Angina

[Badger24]

I am new here. does anyone know why I still get Unstable angina after having stents put in

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Just to confirm you say it is unstable as it comes on at rest or is there another reason?

[Badger24 in reply to MichaelJH]

It comes on at rest.or wen it is cold

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Badger24]

Cold is classic as the arteries narrow from the cold air. Before my bypass I try to avoid going out in cold weather! At rest needs investigation. You need to see your GP as you may need further treatment or it might be another condition like Prinz-metal angina. Sadly one condition does not exclude others.

If you get no relief after two applications of GTN spray ring 999!

[Badger24 in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks Michael I am under Harefield hospital.But I get inpatient.i do take my gtn spray.and my gt tables.

[Picass in reply to MichaelJH]

I am in this situation I thought when I had stents it would all be sorted but apparently if you have some arteries that are not blocked enough for stents and are controlled by medication they can cause angina

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

I’ve also been told that Microvessel blockages are causing my unstable angina. You’re right, they are too small to stent. For me, GTN spray for unstable angina can help initially, but it returns.

It is difficult to manage. With stable angina (with hills, exercise, stress, hot, cold, humidity) I can just avoid what’s causing, relax it and it fades away, or I use a spray.

Unstable is a bit trickier. Juggling my meds (over 5 years or so) has helped a lot, but it’s still not gone completely (especially in bed, early morning) and they now keep my BP so low that a GTN spray can reduce my BP even more, so i can faint.

For me, lots of trial and error has paid off.

[young85 in reply to Kristin1812]

Your stable angina and unstable angina, can I ask how long they both normally last for, continuously time wise?

[Badger24 in reply to young85]

Hi young85.i have unstable angina some times I have it for 15mins some times on and of all day it depends on the weather cold is not so good.it wakes me up early in the morning.

[Kristin1812 Heart Star in reply to young85]

The stable angina will stop if I stop what I’m doing that causes it.

Sorry, that sounds pretty obvious!

But if I stop e.g. exercising, talking intensely, stressing, walking up a slope, carrying something heavy, breathing in cold air etc, it will fade pretty quickly. A GTN spray works a treat, too.

The unstable angina can hang around, coming in waves, very like Badger24 describes below. It can come on without warning or clear precipitants, A spray may work, but the angina often returns a few minutes later. It can crescendo, that’s the worst. A bout that takes a long time to go seems to really drain me, and I can crash out for a day or so, before I get up and about again.

[young85 in reply to Kristin1812]

What does it feel like for you?

Is it a tightness, pain, stabbing etc?

Where do you normally feel the pain on your chest?

[Kristin1812 Heart Star in reply to young85]

It’s a tightness, starts under the left breast and then across the whole front. Then sometimes up left neck and arm, and sometimes jaw. Often a pain in the back, left shoulder blade. Don’t think I’ve ever had a stabbing pain.

But I know others have different patterns.

Are you doing OK?

[2stents]

Hi my brother had a HA last year and had 2 stents fitted, he as started having angina symptoms again, and just found out he had a blockage of 50% so it wasn’t enough to have the 3rd stent fitted