Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Pregnant after heart attack

I am 37 years old and 1-1/2 yrs ago had a slight heart attack that we think was caused by blood clots from the birth control I was on.  I was treated with a stent in the artery and in Jan 2004 I had to have a cath to clear some blockage around the stent.  Since then I have been healthy - had a stress test a few months ago with great results.  I am on a bunch of different meds, plavix, coreg, altace, lipitor, aspirin and I take folic acid.  Additionally, I have a 40% blockage in another artery that, so far, the doctors have felt should not be touched.

My question comes in as I have been recenlty married and would like to have a baby.  I have been working with my cardiologist and while he doesn't say it can't be done, and we are talking about it, I don't feel like he really thinks its a good idea.  I understand there will be risks, and he is concerend about this other artery though I appear to be getting good blood flow to that area of the heart.

Are there any stats on women in my position?  Are there doctors that would be better to work with regarding this situation? I am in the Cleveland area.  Since I will need to be off the meds before getting pregnant, do you think its a good idea to give this a try for a couple of months NOW, since I have been stable and healthy for over 6 months now?  I'm just concerned my doctor is not taking me serious on this issue and is dragging his feet hoping I will change my mind.  I would love to know  more about what is the best way to attack this situation.

Thank you
18 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
A related discussion, please help me was started.
Helpful - 0
38309 tn?1270890103
I agree that only Joan can decide whether or not to pursue a pregnancy based on her very individual situation.

I'm 37 and newly diagnosed w/ atherosclerosis. During a recent pregnancy, I developed a blood clot in my right leg and was told it could travel, possibly creating devasting consequences for myself and unborn child. I also began experiencing chest pain for the first time in my life, and couldn't walk or eat without feeling absolutely exhausted. After having two normal pregnancies, I knew something was wrong.

I started out my third pregnancy ahead of the game, so to speak -- I was thin, well-conditioned and disease-free, or so I thought. By the end of the pregnancy, I was debilitated and almost didn't survive childbirth. I'm better now, but not the same pre-pregnancy.

I share these things not to create fear, but to consider the very real possibilities of a pregnancy with a life-threatening disease.

Best regards,

Kim
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Conceiving, giving birth to, and raising a child is one of life's most precious gifts. I cannot believe that there are actually people out there, complete stangers, who would actually advise the poster to either have a child or adopt. One of whom actually advised you to adopt because of medical risk, before the MD had a chance to respond. Wow. Good luck, and trust yourself and those who know you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You said you had some minor heart damage - do you know what your EF is?  Knowing your ejection fraction is very important to determine how well your heart is pumping.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Actually, I thank God almost every day that I am even alive.  At the time the doctors were more worried about the blood clots than the heart issues and now that its past I do realize how severe the situation was.

I did get symptoms that made me go to the emergency room.  I was at work and had to work to another wing of the building and coming back to my desk realized I was short of breath, extremely winded, sweating and had a pain in my shoulder area.  I was scared, but prepared to write it off - I had a very minor episode of being winded earlier in the day, so after 10 minutes decided I was going to the hospital.  My emergency room experience was NOT ideal, but I won't get into that here.

As for my heart damage - there is a very small area where blood flow is restricted from the scar tissue, but it is improving AND blood flow is not affected by exercise.

I'm conflicted, like you have been Babs about what to do and have been praying a lot lately, trying to put it into God's hands (as hokey as that may sound).

Thank you all again.  Deep down I know that there won't be any answers based on someone else's experience since every case is so unique.  I will talk to my cardiologist about the other tests that were suggested as well.


Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Joan,  

I too had a heart attack when I was in my 30's, and the doctors think it was due to birth control pills as well, but they're not sure. I had no other risk factors.  My heart attack was silent - it was only found during a routine physical exam I got because I wanted to get pregnant as well.  Did you know you were having a heart attack, and if so, what symptoms did you have?  Do you have any lasting damage to your heart, and do you know what your EF (ejection fraction)is?

Like you, my doctors have given me no definite answers on what the risk would be to me if I got pregnant, although they don't discourage me either. They just don't seem to know.  I am so scared that I will further damage my heart that I have pretty much decided against pregnancy.  This event has really affected my life, as I had always planned on having children. I'm sad to hear that there is someone else out there with a similar story. I think the risks of birth control pills are very underestimated by young women.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Babs
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Adoption is a wonderful gift to both parent and child.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
well i did read wrong...seeing the 40% blockage in another artery and reading that your taking lipitor.

Joan, if you dont mind me asking do you have a family history of early heart disease?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you everyone for your feedback.  Let me see if I can fill in a few more of the details.

When I had my heart attack they also found blood clots in my lungs - lots of clots - with no explanation except for the birth control pills I was on.  Additionally, I never had any blood clot symptoms - nothing was found in my legs or anything.  It was very weird. I was on comoudin for 6 months and those cleared up.  So, that is why they think my heart attack was from the clots.

Before that, I never had high blood pressure, high choloesteral or anything, but after the stent the doctor automatically put me on all those drugs.  I weighed about 230 lbs, so I was considerably overweight but like I said before - I never had any problems with breathing, chest pain, cholesteral or blood pressure.  I do have a family history though.  My dad and 4 of his brothers and sisters have had bypass surgery.

As for the other blockage - I was told that most people by the time they are 40 have blockage in the 30-50% range.  Maybe this is false information, I dont know.  My other thought is without this episode I would never had thought twice about getting pregnant - and if that episode was because of the blood clots, then in my mind I wouldn't be at any perceived higher risk than anyone else my age(did that make sense?)

Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"Additionally, I have a 40% blockage in another artery that, so far, the doctors have felt should not be touched."

Forty percent blockage and you want to get pregnant? The risk is too high. If you get high blood pressure during pregnancy, your artery can be constricted to the point that it'll starve your heart from nutrients thus leading to a heart attack.

-jeff
Helpful - 0
239757 tn?1213809582
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
One other thing,

If you had blood clots in the lungs and a heart attack at the same time....you might ask your doctor for an evaluation for an atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale. This could be done through a cardiologist or your regular doctor with an echocardiogram and bubble study.

good luck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"When I had my heart attack they also found blood clots in my lungs - lots of clots - with no explanation except for the birth control pills I was on."

You are truly lucky you're alive! Have you had your heart evaluated after you stopped taking birth control?

-jeff
Helpful - 0
239757 tn?1213809582
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
joan,

There are too many factors that go into determining your overall risk from another preganancy. Things like your ejection fraction, other risk facotrs and symptoms all play a role. There are not alot of statistics on women in your position. There are case reports of women delivering, even after having a heart attack during the pregancy.

Certainly, if you were to conceive again, your preganancy would be regarded as high risk and I would seek management at a tertiary care center with a high risk preganancy center and coordiniate your pregenancy with the obgyn, pediatricians and cardiologist there.

good luck

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I found the below 'definition' on the American Heart Association web board.  

"Heart Attack"

What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself -- the myocardium -- is severely reduced or stopped. The medical term for heart attack is myocardial infarction. The reduction or stoppage happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked. This is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), a process called atherosclerosis.

The plaque can eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a "snag" where a "blood clot" forms and blocks the artery. This leads to a heart attack.

A heart attack is also sometimes called a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.
If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, muscle cells suffer permanent injury and die. This can kill or disable someone, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged.

Sometimes a coronary artery temporarily contracts or goes into spasm. When this happens the artery narrows and blood flow to part of the heart muscle decreases or stops. We're not sure what causes a spasm. A spasm can occur in normal-appearing blood vessels as well as in vessels partly blocked by atherosclerosis. A severe spasm can cause a heart attack.

See the Related Items box above for links to the Cardiology Patient Page in Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association:

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I do not think she has coronary artery disease. She said that she suffered a small heart attack because a blood clot must have lodged into her artery of her heart and caused the heart attack. Ive read many stories of young women getting heart attacks because of blood clots or a blood clot disorder.

Unless i read wrong i doubt she has coronary artery disease i mean considering her age its quite low for her to have CAD, uless she had other risk factors that she didnt state like early heart disease or high cholesterol.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Joan,  I'm not a doctor - and the doctors on this board are excellent.  I'm sure he'll have some good recommendations.  

About 10 years ago I had a heart attack at age 37 - from a blood clot - like you - but unlike yours in that mine was broken up with a drug called TpA and I didn't need a stent.  

But stats are just that 'stats' and you never really know how they went about getting the data for those stats.  If I listened to the stats 10 years ago - I shouldn't be here right now.  So, I don't put 'all' my faith in those.  

I know this one young lady who had Long QT Syndrome and she got an ICD and then she got pregnant and had a healthy baby boy.  

Heart disease doesn't stop ME from doing the things I want to do. It can be an obstacle sometimes - but 'most' days it doesn't effect my quality of my life at all.  

I know when I was pregnant it stirred up alot of hormones I never knew you had.  I cried some days when my husband just dropped a dime..  Little did I know once we had our child it was our last dime.  :-)  

I think only you can decide what is best for you. Your the one that has to live with the decision.  I was 28 when I had my daughter - its a wonderful experience to give life but its even 'more' wonderful to watch them grow and share your life with them.  If your like most people you'll find yourself getting a few grey hairs along the way - but its worth every one of them..  :-)  

Best Wishes
Konopka1955  

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You have this misconseption that you are healthy now since your angioplasty. The simple truth is that you have Coronary Artery Disease for life. The medications you are on now you will need to be on for the rest of your life maybe with the exception of the Plavix. It is not a good idea in my opinion for you to get pregnant. It is too much of a risk for you and a baby. Maybe you should think of adoption.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Before you go any further, seek out a high-risk OB/GYN.  Have both doctors work with you in evaluating your desire for a child.  No one can give you a green flag, as every pregnancy has certain risks, with everyone.  But, at least you can make a very informed decision.  From my past pregnancy experiences, it does place some strain on your heart and other organs.  Your body is working to create another little person, and your body is hard at work.  At least, that's how I felt!  I have a very fast heart rate, and it was amplified while pregnant.  Seeking out an OB/GYN that specializes in high-risk patients would be the way I'd go.  Good luck and best wishes...
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Forum

Popular Resources
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.