A woman in her forties experienced a heart attack despite having no prior medical conditions. She shared an update five weeks after the incident.
In February, a TikTok user named Nikki had a heart attack after noticing several symptoms about a week earlier, which she dismissed as indigestion.
In a video discussing the incident, Nikki, known as @martyandnikki on TikTok, stated she had no previous medical issues but had noticed unusual signs the week before. She experienced left shoulder pain, attributing it to either poor sleeping posture or perimenopause.
The 46-year-old also felt nausea and chest tightness, but the symptoms dissipated. However, after dining at a restaurant, Nikki suffered a full-blown heart attack, with pain spreading down her arm and severe chest pressure accompanied by nausea.
On March 8, Nikki provided an update, sharing that her hospital ECG results were alarming and her troponin levels were extremely high.
Despite no blockage, plaque, or clots being detected, a spasm was addressed with nitroglycerin, which improves blood flow by widening arteries, as noted by the Cleveland Clinic.
“All labs – cholesterol, lipoprotein, homocysteine, calcium score – they were all normal,” she continued. “Echo[cardiogram] (ultrasound of heart) minorly abnormal – possible broken heart syndrome. Two angio[gram]s (analyzing blood vessels) both good – ‘no damage’.”
Five weeks post-heart attack, Nikki shared how she’s feeling and revealed a significant update on the possible cause.
She mentioned experiencing persistent symptoms such as chest pain and tachycardia during the initial weeks at home.
Nikki also reported multiple emergency room visits, with her EKGs remaining abnormal since the heart attack.
“But my troponin (protein found in heart cells) has come back down to normal,” she added.
While her cardiologist remains uncertain about the heart attack’s cause, Nikki researched her page comments for insights.
@martyandnikki Heart attack update and how TikTok helped me head in the right direction. Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to comment helpful suggestions. I truly appreciate you! Hope this video helps someone. #martyandnikki #heartattack #heartattacksurvivor #heartattacksymptoms #heartattackwomen #storytime
She discovered a link to a Ted Talk by a doctor discussing conditions that can trigger heart attacks, and the doctor was based in Texas.
Nikki consulted this “excellent” doctor, who diagnosed her with Prinzmetal, involving coronary vasospasms.
According to Cleveland Clinic, “Prinzmetal angina is also called variant angina or vasospastic angina. Prinzmetal variant angina symptoms include chest pain episodes that happen during the night when you’re at rest. Testing may not show coronary artery disease.”
Nikki explained that the doctor said she was not receiving proper treatment for her condition and adjusted her medications accordingly, including prescribing nitroglycerin for ongoing prevention.
The doctor suggested that Nikki’s heart attack may have resulted from a combination of a recent traumatic event, perimenopause, and a recent illness.
Though there is no strong genetic link identified, the doctor believes Nikki might be more vulnerable to future events or heart attacks. The nitro will serve as a rescue medication.
Since visiting the doctor, Nikki reports feeling much better and has been pain-free for the past two days, considering it a significant step forward.