The Heart Attack Recovery Plan by David Symes

Author:David Symes [Symes, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448116515
Publisher: Ebury Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

This last reason may be due to anxiety or exhaustion, but is more likely to be a side-effect of the drugs you are on. If this is a problem, pluck up the courage to discuss it with your GP or at the cardiac clinic. It is a problem that is well recognised, and can usually be solved by changing your medicines.

As regards activity levels and attached risk, sexual activity is exactly the same as any other activity (although one would hope more pleasurable) – it raises the pulse rate, i.e. the number of times the heart beats per minute. During sex the heart rate goes up to about 120 beats per minute. This is roughly equivalent to climbing two flights of stairs. So, if you feel your heart can cope with two flights of stairs then it can cope with sexual intercourse.

If sex brings on angina pain, treat the pain as you would angina pain at any other time – take a nitrate tablet or spray. If you know that sex brings on angina pain, don’t stop having sex, simply take a nitrate pill or spray before you have sex. If angina pain is a problem, though, tell your GP. You will probably be getting angina from other activities as well and the GP needs to know about this in case you need to go for an angiogram or further treatment.

Sex may well be a problem because you or your partner are nervous about what it will do to you. Take it slowly, try it when you have some energy for it and are not exhausted, and don’t worry if it is not terribly satisfactory to begin with. It will get better as you get used to it again.

Many younger people think that older people don’t have sex, or don’t have much sex. Heart attacks tend to happen to older people. Doctors and nurses tend to be younger people. Therefore, if you have problems or worries about sex and you discuss it with a nurse or doctor or other health worker, you might not get what you feel to be a satisfactory response. Try not to be put off; if your GP doesn’t appear to take the problem seriously, bring it up with the cardiac clinic staff, or vice versa, or have a talk with the district nurse if they are coming to see you. Some health centres can put you in touch with someone who deals with sexual problems – ask if there is such an individual. Relate (formerly the Marriage Guidance Council) can also help – their telephone number will be in the telephone directory.

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