nattokinase (NTK) and supplements daily. NTK saved my life and dissolved plaque, and during my widowmaker, my ER doctor told me it unblocked me about 1% and allowed blood to flow just enough to keep my heart from being damaged.
But the answer to this question, I believe, is easy.
“If stretch pain caused by having a stent implanted is as common as cardiac researchers seem to suggest, why aren’t heart patients like me warned about this before hospital discharge so we don’t need to panic during recovery.”
Every Doctor and Nurse I saw told me often if I have any pain or problems, go to the ER. They say this instead of telling us we might feel some pain, it’s normal, don’t worry, because the pain might be more heart trouble. What if we all accept that we might feel some post-stent pain and not go to the ER, then have another heart attack?
I had this conversation with others during cardiac rehab, and we all agreed medical staff would rather see us in the ER and find no problem than have us in ER in the middle of another serious problem.
Three weeks after my stent and dealing with extreme pain, I took their advice and went to the ER five times. As much as I hated going to the ER, I did get good care, two CT-Scans, Stress Tests, Gamma scans, multiple X-rays, and a lot of attention. My PC, Cardiac Dr. and others told me whatever was causing my trouble was not my heart. Well, who can say that and be totally sure?
Still, the tests showed my heart was in excellent shape. I walked 45 minutes a day, sometimes through snow storms, and I walked to rehab halfway up a long tall hill and back 3o times. I have been on a strict Mediterranean diet and lost about 20 pounds. On my last visit to rehab, I ran up the hill as I told myself I would when I began. At 65, I’m in better shape than during the covid ordeal, during which my health declined a lot, as I’m sure many others experienced the same thing.
But why, after three months, did I have periodic bouts with pain in the middle of my chest, sometimes sharp pain when I took a deep breath, and why did the pain sometimes move an inch to the right and left of the center of my chest? No one knows the answer. But now, after four months, I have less pain, and I have no longer reached the limit of worrying. I think I have to live with this; if any troubles come again, I’ll have to deal with it. This is not an ideal solution, but at this point, there’s not much I can learn from more tests unless something happens again.
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Hello Gene – thanks for sharing such a comprehensive overview of your experience, and for the valid point about WHY hospital staff don’t warn heart patients before discharge about this very commonly experienced post-stent pain. This makes sense. And the other valid possibility in my experience is that many hospital staff are simply unaware of this common reality once patients are discharged home.
Deciding against sharing information to patients reminds me of the ‘good old days’ when drug side effects were not part of prescription drug packaging inserts as they are now, because physicians believed that if patients were warned about possible side effects, they would start imagining that they too had them. (The reverse has turned out to be true: patients who were appropriately informed generally feel less anxious, not more). Ditto for not warning heart patients at hospital discharge about the very common experience of new-onset situational depression. Had I been told in advance that this reality is common, temporary and treatable, I would not have felt terrified that I was losing my mind back then.
Despite your five trips to the ER, you’ve done a terrific job in becoming fit and healthy. (I too walked to and from my cardiac rehab program, which I viewed as the outdoor warmup to the indoor program). You may never know the cause of your severe chest pain for all that time. There are many non-cardiac reasons for chest pain which you’ve probably already learned about (I wrote more about them here).
Good luck to you – stay healthy! 🙂
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I’ve had a PCI, one stent 6 weeks ago, and still experiencing stretch pain with most exertion. Called the cardiologist, they said ‘don’t exert’. But there are no real guidelines on what to expect, how much one should do…or not. They said ‘everyone’s different’…
And “if you have pain,go to the E.R.” was not significant patient teaching!
I learned more from your site than the doctor.
Thanks!
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Hello Dana – welcome to the exclusive club nobody ever wanted to join! You’re still in relatively early days – post-stent ‘stretch pain’ should be easing up day by day over time as your coronary artery heals. If it gets worse, don’t hesitate to seek help.
If your doctor has not referred you yet to Cardiac Rehabilitation, please contact their office immediately and request a referral. If there are no Cardiac Rehab programs in your area (some smaller towns or rural areas don’t offer them), consider a professionally run ONLINE Cardiac Rehab class. Here’s an example I like from Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, taught by clinical exercise physiologists. These classes are NOT a substitute for in-person, medically supervised rehab classes (which are the very best way to do rehab), but they are straightforward and easy, and will get you moving your body safely. There are a number of different videos (links on the right hand sidebar) that you can watch to see which class you’d like to try first.
With spring in the air, you should also be taking walks every day, nice and slow to start, gradually adding more minutes each week. As one researcher told me, “What the heart patient needs after a cardiac event is WORK, not rest!” And meanwhile, keep reading here starting with this series of four articles on learning to live with heart disease – based on the work of cardiac psychologist Dr. Wayne Sotile. Here’s the first article (links to each of the other 3 articles are at the bottom of this post).
Take care. . . ♥
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