extreme pain in wrist following angioplasty

[1a2b3]

Hi, I am a 66 year old female who had angiogram and angioplasty through wrist 11 days ago . Blockage was 90 % in LAD. I have been experiencing severe wrist pain and some in bicep for past 5 days . This occurs mainly at night and is so painful my sleep is disturbed. I have been back to emergency and had blood , ekg, ultrasound and X-ray, nothing seems amiss. I am concerned there may be nerve damage . Wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if it will eventually go away . Thank you !

[YorkshireBella123]

Hi there, both of my wrists were black and blue - my left forearm from the wrist did puff up abit - swollen artery and into my shoulder was tender.

It all did calm down and I did call the ward and the nurses were very helpful - keep an eye on it and good luck with your recovery hope you can ring the 'day ward' for some reassurance (I was really shocked by the bruising and internal swelling though, also my thumb had a dead sensation going on and I too thought about nerve damage but all OK now)👍

[1a2b3 in reply to YorkshireBella123]

hi there, thank you so much for your reply. The pain seems to be subsiding finally almost two weeks post. I had a follow up with my cardiologist three days ago, and he assured me that everything was fine. Most likely just a lot of trauma to the area and internal bruising. He attributed that to the fact that I likely have smaller arteries as I have smaller veins.. The catheter line is quite rigid and I suppose that can cause trauma in itself. I have been icing it at night wearing a splint at bedtime, which is the time I have the most pain . Slowly, it seems to be improving. of all the things I expected after an angioplasty, having a painful wrist for two weeks was not one of them. I hope you are doing well, take care .

[Ladylovesmilktray]

hi 1a2b3, you are a little ahead of me. We are around the same age and I had a stent in my LAD 5days ago. My blockage was over 70% and angioplasty performed following angiogram. I’m experiencing niggly pains in my back and sternum, but nothing I can’t cope with and yes, I too have a badly bruised and sore wrist and intermittent pins and needles in my thumb.

How are you feeling generally? I have been anxious but slowly getting my emotions under control by thinking of the positives.

[1a2b3 in reply to Ladylovesmilktray]

Hi Ladylovesmilktray. I am about 6 weeks post angioplasty and am feeling pretty good. My wrist pain is completely gone and bruising and cleared up. Other than the wrist pain, I didn't experience any other issues post procedure. I would say it took about 3 weeks for my wrist to feel back to normal. The pressure bracelet was very uncomfortable and perhaps that has caused some short term numbness in your wrist and thumb. I am still experiencing the chest tightness that started this whole journey. I expected it would be gone but it has stayed the same. I try to walk about 4-5 k a day or about 2.8 miles, as I know staying active is important but the tightness does cause me some anxiety. I know what you mean about being, anxious. Every time I feel something a little different I wonder if it is my heart. My biggest issue now is eating heart healthy . I love to cook and always ate relatively healthy, so this is a bit challenging but I'm getting there. I assume you will have a follow up soon with your cardiologist and I would definitely mention the pain you are experiencing . If I've learned anything through this whole experience, it would be to ask questions and if it doesn't feel right keep going back . Things get missed. Best wishes for speedy recovery!