Life After a Heart AttackĪ heart attack is often a devastating event that severely disrupts your life. If depression interferes with your sleeping or eating, or if you feel worthless or have thoughts of suicide, reach out to your doctor and people close to you. Cardiac Rehabilitationĭepression is common after a heart attack, along with fear and anger.
Ideally this is done a few days after your heart attack, but it may also need to be done more urgently. In addition to treatment with drugs, you may need to undergo a procedure to restore blood flow to your heart:Ĭoronary Angioplasty and Stenting This common procedure involves inserting a long, narrow tube (catheter) into your coronary artery, inflating a tiny balloon in the area of a blockage, and leaving a mesh tube (called a stent) to keep it open.Ĭoronary Artery Bypass Surgery For more severe artery blockages, you may need to undergo surgery in which blood vessels are sewn around a blocked artery. Pain Relievers If you’re in pain, you may be given morphine or another drug. Nitroglycerin This drug helps your blood vessels widen (dilate) and can help improve blood flow to your heart, in addition to reducing chest pain ( angina).īeta Blockers These drugs help relax your heart muscle and lower blood pressure, potentially limiting heart muscle damage.ĪCE Inhibitors These drugs also help lower blood pressure, meaning your heart has to work less hard. Other Blood Thinners You may receive drugs such as heparin to reduce the formation of blood clots. Thrombolytics Known as clot-busting drugs, these medications help dissolve blood clots that are blocking blood flow to your heart.Īntiplatelet Drugs Also known as platelet aggregation inhibitors, these drugs prevent new clots and stop existing ones from growing. Once your treatment begins, you may receive the following IV drugs to treat a heart attack: