How long does angina normally last st... - British Heart Fou...

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How long does angina normally last stable/unstable?

young85 profile image
11 Replies

Hiya guys,

How long does angina normally last

(Continuously) does it last for seconds ie,

(A few seconds or half a minute etc)

Can it ever be a pain (not tightness or heavy ness) just a pain?

Also as symptoms, dr google says it can be a pain in the left arm,

For any of you who’s suffered from angina or arm pain, what did the arm pain feel like,

Is it a cramp, a dull ache kind of pain, or is is a sharp pain, pinching pain etc?

I know you guys can’t give any diagnosis, but was just wondering.

Cheers peeps. Stay healthy 👊🏼

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young85
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11 Replies
stevejb1810 profile image
stevejb1810

Everyone is different but in my case it always started as pain and wasn’t for a while after the pain started that it became harder to breathe. If I stopped and rested for a few minutes the pain would stop and I would never get to the breathless stage. I only ever had right side pain. If you have a gtn spray or you take nitrates the pain will usually subside quickly - it’s actually a bit of a marker for angina. Really you should be talking to your GP if you have concerns about angina.

young85 profile image
young85 in reply tostevejb1810

Thank you for the reply, what did you pain feel like?

Also would you pain ever be at rest or was it during exertion only?

stevejb1810 profile image
stevejb1810 in reply toyoung85

I had stable angina and it was always exercise induced.

The pain started with a knot behind my right shoulder blade about the size of a walnut is how I pictured it. This would gradually change to being a burning pain that radiated out and forward into the right hand side of my chest. If I let it get this far My breathing would start to labour. The pain never progressed to my left side.

Allen224 profile image
Allen224

Hi , I suffer from unstable angina ever since my HA in 2011 , it can happen at any time , I can be walking , sitting down and even asleep . Mine is pretty typical I suppose , feels like a tennis ball in my chest then gets heavier , left arm aches and tingly and I get a horrible pain up the back of my neck and into my jaw. Sometimes it goes away with gtn sometimes not which is when I end up in A&E .

young85 profile image
young85 in reply toAllen224

How long does your pain normally last for continuously, is it for a few seconds or is it a while?

Allen224 profile image
Allen224 in reply toyoung85

I get niggles which last a few minutes then just fayed away or the intense ones can last for ages , hours even but seconds , not really

young85 profile image
young85 in reply toAllen224

Thank you for your input,

Your niggles, are they a tightness or a pain, and is it located centre of chest?

Allen224 profile image
Allen224 in reply toyoung85

They’re sharp pains left of chest

young85 profile image
young85 in reply toAllen224

Do the sharp pains last seconds or for a couple of minutes?

Only asking as the doctors appointment is a while away yet.

Cheers.

Allen224 profile image
Allen224 in reply toyoung85

A few minutes normally

Worvera profile image
Worvera

Hello 👋 My diagnosis is Microvascular Angina. The angiogram showed no significant problem with the main arteries. I have episodes every day at some point, but almost always I’m woken up during the night with them. The pain is central chest radiating to right shoulder and down my left arm as far as my wrist. It feels like a deep dull ache and I have to sit upright. The gtn spray helps after a few minutes. If I have more than one episode or if the episode requires more than one gtn spray I always feel exhausted and have a deep bruised feeling in my chest the next day. I’m also on other meds. Hope this helps and I hope you get some peace soon 😊

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