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Takotsubo (stress-induced) cardiomyopathy

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Posted 9/1/2011 2:06 PM (GMT -5)
3 weeks ago I was in the ER/hospital with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Since then I've been looking for information and to connect with others to share this experience. Little is written about post-care, activity, what to expect in the immediate aftermath, etc. I've been having pain in the chest area, tiredness, some anxiety. Does anyone else out there have this disorder? How are you dealing with it? I know I will recover, but getting there is the trick! Any information and personal sharing would be helpful. Thanks - GrammyLo
Posted 9/2/2011 10:35 AM (GMT -5)
Dear GL,

Hello and welcome to HealingWell.  Very interesting as I have only heard of this disorder and never actually talk with anyone who was dx with  this syndrome.

Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition brought on by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one. People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or think they're having a heart attack. These broken heart syndrome symptoms may be brought on by the heart's reaction to a surge of stress hormones. In broken heart syndrome, a part of your heart temporarily enlarges and doesn't pump well, while the remainder of the heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions.

The condition was originally called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Today, it's also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome.

The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are treatable, and the condition usually reverses itself in about a week.

According to info from Mayo Clinic, there's a chance that broken heart syndrome can happen again after a first episode. There's no proven therapy to prevent additional episodes; however, many doctors recommend long-term treatment with beta blockers or similar medications that block the potentially damaging effects of stress hormones on the heart. Managing stress in your life is also important.

I hope someone who has experienced this syndrome comes along to give you their experience.  Please remember I am not a physician.  I wish you well and look forward to getting to know you better.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 10/25/2012 5:13 PM (GMT -5)
I got the thrill of a lifetime almost 3 weeks ago by going to the ER and finding it wasn't a heart attack I was having.....it was takotsubo cardiomyopathy!  Never heard of it, and the ER staff said they only see it about twice a year.  How lovely to be able to give them something unusual to treat for a change.

I spent 3 days in ICU and one day on a medical floor.  The doctors were wonderful, the nurses were great, even the food was great, once I could actually eat again.

From this I learned a few things about myself: 

(1) All those little stresses can build up over time and cause havoc.  Therefore, I will be saying NO to more "obligations" and not inflicting myself with false guilt when I cannot fulfill everyone's expectations.  Fortunately for me, I had already started seeing a psychologist about the stress in my life, so he is helping me to work through the stress triggers.  Some of them aren't pretty, some require those closest to me to change their behavior, and yet through it all I am learning to stand firm in the requirements for keeping me on the right path to a healthier outlook on life.

(2)  Diet DOES count.  I'm a great cook.  People LOVE to put their feet under my table.  But, in order for ME to be healthy, I have to cut back on salt, stopped the caffeine, stopped eating processed meats and sauces and am chosing lean, fresh and basic foods.  I can do this!  It's amazing what a bay leaf will do to soup and there are salt substitutes out there that work.  EASY!  And if no one wants to eat what I cook?  Fine by me!  It cuts down on my food bill. tongue

(3)  The sedentary lifestyle has to stop immediately.  Sitting awhile and watching TV or spending time on the computer or sewing is fine.  It just can't be for hours at a time.  I need to get out and walk at least 4 days a week, 30 minutes each time.  If I could I would join a gym, but maybe that will come later.  Since I'm not a swimmer, that's out, but being in the fresh air several times a week is said to have great benefits for the mind and body.  So, here I go, trying to change another habit in my life.  I may have to phone a friend on this one.  Walking alone is boring to me.

(4)  I give myself permission to have FUN!  The things that bring us pleasure and satisfaction cause our bodies and minds to rejoice.  For me, happiness is going to my quilting group, taking long drives and stopping to see historical sights along the way, going up in the mountains or down by the river to take pictures of flora and fauna.  Happiness is talking to my kids on the phone, getting together with friends, taking a walk through the neighborhood, window shopping with a girlfriend.  Of course, beating my husband at Scrabble when he has a 70 point lead at the beginning of the game sure gets me jazzed! turn

So those of you with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, it's not the end of the world.  It just felt like it for awhile.  The best advice I could give you is stay close to your cardiologist, let him/her know when you feel a bit "off."  They would rather hear about it and do something while the issue is small, rather than have to meet you in the ER again.

Posted 5/8/2013 8:29 PM (GMT -5)
Hi there I have also had this stress induced cardiomyopathy and it started in a wierd way.

First I am not in the age range that this normally happens, I am 27 now and was 26 when it happened. I do realize now that I was stressed but at the time didn't think it was that bad. It started after I came home from work feeling very tired I was just sitting on the couch and started to feel sick to my stomach, then I went to lay down but by then the anxiety feeling i had mad me panic. I proceeded to tell my husband something was wrong with me and to call 911 I knew there was something not right, but the wierd thing was I had no chest pain at all is that normal? Well the next symptom was my hands feet and face went tingly and then my vision went very blurred. Next I was throwing up and begging to pass out to make these feelings stop I had no control over my body anymore. The worst part was my 2 young children watched the whole thing. I was still breast feeding my doughter and had to stop from the meds and needing to be hospitalized for 7 days.

The cardiologist also found a large blood clot on my lung during an e-xray he told me I would have died had I not came to the hospital in time. To say the least this episode terrified me to the bone and I have had horrible anxiety ever since and have not been able to return to work.

I am so scared that this is going to happen again if I let my life get to stressful, I don't know enough about this to prevent it I have been taking better care of myself and seeing a pyscologist but I still cant shake the feeling that it will happen again?

Thank you for reading has anyone had the same reaction to this?

Posted 5/9/2013 6:20 PM (GMT -5)

Welcome to HealingWell  and  our Heart & Cardiovascular Disease peer support discussion forum.

According to the information from Mayo Clinic, Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition brought on by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one. People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or think they're having a heart attack. These broken heart syndrome symptoms may be brought on by the heart's reaction to a surge of stress hormones. In broken heart syndrome, a part of your heart temporarily enlarges and doesn't pump well, while the remainder of the heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions.

The condition was originally called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Today, it's also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome.

The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are treatable, and the condition usually reverses itself in about a week.

I do hope one of our members will come along with more info from personal experience with this disorder.

You may want to post in our Anxiety Forum re anxiety as you will find lots of members willing to support you and talk with your re how to deal with anxiety.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 7/3/2013 2:40 AM (GMT -5)
Hi there, It has been four months now since I had the Takotsubo incident. Very confronting but am reassured to know the prognosis is good. I do have questions about the treatment regime. I have noticed I am significantly fatigued and wonder if any of the drugs I have been prescribed are responsible. Any one else having this experience?
Posted 9/17/2013 10:27 AM (GMT -5)
I'm a 65 year old woman, active, slim and have eaten extremely healthy all my life. November 2012 chest pains caused me to be hospitalized and diagnosed with Tokotsubo or Broken Heart Syndrome. No stressful event, no stress, no anger now nor do I live with anger nor anything else to provoke. Doctors were puzzled. Came home feeling much improved. They put me on the regimen recommended for those with blocked arteries, (beta blockers, etc.) which condition I do not have and have read from professionals that they aren't designed for this problem anyway, but are prescribed because they know of no other treatment. I felt terrible on them. Have been off all since February and felt more my old self, except when I would hear the mildest reports of distressing news or anything ordinary I would have chest tightening. Now, toward end of summer and to date (9/17/2013) I am having increasing chest pains, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness. Possibly three contributing factors are: one, I have sleep apnea, which apparently I have had for a very long time before being diagnosed, but now, and for about a year, have been on the machine. Secondly, I work physically very strenuously all summer outside. I did great all summer, but now, as the summer is ending, I have a few days that I feel very fit and able and then I feel like a 90 year old for days. Third I had a hysterectomy 33 years ago and was on hormone therapy until I was 50. The responses for this condition are always; eat right, don't smoke (never have), don't drink (never have), exercise. Also, they address only those who recover and never those few that have long term problems. I don't fit any of the criteria and I do all the right things so why can't I find answers? I have been taking high levels of vitamin C, hawthorne and Oregon grape. Thanks for listening.
Posted 11/25/2013 10:58 AM (GMT -5)
Newbie here but I think I can relate as my wife (highly anxious) seems to have the same
symptoms. I'm in the process of trying to get her an appt. wi/cardiologist but they all
seem to want to go thru the usual.....ekg/heart rythm/stress test...perhaps a nuclear
stress test, then a sonogram....and I'm just limited wi/costs (have HUGE deductible) but
want to have a specific test for TTC (broken heart syndrome) so I'm a bit perplexed about
all this. Is the best way to check this a ECG? (is that the same as a EKG?).

This seems to be incidious as it comes 'n goes (my wife has shortness of breath + other
symptoms) but there is no rhyme or rhythm to them! My take (based on 35 yrs of marriage)
is that she struggles during anxious times the most.

I'm open to any and all insights!
Thanks
Posted 1/6/2014 2:00 PM (GMT -5)
I was almost 59 when in June 2012 I experienced a pain high in my chest that I knew wasn't normal. I had a very high level of stress at the time, and this came to a head when my elderly blind dog was attacked in the local park by the dog of a moron who then verbally abused me. The A&E department at the local hospital diagnosed a heart attack, which was pretty devastating as my father had died of one at the same age. The next day, however, the consultant cardiologist told me she didn't think it was a heart attack, and that's when I first heard of the Takotsubo.

I was given an ECG, which was normal; I then had an angiogram which discovered some slight furring of an artery, but nothing worse than would be expected in half the population of my age. To make trebly certain, and to stuff the insurance companies, the consultant put me through a cardiac MRI scan within a few days. This takes a long time - around an hour - but is painless and, unless you are claustrophobic, wonderfully relaxing as you can take along a CD which they will play to you. Sibelius symphonies very effective.

The result of the MRI scan showed a slight thickening of the heart wall, which the consultant wasn't too fussed about "It may just be you" but she asked if I would mind repeating the scan in a year or so's time. I have just done this, and been told that the subtle thickening had gone.

I was on ACE blood pressure tablets before the Takotsubo, and to them I have had to add aspirin, statins as my cholesterol was high, and clopidigrol because during the tests they found I had sticky blood - nothing to do with the spasm, just me. I made some dietary adjustments to lower my saturated fat intake and now have low cholesterol.

For me the downside was that before the Tokotsubo I was fit, highly active, confident and had pretty well conquered the panic attacks I had suffered from since my late teens. Back in 2010 I had lost 3 stone and was feeling good about myself as well as my job. But in the last year I have become once again prone to panic attacks, am scared of the exercise I used to love, and generally seem to see the cold hand of mortality hovering over me. This is apparantly far from an unusual reaction. Anyway, I am having some counselling, and when I saw the cardiologist today for those 2nd-scan results I told her about the fear of working out and hill walking. She has given me a piece of paper to say that if it will help me regain my confidence I can make an appointment for a session on the exercise machine they use for heart stress  testing  in a supervised, monitored session, just to reassure myself that I won't drop down dead. She is brilliant. Good old NHS. Not just there for the nasty things.

So rationally I can say that I had a nasty experience in 2012 but I got away with it, and I have had a superb MOT test of my cardiac system. I now just have to learn to believe it.

And to avoid earthquakes.

 

Posted 1/7/2014 4:18 PM (GMT -5)
frigate

Thank you for sharing your story and especially touching on the one thing that scares heart patients the most...............worry about overworking their hearts and just falling over.

You took your fears back to your Dr. and worked out a way to help you deal with your fears - congratulations now get out and move your body.

Gentle Hugs to you,

Kitt

 

Posted 9/2/2015 3:51 PM (GMT -5)
I was in the hospital 2 weeks ago and diagnosed with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. I also had 24 hours of amnesia at the same time. The doctor says this occurs occasionally. Less than 1% of heart problems annually are diagnosed as TC. At this time, I'm on medications and will undergo another echocardiogram in 2 weeks to measure improvement in ejection fraction (EF). EF in a healthy person should be at 50-55% at a minimum. Mine is as 30% so I have a little anxiety over that. But the doctors are sure it will improve in the next couple of weeks. Until then, I'm to rest and avoid stress and anxiety. There was no real precipitating event that caused this problem and it's a puzzle. Hearing how others have dealt with the condition post-diagnosis may help me cope with it better. I have occasional 'pangs' in my left chest which put me on high alert! That isn't helping matters I'm sure.
Posted 10/3/2015 10:40 AM (GMT -5)
My wife 55 years old suffered a TC episode on 9/9/2015 at around 8:30 PM attending a turtle hatchling release on the beach in Florida. Like some others on this thread she had no apparent stress at the time other than a dental appointment earlier in the day and some coordination blunders for the turtle walk with our grandkids. It came on instantly with vomitting, sweating, and severe chest pain. She called me to get her and I drove her to the hospital within about 30 minutes of the attack. They took blood, X-rays and ekg which all lead to them telling me she was having a heart attack. She was rushed to the cath lab where the found all of her arteries to be clear but an EF of 25% and apical balooning. They quickly diagnosed TC and admitted her to ICU where she spent 4 days followed by another 2 in step down cardio floor. She was hypotensive with BP as low as 53/28. She developed congestive heart failure (CHF) as well. One week later she was readmitted with chest pain and experienced at tcyarrithmia overnight. Prior to the initial release her EF was only 30 so she was fitted with a life vest (portable AED). The morning after her re-entry her echo showed full recovery with her EF AT 65%. She is waiting on a heart monitor to arrive to track her progress for 30 day due to the Tachyarrhymias event and still has an abnormal EKG. Her general health seems okay although she naps every day for a few hours which she never did and tires easily. Another interesting element is a reoccurrence of a two year old condition (another odd diagnosis) prednisone psychosis after being prescribed large doses a few summers ago. she hasn't had more prednisone just some of the manifestations of the condition have resurfaced including the OCD. only adding this to share since it seemed so odd. At the outset we couldn't help but think these two conditions were not related. We are seeing a TC specialist in a few weeks and hope to learn more. Keep ya posted.
Posted 10/24/2015 2:48 PM (GMT -5)
On Sept.13,2015 --i called 911 after 5 hours of chest pains.I thought it was my acid reflux--but it seemed worse than ever. After many hours in the ER i learned that i had a heart attack.
This was all very shocking because i am not over weight,i make all my own food.I do not eat red meat,never smoked or drank alcohol.
Because it was a Sunday(middle of the night) i was admited & was on a monitor & heart meds until i could have an angiogram.That wasn't until late Monday evening & after the test i was told that i had a Takotsubo heart attack.My arteries were clear & i was told this was caused by stress.There was no immediate stress before this event.There were many stressful years and 4 months earlier my Dad passed away.I spent most of my life taking care of everyone.My grandkids needed me after their parents divorce.My parents were elderly & needed dr appointments & much care.My husband had quite a few surgeries & this past summer he had to undergo radiation for his prostate.
On Sept. 23,i called 911 again.This time i had fluid around my heat causing periconditis..This was also painful & i was kept overnight.
Right now i am still very tired & i get short of breath.For over 45 years i have suffered from CFS(Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)..so exhaustion is my life.
I feel because this is called a stress related event--my family looks at me differently & they want me to go on anxiety meds.....I did try one med for a few days but it made the heart palpitations (that come with the lining of the heart infection also)worse.....I have seen a Therapist twice & feel she is helping.She thinks i can heal myself with out any medication.
What have others done to heal themselves? Is taking anti anxiety meds the answer? How are others feeling after this rare event?
Posted 3/26/2016 3:31 PM (GMT -5)
Hi! I had this last summer, was in the ICU for days, was misdiagnosed with CHF. EF was 20%, but went back to normal in a month. Precipitated by walking pneumonia that I didn't know I had! Never been so sick in my life. For a month, I couldn't walk without assistance. I am 60, low bp, low cholesterol, workout a lot, etc. I had no risk factors at all! But I have spent years as a researcher in a different field. So, I went to work from my couch. MDs don't have a good grasp of this. The meds were making me so much worse. Here's what worked for me. I followed Bruce Wests standard process protocol, just in case a thiamine deficiency was a factor. I got a spectra cell blood test and was deficient in thiamine (b1)!!!! Wierd! Also took selenium, coq10, heart glandular (ugh!), spurilina, omega 369, and ac Carbinide by standard process when needed for water retention. Went over my own blood work, to find out that my cholesterol was EXTREMELY low. Called a basic science animal researcher who told me to eat 2 eggs and 4 Ozs of meat every day because a protein deficiency causes this sort of thing in animals!! As soon as I started doing that, the swelling went away unless I eat way too much salt. Looked into my thyroid numbers which led me to take 2 drops of potassium iodide per day along with low dose presciption thyroid by nature thyroid. I am fine now, but still building up strength. I think it takes time to heal....don't push it. I believe that it happened for a reason. For me, I was deficient in B1, thyroid issues, protein deficient. I am sort of crazy, and in don't recommend my path to anyone. But I'm glad I dug for answers and glad I studied my own blood work. I hope this helps someone. Don't give up or give in to the fear! I know it's terrifying. But, you can find an answer!
PS I know a lot of people think Bruce west is a nut, and maybe so. But I felt it helped me.
Posted 3/26/2016 6:28 PM (GMT -5)
PS I also had arrhythmias but those stopped with the potassium iodide and thyroid.
Posted 3/31/2016 8:09 PM (GMT -5)
In January I was diagnosed with Takatsubo after attending my brothers funeral and having an unfortunate incident with my sister. It is now the end of March. I have begun Cardiac Rehab. I am on Valsartan and Metoporol and I still get very tired. My physician took me off of my hormone replacement therapy after 33 years. I am attributing the tiredness to that. My Ef was 25% in the hospital and is now 60 - 65%. I am a 63 yr old female that has always had low blood pressure. This has been a bizarre situation.
Posted 4/5/2016 11:02 AM (GMT -5)
I am an active just-turned 70 yr. old. I have had anxiety attacks since 1997, when I went to ER with what I thought was a heart attack. They diagnosed reflux disease, which I knew was a misdiagnosis. I read about "broken heart syndrome" in Reader's Digest, and recognized my symptoms. It doesn't require an emotional event to trigger the episode, it can be thoughts of an emotional event. Sometimes, the mention of a name or place sets it off. The author described breathing techniques to stop (not prevent) the episodes. Since my early episodes put me in bed for the day, I was happy to end them in five minutes. The onset of the episode is a little traumatic, feeling like I might pass out, and I think about it happening at a more critical time...driving? I've tried to remove stressful situations and people from my life, but, at 70, I have many incidents from my past that come to mind, when I least expect them. I had been thinking about a heart ablation to make the episodes go away forever. But, reading the comments on this site leads me to believe the procedure may not be that effective. I try not to think about the episodes and work hard to stay positive. I don't want to take medication or require regular doctor visits...so, I'm dealing with everything on my own. It is good to know others are out there. God bless...have a wonderful day!
Posted 8/3/2017 3:01 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Im a 54 year old female and about 3 months ago I suffered a cardiomyopathy event that they are certain was takotsubo even though I did not suffer the event from bad news etc; I was really shocked when they told me that was what I was experiencing I would have taken the news of heart attack (which they originally thought it was) better.
Since the event I have been on beta blockers and BP medication to help in repairing my damaged heart muscle.
Noone can tell me why it happened all I can think of was the fact that I had had time off work from an accident and had just returned to work and was feeling a little stressed by it but not overly stressed. I had worked the day before the event and remember feeling a vice like discomfort across my chest but somehow thought it was heartburn from a coffee I had had earlier. The "heartburn" remained all day and I remember feeling a bit dizzy and that my vision was blurry. This didnt go away and I went to bed feeling like that.
The next morning I woke up and the first thing I thought was that the pain I was feeling which was now high in the middle of my back was a pinched nerve and I complained about it to my husband as I was making his breakfast. For once he took notice of what I was saying (highly unusual for him ! smile) and looking at me said out of the blue I think it might be your heart. I poo poo-ed him saying nah its not that but he persisted and before he left he said call me if it gets worse and Ill come home doesnt matter where I am Ill come home.

So he left and things got very bad from there I remember feeling completely out of it and freezing cold but clammy sweaty and sick I decided to go back to bed but then the flopping heart and a feeling that something was terribly wrong began and I rang my husband who was half an hour up the road to come home. He got home took one look at me and dialled emergency who told him to give me aspirin and that an ambulance was on the way. It took 20 minutes for the ambulance to get to me at that point I was frozen completely out of it I barely remember it they put me in the ambulance and had to stop on the way to stabilise me then it was sirens and a mad dash they clearly thought I was having a heart attack to hospital.

When I got there I was hooked up bloods were taken my troponin level was 300 and next thing I knew they were talking about an angiogram and stenting my heart. I remember looking around my cubical for the person they were talking to I couldnt get it in my head they were talking about me that it was happening to me. So I remember the angiogram and the fact that they were surprised at what they had found and I actually got to look at the screen and saw the distinctive pot shape. When I was back in recovery a group of medical people lead by the cardiologist came in to talk to me the others were medical students because its unusual they wanted them to see my case. The cardiologist told me what it was and that I would be staying in hospital because I had damaged my heart muscle and needed treatment for it. I was there for 2 days feed a lot of intravenous drugs and responded really well and was allowed home. In follow up they told me I had no evidence of CAD all my arteries were clear my cholesterol levels were good.

So I was sent home on Bisoprolol perindepril and aspirin I was told I needed full rest for 2 weeks with a gradual return to exercise over 4 weeks which I did expecting to get the all clear I was told that I needed a further 2 months on drugs and recovery time before returning to full work duties (I work in a fairly active role lots of walking). The drugs were awful even though I was on low dosage I have hypersensitivity to the drugs and have spent nearly everyday of recovery feeling appalling dizzy, sick, blurry vision, shortness of breath, anxiety, loss of concentration not to mention overwhelming grief, fear and sadness.

I have now returned to work I have sorted out the drugs so that the side effects are manageable I have begun counselling after a panic attack saw me back in emergency because my BP went through the roof. I have never had one before and I wasnt even feeling panicky at the time! but the drugs must be working because troponin was nearly zero so that was reassuring. I am hoping that in a months time Im going to get a clean bill of health that the shortness of breath and tiredness goes away oh and the weird red rash that has appeared on the tops of hands (have no idea what is causing that never had it before). They are hopeful it was a one off and certain it wont happen again and seem happy with my recovery thus far.

But there so many unanswered questions that I have asked but go unanswered like what caused it and why it happened? The other thing is I was told that going through menopause makes you vulnerable to stress and taking HRT can protect you from this vulnerability which really annoys me because of course as women we are not told this and in light of the fact that I have heart disease in my family if I was told about the risk of menopause without HRT I probably would have taken HRT as I would perceive the risk of HD as higher than the risk of breast cancer from taking it. But cant change the might of been's and I must look forward to the future the fact that it may happen again it may not.
I must keep active eat healthily and actively find ways to manage stresses that Im not aware that Im experiencing Im not sure how long I will have to take the drugs my cardiologist says it might be 6 months it might be a year.....well that is my story I hope it helps someone even if only in the fact that someone else is experiencing the same thing as you. Thanks for reading smile

Post Edited (helenbeee) : 8/3/2017 2:33:47 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/5/2017 10:57 AM (GMT -5)
Hello & welcome to Healing Well. You have experienced quite a situation from reading your post. I read some of the older posts above. It seems that many of them could not some answers either. I do hope you continue on the path of of improving as more time goes by.

This forum is not very active anymore, but putting your story out here will certainly help someone. We have a large reading base, people searching for answers on the internet. Only a member can post such as you, public forums are not for everyone.

I do hope you will check in & keep us informed on how you are doing. Take care.
Posted 11/8/2017 10:21 AM (GMT -5)
I too experienced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy on Oct 3rd 2017. I started with chest pain the afternoon before & dismissed it as acid reflux and haven't not eaten. Went home ate and felt better only to wake the next morning to crushing chest pain which radiated to my jaw & arm. Went to ER and was suspected of having a heart attack. Helicoptered me to a city hospital and had a cardiac cath that showed patent coronary arteries. Told me I had Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy which I had never heard of before this episode. I am now 5 weeks post this episode and had an echocardiogram which was normal & MRI of the heart that is basically normal but shows some slight enhancement which no one can tell me what it is. I still have some chest pressure if I start to push myself while walking or carry something heavy. Until this, I was a very healthy, active, 63 year old woman. Now I feel like an invalid, afraid it will happen again. Everyone says it shouldn't but can't say it won't. Scary business. Helpful knowing others also feel this way. Thanks for sharing & listening.
Posted 11/8/2017 11:07 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Mellie, any time something like this happens it scares us. Great news that your testing came back good, what a relief. My suggestion is to call your drs office & speak to the person that handles the medical records. Ask for a copy of your testing, just tell them you keep a copy of your records for your own personal use. You should do this any way. Then you can look at the written report of the MRI to see what they actually saw, could have been a shadow.

Obviously if the specialist was alarmed by anything he would have addressed this with you, they have to & not just from a legal standpoint. There is no way any dr can assure you 100% this will not happen again, it is not possible. No one can predict the future. I think your fear & anxiety has a hold on you right now & you need to figure out how to get past it. You are doing yourself more harm by becoming an invalid out of fear. Work on moving past this, life it too short.

Take care.
Posted 3/29/2018 9:05 AM (GMT -5)
My experience with Takotsubo Syndrome happened March 13, 2018. For three days prior to this I was thinking about a little speech I had been asked to give about my personal life. My memories were difficult to relive in part, but the day came, the speech was given and well received. As soon as I sat down I felt tightness/pressure/discomfort in my left jaw and left arm. I drove myself home without telling anyone at the meeting what was wrong-dumb! I just wanted to get home and tell my husband. He took me to the hospital where all the typical testing was done. When the blood work showed elevated enzymes a cardiologist was called. I was told I was having a heart attack. Nitro removed ALL my discomfort and gave me a terrible headache. I was kept on medication and scheduled for a catheterization the following morning. Before that test my Dr came into my room and spent time looking over and over all my test results. He told me that since I had never experienced anything like this, I had been stressed recently, the shape of my heart muscle was odd, and the left ventricle showed damage he thought it might be Takotsubo Syndrome. He said that would be my best case scenario at this point. He was thrilled to tell me that was my diagnosis after not finding any blockage. He put me on meds to help my heart heal for six weeks, then I will have another echo cardiogram which he expects to be normal.

The name Takotsubo came from Japan where this was first written about in the 1990's. That word means octopus trap which is the shape the heart changes to. I've read that 2% of people presenting with heart attack symptoms actually have this. They are most often women over age 50. So we are a small group. I'm glad to read the previous stories since I had never heard of this. I feel well now two weeks after the incident. That day was certainly not the most stressful day of my life, so I wonder why it happened then. My doctor suggested the stress of leading up to that day was the problem rather than the actual public speaking which can be the cause for some people. I don't expect it to ever happen again, but was told IF it does, still go to the hospital to be checked out. I would probably also tell the people around me what is going on and not drive myself home!
Posted 3/31/2018 8:13 AM (GMT -5)
Dear all,
I'm new to forums etc so please bear with me. I ended up in ER 4 weeks ago & was dx with "Broken heart syndrome"-new one on me. I was delirious for 1 or 2 days so didn't really know what was happening & even when the cardiologist told me, it did not register with me.l'my a 59yr old female with a long history of stress and anxiety. I don't remember having chest pain prior to being admitted although I do get it with anxiety.Was in hospital for 8 days - the tests & the angiogram was clear.
Prescribed ACE inhibitors & statins. Feel very tired & not really sure if its the medication or as I call it 'The Event '.
I'mean not sure what happens now, will be going for echo in a few weeks, so would appreciate any suggestions as to what questions to ask my cardio. Thank you in advance.
Moll
Posted 3/31/2018 1:59 PM (GMT -5)
Welcome to the Forum and I'm sorry you have joined our small group of people who have had Broken Heart Syndrome, Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy, Takotsubo Syndrome or The Event. That's how I refer to it also. My Event happened soon after your own. I am on medication to help my heart heal, probably the same as you. My doctor explained that he does expect it to be healed when I return to him after six weeks and have another echo done. If not I will probably be left on the medication and checked again later, but I expect it to be healed!

The day this Event happened was certainly not my most stressful day, so I wonder why it happened that day, but I assume that's unknown. Being told I was having a heart attack didn't exactly calm me down. The medication made me feel tired for just a few days while I was adjusting to it. I had a catheterization going through the groin (showing no blockage) so I was told to not lift anything heavier that a milk jug and to not drive for five days while that healed. Other than that I can resume normal activities and I have. I was in the hospital about 48 hours. Your longer stay would result in you feeling more tired--in my opinion Hospitals are exhausting places to be with constant activity and noise. But I'm so very thankful for them and the wonderful people who staff them when I need all of that!

My doctor explained that my heart had changed to an odd shape like that of a bucket, smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. That's the description of a Takosubo, which is an octopus trap in Japan. He expects the echo to show that my heart has returned to the normal shape. So that's the biggest question you need answered that day. Is your heart the correct shape? He also said my heart showed some damage, only in certain areas-the medication is to help it heal. So you will also need to know if your heart still looks damaged. A side effect of the meds is that they lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol, neither of which I needed. My blood pressure was going very low in the hospital but I was told that's ok. I've not had any issues with that, but that could account for your tiredness. We were told to check my b/p daily just to see what it's doing. It's always just below what is considered normal.

My doctor said he has had other patients who had this and none have ever had it a second time. That is also what I have read in many other places I've researched. My doctor added that IF it ever did seem to be happening again I still need to get to the ER and be checked.

We need to stay in touch and compare notes on this Event neither of us had ever heard of before.
Posted 4/26/2018 10:18 AM (GMT -5)
Follow up with the cardiologist 6 weeks after the Event was yesterday. An echo cardiogram showed no damage, everything is back to normal with no evidence that anything ever happened! Just like we expected. The doctor was very pleased to give me such good news.

I've researched Takotsubo, also called Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy for these 6 weeks. Few people have ever heard of it so it takes some explaining. Yesterday the doctor did not even use that term. He said to just tell people you had a heart attack with no blockage-that's the important part. I was thinking of the dentist, eye dr, knee dr who will all ask if there has been a change in my health. So now rather than stress out about explaining Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy I will follow doctor's orders and say I had a heart attack with no blockage.

The doctor took me off one medication but wants me to stay on two others. I'm not sure why but think I may ask for an explanation of that today.

It helped me to read other comments here but I wish there were more follow up messages to let us know how you are doing. So, if you have had this condition, please check in again with an update.
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