Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD): Any new info?

Posted by suzzles @suzzles, Nov 8, 2017

Is there a group that has information on new discoveries about SCAD?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

@geniehl

I was just diagnosed, by angiogram, with spontaneous coranary artery dissection. I was told that it was uncommon and little was known about them. I will be having my first visit with a cardioligist on Jan. 26. What kind of questions should I ask?

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I was diagnosed with scad at 61 years. Is there anyone diagnosed with this condition near this age. Most patients seem to be younger.

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@geniehl

I was just diagnosed, by angiogram, with spontaneous coranary artery dissection. I was told that it was uncommon and little was known about them. I will be having my first visit with a cardioligist on Jan. 26. What kind of questions should I ask?

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Thank you so much for giving me such good questions to ask. My brother and Sister in law live in Minnesota. A small place called Albert Lee. Anyway. I was placed on aspirin therapy at the hospital. This heart thing came right out of the blue. I'm 64 years old, and although I have a myraid of health problems in my back, legs, and liver, but I was still able to do a rigerous workout at a local pool. (2 hours everyday) and felt quite healthy at the time. Now I'm worn out after a shower. I live in Utah and there hasn't been a doctor I've found, out here, that seems to know much about SCAD.

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@geniehl

I was just diagnosed, by angiogram, with spontaneous coranary artery dissection. I was told that it was uncommon and little was known about them. I will be having my first visit with a cardioligist on Jan. 26. What kind of questions should I ask?

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I would suggest asking if they plan to monitor the dissection and let it heal on its own, or a possibility or a stent. Also would ask how many SCAD patients does your cardiologist see a year? Also should you be on aspirin therapy or another anticoagulant. What can you expect for monitoring and prevention. Is there any other underlying vascular disease that may be the cause of scad such as FMD (Fibromuscular Dysplasia). One other thing you may want to discuss is doing cardiac rehab. I would recommend every scad patient go through cardiac rehab for both peace of mind and understanding what symptoms you have under supervision... does that make sense to you? I hope I did not overwhelm you with thoughts and questions! Please keep us posted how your appointment goes, and know we are all here leading up to the appointment. I know it can be overwhelming leading up the appointment, so please feel free to vent, cry or laugh... I know the emotions of this diagnosis can be all over the place. May I ask what state you live in? I am in Minnesota and have Mayo Clinic Rochester an hour away, so I am very fortunate.

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i was diagnosed with Scad July 30 2021 ,i am 56 years old , male that exercises 4-5 times a week for about an hour ... i am just starting Rehab , but not a lot of people have seen it before , Doctors have heard of it , so reaching out and seeing if it can happen again , what medication works best ,what can i do for exercise, any advise is good advise for me right now

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@katofoz, I wanted to bring you into this discussion group so you can meet other people with SCAD like @bosse @geniehl @coughlan and @elizabethmackenzie.

What symptoms did you experience, Kat? Have you see this video about SCAD and how women often delay seeking medical help? Did this happen to you?

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@colleenyoung

@katofoz, I wanted to bring you into this discussion group so you can meet other people with SCAD like @bosse @geniehl @coughlan and @elizabethmackenzie.

What symptoms did you experience, Kat? Have you see this video about SCAD and how women often delay seeking medical help? Did this happen to you?

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Thank you for adding me to the group. I honestly don’t know a lot about SCAD. I woke up one morning feeling very fatigued and had to go to physical therapy. I almost called and canceled because I was so tired but decided I better go. I did my pool therapy and planned on running a few errands when I was done. I started driving and all of a sudden had an intense pain in the upper mid chest. I was about to get on the interstate and at that point assumed it might be some indigestion and would go away but just in case I decided not to get on the interstate. I started driving towards my house which is next door to the hospital and the pain was getting worse instead of better. It was radiating down my left arm and at this point I assumed heart attack so I went to the ER. My EKG came back fine but my blood work showed something with the heart. The medical team thought it was possible blood clots because I had recently gone off blood thinners for 5 days to have a procedure done. They admitted me and the next day did an ultrasound of heart and the catheter thing and I heard the doctor say no blockages. But the next day a different doctor came on and told me I was diagnosed with SCAD. Tomorrow is my appointment with the cardiologist so I’m assuming I will learn a lot more.

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@katofoz

Thank you for adding me to the group. I honestly don’t know a lot about SCAD. I woke up one morning feeling very fatigued and had to go to physical therapy. I almost called and canceled because I was so tired but decided I better go. I did my pool therapy and planned on running a few errands when I was done. I started driving and all of a sudden had an intense pain in the upper mid chest. I was about to get on the interstate and at that point assumed it might be some indigestion and would go away but just in case I decided not to get on the interstate. I started driving towards my house which is next door to the hospital and the pain was getting worse instead of better. It was radiating down my left arm and at this point I assumed heart attack so I went to the ER. My EKG came back fine but my blood work showed something with the heart. The medical team thought it was possible blood clots because I had recently gone off blood thinners for 5 days to have a procedure done. They admitted me and the next day did an ultrasound of heart and the catheter thing and I heard the doctor say no blockages. But the next day a different doctor came on and told me I was diagnosed with SCAD. Tomorrow is my appointment with the cardiologist so I’m assuming I will learn a lot more.

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Kat, I look forward to hearing what you learn after your appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow. To help you prepare your questions to ask, you may appreciate watching the 22 minutes documentary where other SCAD women share their experiences.

Good luck tomorrow.

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@colleenyoung

Kat, I look forward to hearing what you learn after your appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow. To help you prepare your questions to ask, you may appreciate watching the 22 minutes documentary where other SCAD women share their experiences.

Good luck tomorrow.

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Thank you! 😊

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@katofoz

Thank you! 😊

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Kat, just checking in. How did the appointment with the cardiologist go? What did you learn? What's the action plan?

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He really didn’t seem too concerned. I go for two Cat scans on the 26th. One of the head and the other the abdomen. Apparently sometimes these can help indicate what caused it. He said if these come back good I shouldn’t need a follow up with him unless I have another incident. I had no blockages , only a small tear. I have to go to cardiac rehab and went for my consultation yesterday. I also have a lot of fluid on my feet and ankles. He told me to ask my primary to prescribe me a fluid pill but wait until after the scans.

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