Treatment

There's no standard treatment for broken heart syndrome. Treatment is similar to treatment for a heart attack until the diagnosis is clear. Most people stay in the hospital while they recover.

Once it's clear that broken heart syndrome is the cause of your symptoms, your doctor will likely prescribe heart medications for you to take while you're in the hospital, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta blockers or diuretics. These medications help reduce the workload on your heart while you recover and may help prevent further attacks.

Many patients make a full recovery within a month or so. You'll likely need to have another echocardiogram around four to six weeks after you first had symptoms to be sure your heart has recovered. Ask your doctor how long you will need to continue taking these medications once you recover, as most can be stopped within three months.

Procedures that are often used to treat a heart attack, such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement, or even surgery, aren't helpful in treating broken heart syndrome. These procedures treat blocked arteries, which are not the cause of broken heart syndrome. But, coronary angiography can be used to diagnose the cause of the chest pain.