22 replies to this topic

[_femme333_]

Does anyone familiar with heart attack and stroke in this forum?
I'd like to ask a question in regards to that.
Anyone who's in a medical school perhaps?


Thanks.

[phantom22]

Does witnessing heart attacks count?

Does anyone familiar with heart attack and stroke in this forum?
I'd like to ask a question in regards to that.
Anyone who's in a medical school perhaps?
Thanks.

Edited by phantom22, 26 May 2007 - 08:49 PM.

[_femme333_]

Does witnessing heart attacks count?
]

of course.

[_femme333_]

I knew someone who has been drinking heavily for many many years now. I went to see him, and he was very drunk at that time. After a while I noticed that he started having intense pains in his chest because he could hardly breath, and he was holding the middle part of his chest as if he was suffocating or something. Anyways, I had not idea what to do or what was even happening to him. I asked him if he was ok, but he couldn't speak because the pain was so instense.
I told him to go and lie down, which he did, but when he was lying down I saw how his face...more like his head...turned dark blue, and then black. I'm guessing that his blood circulation stooped reaching his brain, and perhaps that's the reason why his head turned black. That happened for some minutes I think. Meanwhile, he was squzzing tight to his chest and his side of his eyes...where the brain is located. I think that he might have been moaning a little. I asked him if he wanted me to call the ambulance, but he simply shook his head as in "no" because he couldn't speak. After some minutes he was back to normal, but he was very drunk still.

Right before the incident he stared at me for a minute and kind of jumped back from fear. I said what's wrong, and he acted like he was horrified to look at me. He kept telling me "stop looking at me that way stop.." but now I know that he was hallucinating because he's been through hallucinations before. Yes, he does drink like crazy.

My question is whether or not you think that he a mild heart attack or even a stroke that day? There was a point where I thought that he was going to die. I'm pretty sure that something did happen to him that day, but I wasn't sure exactly what.

Since you said that you've seen someone else experience heart attack/stroke do you think that this might have been the same case? I just think that if a person starts hallucinating and his head turns black, then it's something serious, and I'm sure all this will catch up with him in the long run again if he continues drinking like he does now.

[Sip]

I am no doctor but he should really have this checked out. That's assuming he cares about living. If he doesn't care but you care about him living, then definitely make him have this thing checked out.

The only thing I know about heart attacks is that some aspirin could save the patient's life. But again, I am no medical doctor, and don't know anything about this type of stuff. But I do know chest pain, difficulty of breathing, and turning black and blue are usually indications to head to the ER ... I don't care if you are a smoker/drinker or not.

[phantom22]

My father had 10 heart attacks during the 18 years before he died at 62. I witnessed a few of these. I was six years old when he had his first heart attack. Due to this experience, I have been a confirmed vegan for 20 years and a vegetarian for 30 years.

Ask me what you want to ask.

of course.

[Anoushik]

My father had 10 heart attacks during the 18 years before he died at 62.

Wow, that's a lot isn't it? Is that normal?

It must have been horrible for you.

On a related note, have you heard about the vegan parents who accidentaly starved their newborn to death? It was in the news some weeks ago. They were going to be prosecuted and faced prison time.

[_femme333_]

My father had 10 heart attacks during the 18 years before he died at 62. I witnessed a few of these. I was six years old when he had his first heart attack. Due to this experience, I have been a confirmed vegan for 20 years and a vegetarian for 30 years.

Ask me what you want to ask.

My questions is in the long post that I wrote. Basically, I wanted to know if whatever my friend went through that day was a a possible stroke/heart attack or something else perhaps?

How old was your father when he had his first heart attack?

[Sip]

I'm going to take a guess and say around 44.

[phantom22]

The symptoms you describe sound more like a toxic overload. My father would get very pale after having intense pain in his arm and a tightness in the chest. What you relate is more in line with alcohol poisoning.

My father was born in late 1907. He had his first heart attack in early 1952, so 44 is correct Sip.

My questions is in the long post that I wrote. Basically, I wanted to know if whatever my friend went through that day was a a possible stroke/heart attack or something else perhaps?

How old was your father when he had his first heart attack?

[phantom22]

My father was very stressed. First "the silver spoon was pulled out of his mouth" at age 8, and he had to go from a life where his family had multiple homes to working as a hammal in Paris at age 16. Next he was in a very stressful top-secret job for a private contractor to the US government. Third he smoked and ate rich Armenian foods (boormas, yughod pilaf, etc.).

We grew up chasing the ambulances.

Those were two young eshegs, who didn't know what they were doing. The first time I became vegetarian without expert advice, I became gravely ill. It is imperative that any change of diet be done under the care of a competent professional.

Wow, that's a lot isn't it? Is that normal?

It must have been horrible for you.

On a related note, have you heard about the vegan parents who accidentaly starved their newborn to death? It was in the news some weeks ago. They were going to be prosecuted and faced prison time.

Edited by phantom22, 26 May 2007 - 10:17 PM.

[ED]

I never heard someone survive even after 3rd heart attack, but 10? Phantomas?

Femme, if your friend has drunk heavily for so many years it could be his verisis, liver! Aspirin is not a good idea since his blood platelets might be low, aspirin makes blood watery!
Verisis mean veins are swollen and can be confused with heart attack, so swollen his entry to the stomach is almost closing, thus courses pain probably bleeding, he must have serious liver condition called portal-hypertension; when blood has difficulty going through liver due to cirrhosis, I.E. result of mainly drinking and hepatitis B blood going through his damaged liver

There are lots of complication can arise from weak liver damaged cells, see if he has gold stones, they can have a very painful attacks when they move or block the shaft which blurubin backs to the liver and eventually into the blood stream. Ascites, swelling of legs and belly, hands etc. have complete liver panel blood test; endoscophy will show most of his liver, upper digestive organs, a simple cardio-gram will show his heart condition

I hope he inset drinking now, let me know about what I said and have him get a MRI of the liver, I hope it isn’t to late or he will need liver transplant, if there is a small amount of healthy liver left immediate absence of alcohol and with a right diet liver can grow back, but cirociss is irreversible.

Be cheerful and all well to him
Eat lots of carrots, greens and drink minerals which are rich with essentials
And remember NO BUZZ

[phantom22]

Yup, he had 10 heart attacks. Some more mild than others and he had to stay home from his job after each one. My mother radically changed his diet to keep him alive, but the damage was already done. Anyone eating a standard diet would not last past the third.

I never heard someone survive even after 3rd heart attack, but 10? Phantomas?

Femme, if your friend has drunk heavily for so many years it could be his verisis, liver! Aspirin is not a good idea since his blood platelets might be low, aspirin makes blood watery!
Verisis mean veins are swollen and can be confused with heart attack, so swollen his entry to the stomach is almost closing, thus courses pain probably bleeding, he must have serious liver condition called portal-hypertension; when blood has difficulty going through liver due to cirrhosis, I.E. result of mainly drinking and hepatitis B blood going through his damaged liver

There are lots of complication can arise from weak liver damaged cells, see if he has gold stones, they can have a very painful attacks when they move or block the shaft which blurubin backs to the liver and eventually into the blood stream. Ascites, swelling of legs and belly, hands etc. have complete liver panel blood test; endoscophy will show most of his liver, upper digestive organs, a simple cardio-gram will show his heart condition

I hope he inset drinking now, let me know about what I said and have him get a MRI of the liver, I hope it isn’t to late or he will need liver transplant, if there is a small amount of healthy liver left immediate absence of alcohol and with a right diet liver can grow back, but cirociss is irreversible.

Be cheerful and all well to him
Eat lots of carrots, greens and drink minerals which are rich with essentials
And remember NO BUZZ

[_femme333_]

I never heard someone survive even after 3rd heart attack, but 10? Phantomas?

Femme, if your friend has drunk heavily for so many years it could be his verisis, liver! Aspirin is not a good idea since his blood platelets might be low, aspirin makes blood watery!
Verisis mean veins are swollen and can be confused with heart attack, so swollen his entry to the stomach is almost closing, thus courses pain probably bleeding, he must have serious liver condition called portal-hypertension; when blood has difficulty going through liver due to cirrhosis, I.E. result of mainly drinking and hepatitis B blood going through his damaged liver

There are lots of complication can arise from weak liver damaged cells, see if he has gold stones, they can have a very painful attacks when they move or block the shaft which blurubin backs to the liver and eventually into the blood stream. Ascites, swelling of legs and belly, hands etc. have complete liver panel blood test; endoscophy will show most of his liver, upper digestive organs, a simple cardio-gram will show his heart condition

I hope he inset drinking now, let me know about what I said and have him get a MRI of the liver, I hope it isn’t to late or he will need liver transplant, if there is a small amount of healthy liver left immediate absence of alcohol and with a right diet liver can grow back, but cirociss is irreversible.

Be cheerful and all well to him
Eat lots of carrots, greens and drink minerals which are rich with essentials
And remember NO BUZZ

I wish things were easier, but they're not. First of all, he has never seen a doctor in his life. He refuses to see a doctor for a regular check up. He hasn't even seen a doctor for prostate reasons...I know that every man at certain age should check himself up in that area. He had those "incidents" which I described above on number of occasions. That wasn't the first time, although that was the first time in front of me. He's addicted to alcohol for years now, and I think that until something bad happens he would never see a doctor. It's very unfortunate, but he's just stubborn like that.
As far as I'm concerned, he's a lost cause. I wish I could help, but I can't help people who can not help themselves first.

Thanks for the above description of a possible liver failure/dissease. As far as I'm concerned, he does not have any complains about his liver, but I can not be 100% sure. I know that he had gastric (not sure if that's the exact name)problem right after heavy drinking, which lasted about 4 days or so. I think that it's typical of a person who's an alcoholic.
He also has a bad memory. Even if that was his liver failing, then I'm sure that over time he'll have more serious and intense pains. I'm surprised that he has no health problems after years of heavy drinking. He only has these probalem when he's drinking. I'm guessing that he's health is alright right now, but that doesn't mean he's always going to stay healthy through alcohol abuse.

[ED]

when a men gives up nothing can help, first great doctor is within you, got to love life and live it
i don't know what his problems are but sure he has gone through some hard times in life, never less cant live with the past, go to go forward

now, sounds live typical liver failure but not acute, yet! memory loss is result of to much albumin in his blood, also liver damage sign, oh man sounds like he is in for hard times.
if you care for him, take him to ER room NOW or everyday delay makes it worst, remember heart is the last organ that fails!

[ED]

also, the reason he does not fell pain in his liver is, because liver has few nerve cells and being under influence all the time its numb.

[_femme333_]

also, the reason he does not fell pain in his liver is, because liver has few nerve cells and being under influence all the time its numb.

That makes sense. otherwise I always wondered why he doesn't seem to have any health problems. I know people who died from liver failures due to heavy drinking. My uncle was one of them. He didn't drink as hard or as frequent as my friend, but the end result was tragic for him. He passed away around the age of 60-65 I think.

I've read before that there are certain people who's eyelids sag over time if they're alcoholics. I've noticed that on my friend. His eyelids are sagging, although he claims that they're always have been that way. You won't find that info in many alcohol related websites, but I just rememebred how I came across that info a while back when I was doing my own research on alcoholism because I was trying to understand what exactly it is. I've heard about it many times, but since I've never been around alcoholics, I had no idea what a serious addiction it is, until I learned a little about it. Thanks for giving me more insights into this.

[Emil]

I've held a human heart in my hand during open heart surgery.

[Anoushik]

I've held a human heart in my hand during open heart surgery.

How was the experience?

[Maral]

I've held a human heart in my hand during open heart surgery.

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww