My last post 2 months ago described my appointment with a cardiologist, who's dismissive, arrogant nature left me angry.
Following advice from the knowledgeable people on here, I made an appointment with my GP with the intention of being sent for a second opinion. It took over 5 weeks to get to see her today.
So, I explained to the GP how the cardiologist dismissed MVA, and he said the unusual symptoms I'd had for a couple of weeks weren't connected, but were far more likely to be indigestion. (Absolute garbage!)
The GP wasn't supportive at all, and told me I don't have angina, to which I replied MVA is actually, M I C R O
V A S C U L A R A N G I N A ! Which resulted in an icy cold, silent stare. Oops, 😯
So, CT scan on the horizon, probably followed by a new doctor, and a second opinion.
Onward and upward!
Written by
Griff-64
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No cure is available currently so the Radio is a distraction. Don't discount the Radio it is a recognised help for tinnitus. Look it up on Google !! Something I don't say very often but in this case you may find it helpful.
Good on you for following your instinct about MVA and being persistent. It's rude to be given an icy stare for wanting to fully participate in achieving some sort of resolution and taking responsibility. That's not to say we are always right but we deserve to be listened to and heard. A lot of info on tinnitus.org.uk - as a tinnitus sufferer for years it's a tricky problem to get to the bottom of.
I've found that some GP's don't like to be challenged or answered back. It annoys me that I'm suffering pain, some before Christmas I'd rate 8/10. I can take pain so don't over exaggerate it, but they seem more interested in dismissing MVA, that getting to the cause
The indigestion card is suggested too readily. This would generally be relieved with an antacid or PPI like Lansoprazol. Both angina pain and indigestion be similar but for people with known cardio problems I think it is a dangerous assumption to opt for indigestion. Are you being referred for CT scan or are you awaiting an appt with another cardiologist. Think you have to persist as you say but try and keep as calm possible in the meantime as it is naturally causing you great frustration and concern which is understandable. Be good to hear how you get on. Take care
I think cardiologists in general are a dangerous breed when they dismiss things so easily, based on their opinion rather than fact. There's so much info out there and research going on, but some choose to ignore it.
Yes, I have an appointment for a CT scan, Thursday next week.
Group sigh, rolling of eyes and big tut required.😧🙄😶
One GP made me cry told me I couldn't possibly have Microvascular angina or Coronary artery spasms it was too rare.....never went back.
My consultant stood at the end of bed swearing when I challenged him. He apologised with grace later he remains my Cardiologist we still have our moments but he is very clever and he knows it.
Got my diagnosis right over 6 years ago. Just lacks humility at times!
My GP asked me yesterday if I had an appointment with the cardiologist to discuss the CT results, I answered "no" and even if I did, I wouldn't ever see that one again. What's the point if he doesn't believe mvd exists.
So the GP told me to see her instead, (another person who doesn't support it ) 😏
We all have these stories due to arrogance of Drs!
A Dr in A&E "Why do you think you have chest pains you are a woman in your early forties?" ( in a sarcastic tone). Told him I had previously had a heart attack so knew how it felt he followed with "are you sure you had one?" at that point I told him to go read my file then come back and talk to me again! He apologised and changed his whole attitude towards me.
Another Cardiologist kept telling me it's awful but you can't die from it...when he did it again on ward rounds in front of Junior Dr's I said "so you can die from a heart attack then" he replied "of course you can" well I told him "your boss told me my heart attack was caused by severe coronary spasms" his face fell he muttered "well it's very rare"!! I said "I am special". Since then he is super nice and takes me seriously, hopefully he stopped fobbing patients off making them feel hysterical!?
It's crap but you have to advocate for yourself...even to everyone else why does everyone think Heart conditions are fixed and you go back to normal (how you used to be). Does everyone get the "Hi your looking good so your ok/fixed now?" Just because some people get stents and feel brilliant again then do marathons etc doesn't mean we all can am I the only one!! Feeling a bit ranty today!!! Why don't heart patients have the same support as cancer patients????
I know we have to accept (to a degree) who we're given when it's an a&e visit or hospital admission. But wouldn't it be nice if we could interview a GP on joining a practice, to see what their views and expertise were in the field we require. Then we wouldn't get so many problems 😉 😈
Absolutely agree we all have a legion of stories to tell. Rant away!
We are obviously all so very special...It feels as though we are asking them to believe in unicorns.
I hate ' but you look so well ! I can't believe there is anything wrong with your heart'
' So why can't they fix you? ' ..because they can't see beyond the blockages
' Why don't the tablets work ' my blood pressure keeps dropping
' Why not just take morphine' ...I would be a morphine addict or easily take an overdose.
'What about a spinal cord stimulator?'....
Not a recommended for those of us with spasms.
Why aren't you on beta blockers the're good for angina' this is said by every on call Cardiologist I meet!
No beta blockers make vasospastic angina worse!
We do need to be our own advocates difficult to do when we are so vulnerable and in pain.
So who fancies selling their soul and speaking to a Daily Mail journalist ...
On an uplifting note my Cardiologist responded to my yesterday morning email warning him that I am getting worse. He responded about 7pm after I know would have been his very busy clinic.
Head of Cardiology said they would strive to ensure my Admission Plan was followed!
He did say he had no control over his Cardiologists...My comment it's a bit like herding cats then
I’ve had similar experiences spent 18 hours in A an E when angina pain wouldn’t relieve with gtn spray to have the doctor stand at the end of the bed and ask me what I wanted him to do about it, I replied I don’t know your the doctor. Then last week went for an angiogram and the cardiologist told me I didn’t have angina but my stents were working fine, so I said so I don’t need to be taking the 19 tablets a day then , but he ignored me. Since then I’ve had a letter from the hospital saying I have irregular arteries and he has advised me to carry on with my medication, I am about to speak to my doctor for an explanation. Hope you have better luck soon.
I've had my ups and downs with doctors and consultants who wouldn't listen.
As my partner has muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and a lot of associated illnesses, and is wheelchair bound. I tend to keep lots of notes when her condition worsens, due to things like UT infections and chest infections (sometimes due to silent aspiration)
Then I can give a great deal of info to the nurse/doctor/consultant, which you'd think they'd be grateful for, however, I'm usually ignored, as I know nothing. (I've only been looking after her for 10 years, daily meds, 45 pills a day, at one time daily injections, suprapubic catheter care and feeding peg care daily, which includes a flush, cleaning and dressing. And with the peg, a weekly rotation to stop her stomach growing over the inside of the site. Regular BP, temperature and sats records. I could go on, you get the picture. Total care). With the chest infections, she's prone to pneumonia/sepsis etc. So I know what I'm talking about, but ignored.
One consultant in particular won't even look at me any more because I disagreed with him when he discharged her after a hospital stay for pneumonia, I told him I didn't think she was well enough. Sure enough, chest rattling 2 days later, back in a week later. That happened 5 times in 3 months. When I suggested each was a continuation of the last, as it was back 2days after discharge each time, he got very angry with me and refused to talk to me.
Other staff on the ward referred to it as a continuation each time though.
This same consultant told my partner she would die if she kept eating, and must have 100% food/meds through her peg. She refused, has eaten normally and no ill effects for 18 months, apart from e coli getting in a lung from her gut. Reflux while sleeping.
Being ignored is widespread throughout the NHS it seems
Well just got the latest tablets given to me by a gynaecologists via the GP which states several times not to take if have a heart condition, previous heart attack, angina and migraine plus lots of other things but I tick a few boxes. So do I make a stink or just not take them this is the umpteenth time they try to kill me off! Oh plus don't take if you take blood pressure meds too. So bugger that one don't fancy a blood clot or 2nd heart attack thanks!
Btw my GP is useless I know more than him about MVA and CAS. The other GP reminds me of a Meerkat but even more useless.
I had to plead for 4 and a half hours in A&E once for them to follow my plan from the Cardiologist. If I just went for a Morphine fix I could think of easier ways!!!
I just made my partner's community matron laugh when I mentioned this subject to her.
It reminds me of John Wayne films and some hawker selling laudanum or snake oil out the back of his wagon. One swig from the bottle cures all!
On a serious note though, I'd try and persuade my partner not to try it unless she talked to her neurologist and he ok'd it. He's a rare breed, someone who is keen for medication to be used if it brings relief, no matter what the cost
I must admit it briefly crossed my mind but No I am wary that it could set off spasms.
It is full of so many chemicals that have not been tested in a clinical trial so you have no idea how it works or how it would effect our very fickle blood vessels.
I tried CBD oil and I felt like I was going to pass out. It can lower blood pressure alot and I allready have low blood pressure. It also gave me angina . Anything cannabis related will make spasms worse and could even give you a heart attack.
Oh Dear looks like we got out of bed the wrong side this morning, just looked at the Calendar to see if it's Kick your GP Day. GPs have to pass quite a few exams to become a GP something that we don't have to do to call them Useless. I don't know a lot about Chemists but what experience I do have of them, is that they are very Alert to Clashes of different medications, If you are concerned just Ask or Ring one, don't rely on the the information leaflet.
I've found GP's to be ruled by cost in some cases, they have a budget to stick to, whereas my farmacist is excellent when he gets new meds to supply to the ever growing list. He asked me if he could supply our meds. Saying yes to him was the best move I could have made
This beggars belief Griff-64. I can understand why GPs are out of touch but a cardiologist - it's really shocking. I feel for you with a double whammy of both cardiologist and GP who are not supporting you. I've fallen out with my GP who was borderline abusive to me - told me I was over analytical, trying to be a doctor/nurse and that I should be like his other patients, shut up and do as I was told. My consultant (who I see privately - that definitely gets up the GP's nose) couldn't be more different. Sadly it does seem to be a bit of a lottery. I wish you well with the next stage of your journey!
PS - One little tip I've picked up along the way is to refer to coronary microvascular disease rather than angina. My experience is that if you say the word "angina" most GPs will think of the standard form of angina.
I'd call it anything if I thought they'd listen. Since a locum doctor first suggested I had angina symptoms, I've not seen one cardiologist who gave me confidence, I always felt I wasn't believed.
Incidentally, angina, and heart conditions in general, are extremely common in my family, that doesn't seem to interest cardiologists
Not much fun with a cardio with attitude problem! May be post code lottery? Have seen great people at QE in Birmingham, superb people, having 2nd cardioversion in 3 weeks, hope to sort me out. Good luck with your conditions, keep us informed ☺
I don’t know about the rest of you but Cardiac Syndrome X sounds like a catch all for “we don’t know what it is but it’s something to do with your heart”. I always list CAS and MVD but still have the feeling that Drs don’t always take you seriously. I then tell them a Spasm caused my heart attack just so they don’t pass them off as “inconvenient” as one Dr put them.
Oh update on the medication from the gynaecologist he said it’s up to me if I want to take it or not. Ok so my choice if I fancy a blood clot, stroke or heart attack, think I will pass on that!
My Cardiologist is wonderful but very busy and only one of him! He did a treatment plan like Milkfairy has but often it is not followed as it puts their nose out of joint for some reason?
The funny thing is, if I'm asked about family history, they don't really want an answer. There's a lot of heart disease, angina, high blood pressure, strokes in my maternal side of the family, but it seems irrelevant.
About 12 years ago, my sister was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack, given a scan, they found 2 fatty lumps growing, which after more detailed scans turned out to be attached to her heart. One was the size of a tennis ball, the other was 3kg and resting on her diaphragm. both had blood vessels in them and took some removing.
I asked the doctor if I could see the scan before the op, frightening!
Have they given you GTN spray/patches? If so does it help? Also have they considered doing an MRI to check blood flow in the heart or a nuclear scan - a myocardial perfusion scan? What are they looking for in the CT ? Blockages I guess , are you not going for a regular angiogram?
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MVA and Spasms
Telephone consultation Coronary Spasm and MVA which drug diltazem or nicorandil?
Getting my life back following a heart attack , seems to be one hurdle after another, 
Another day another test.
Looking for suggestions re: questions to ask an expert on MVD/MVA.
