Having a meltdown today

[Qualipop]

Got blue lighted into A&E at 4.30 yesterday with severe chest pain. Because my heart attack was non stemi, I did at least get seen straight away and not stuck on a corridor for 5 hours this time. Sent home at half past midnight after being told it was severe angina ON TOP of the angina that one of my tablets is causing and just to get the GP to fiddle with my medication to work out which one is causing it. I've been doing that for two months now; spending half the day just sitting unable to do anything when the side effects kick in until they wear off around 6 pm. I think I've ruled out everything except ticagrelor and isosorbide mononitrate but haven't yet been able to see a GP in the 3 months since the HA- a few phone calls is all. I just feel so depressed today that no one's doing anything about it and don't want to go on like this.

[jimmyq]

You say that no-one is doing anything about it. Do you want to do something about it. If you have angina, that means that you blocked or blocking arteries. You can fix that.

I had 4 CABGs before stents were in wide use, 1997. I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It is on Netflix and YouTube. It is about global medical heart research and the findings, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did. It might save you having the surgery.

I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet since March and the evidence of my blood pressure (117/70), cholesterol (2.7) and pulse (50-60) indicate that my arteries are cleared. So, it has taken only 6 months. My doctor is gradually taking me off all the meds, the diuretics and statins have gone.

[Qualipop in reply to jimmyq]

You have sent that to me before and I relied that it is not for me or my husband. I'm having side effects from the tablets which the doctors can change but they won't so on Friday I will get he cardiologists to change them

[Prada47]

Hi Isosorbide is to prevent Angina do you have a slow release tablet ?? GTN spray will normally stop Angina pain, I am always told should the pain not go away after using GTN spray it's 999 as quick as possible.

[Qualipop in reply to Prada47]

Yes of course. I have spray, daily tablet and tablets as alternative to the spray

[MK1954]

Phone 111 tell them what the hospital said and you cant get to see a GP... Try not to melt down try fighting back. You should not be left in that state Qualipop...

[Qualipop in reply to MK1954]

Saw GP yesterday. On Monday I didn't take the morning dose of TOcagrelor and felt great all day; same Tuesday; just took the night time dose and felt great so that's obviously teh culprit and is what the cardio said months ago via his secretary and said to get my GP to sort it. Well yesterday the GP refused to change my ticagrelor without getting it in writing from the cardio people. said she wanted to know why they'd prescribed Ticag; whether it had something to do with the type of stent they used and wouldn't change it until she found out. Meanwhile told me not to take the morning dose until I go in for angiogram on Friday. The wonderful BHF nurse helpline was great and said taking it at night plus the aspirin shoudl be ok until Friday. i still have slight discomfort but not the horrific breathlessness and feeling someone was standing on my chest. Only 2 days to go.

[Prada47]

So if I read your post correctly You had severe angina and you used your GTN spray and it didn't touch the Angina Pain so you called 999 ?? Did the paramedic not give you an ECG before taking you off to A+E ??

Why have you not been able to see a GP in 3 months ? Obviously someone is looking after you if your booked in for an Angiogram on Friday !!!!

regards

[Qualipop]

Yes. I've had constant chest pain and breathlessness for 2 months now but Sunday was really bad and nothing touched it. Paramedics gave me angina tablet too which did no good. ECG showed ischaeemic changes and because I already had a no stemi - silent heart attack, they took me in.( didn't show up on ECG) Re the GPs, I've been given several phone consultations; one "in person" visit about 3 weeks ago- he did an ECG and blood tests which I find out yesterday showed a problem but they never rang me. I only got yesterday's appointment for an ear infection that they needed to see. They have thought for 2 months that it was tablet side effects and have shuffled the times around but refused to change any. When I had the heart attack, the hospital cardiologist booked me for another outpatient angiogram at the time; 3 months ago because there's a 75% blockage of the LAD and 65% of another one. Apart from 2 blood tests by the GP nurse, and that one visit when I had the ECG, I haven't seen anyone or had any follow up at all. Even tried phoning the consultant but just got a message saying "Probably ticagrelor, see your GP"

[Qualipop in reply to Qualipop]

The A&E doc agreed it was tablet side effects and also said "See your GP". But I'm now wondering what it was that showed up on the blood test; she didn't explain, just asked if I'd had an echo scan. I had some sort of scan in hospital after the heart attack but have no idea what sort. The hospital just booked the angiogram but I have had no follow up appointment.

[Fortepiano]

While I understand why your GP wanted your cardiologist's approval in writing before changing your tablets, ticagrelor has known breathlessness side-effects in some people. You do need an anti-platelet against stent thrombosis and clopidogrel is the alternative.

[Qualipop in reply to Fortepiano]

I know and they must have known for two months what was causing it and how bad it was. IT could have been changed long before now.

[rakeman]

I was having problems with ticagrelor and my Dr changed me over to Clopidogrel, I also stopped the isosorbide.

[Qualipop in reply to rakeman]

I wish they would

[Qualipop]

Hoping cardio will sort it all tomorrow because gP won't. Just learned today I also had an elevated BNP result they got back 3 weeks ago but they didn't bother to tell me. They are now panicking about an echo scan looking for heart failure. Also last night My entire spinal cord was pulsating and I was seeing big black worms on the ceiling and bright flashes of light. All I got from the GP phone call was an appointment in 2 weeks to look at my eyes. Flashing lights can be retinal detachment. I was up all night with panic attacks and BP at 158/89. If they don't sort out these tablets pdq I know i'm on the verge of a breakdown. I feel a thousand times worse now than in teh 4 weeks after the heart attack.