Seeking information please

[Jadedveteran]

Hi I've just joined the community and would be grateful for advice. In January I had pressure in my left arm early in the morning. A hospital visit found nothing amiss. However, after seeing my GP I had an ultrasound and now await a CT scan. The chest pressure returned and I was given the spray. After recurring pressure in my chest a protracted episode this week I was back at the GP who rang the Cardiologist who has me now on Nitro tablets and blood thinning tablets. My episodes are sporadic and at rest or when least expected ie no exercise. I await a further test and formal diagnosis. Any tips to lessen the risks of these episodes would be gratefully received. Thank you.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I may be wrong but as your symptoms can come in at rest it does not sound like traditional angina brought in by exercise. What it may be is MVA (micro vascular angina) associated with the small blood vessels that branch off the major coronary ones. It is more common in women and often first occurs around the menopause. Triggers can include smoking, alcohol, caffeine and stress. Smoking is a no-no and all the others should be minimised.

You may find this BHF link useful:-

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Jadedveteran in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi Michael, thank you for response and advice. Slightly concerned as I am not female nor in menopause, however, the age is about right. As a non drinker and non smoker 2 of the 4 are easy enough, but coffee and stress I will have to work at. With a very busy work schedule over the last few months and family bereavement I think the stress is the main factor. Although probably not helped with being 1-2 stone overweight. Thank you very much once again.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Jadedveteran]

Hi,

I live with Microvascular angina and vasospastic angina aka Coronary artery spasms/ Printzmetal / variant angina. They are intriguing poorly understood conditions and many Cardiologists have little awareness of these non obstructive causes of angina.

MVA which can occur on exertion or rest does tend to effect women more however vasospastic angina tends to effect both men and women. Classically the pain occurs at rest often waking the person at night.

Most people either MVA or VSA some like me both...unlucky or what!

The link about Jennifer Waller that Michael has so helpfully sent has been updated with the following.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

The triggers for my episodes are the cold, mental and emotional stress .

Caffeine is a no no for me as well as beta blockers and adrenaline.

I have various strategies to manage my stress such as Tai Chi, yoga and meditation.

I hope you find the answers to your particular issues soon and receive the appropriate treatment.

[Jadedveteran in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you very much for your informative post. I am now getting the feeling that this condition or number of related conditions is more complex than I initially thought. It is interesting the range of triggers and I will try and identify mine. Your insights into stress management, now have me considering options that I would have not considered in my lifestyle. However, I suppose that this a wake up call and I have read into mindfulness, so meditation seems the next step. Thank you very much again for the advice and links.

[Carly_B]

Hi there, sorry I can’t provide advise on your specific conditions but have a few coping strategies that I thought I would share. With regards to stress I try get outside as much as possible. Just being outdoors makes me feel better and I used to walk home from work which meant by the time I got home I had offloaded the stresses of the day (a previously unknown benefit I found out when walking)! If you haven’t already got one a fitness tracker can work wonders if you set yourself a daily step target to increase your exercise and it helps you to take regular breaks from your desk, if like me you could be sat at one for hours on end. When my dad had a heart attack part of his recovery involved yoga to help him deal with stress and the following anxiety. As with Milkfairy this seemed to really help him 😊 There are lots of different types of yoga so worth having a look to find a style that might suit you and enquiring with tutors to find one who makes you feel comfortable. I know it might sound silly, but taking small steps and recording little achievements have really helped me visualise how much progress I’ve made. Hope you feel better soon!

[Jadedveteran in reply to Carly_B]

Thank you very much Carly for some great advice, as I had not considered a fitness tracker; and building up my fitness again seems to be the way forward. I am very lucky that I live next some great nature and will make more of an effort as I used to go for walks with my Goldie, but not for a year now. I will research the Yoga and I know at my work they meet for a mindfulness session once a week, so that might be the first step along that route. And recording progress makes sense, again getting the discipline, which used to be part of my DNA. Thank you very much for you kind wishes and advice.

[Carly_B in reply to Jadedveteran]

There’s no I in team 😊 Nature is the worlds greatest medicine! Hope you enjoy the adventures out walking and let us know how you get on. Sounds like you have a few things to start with, don’t overwhelm yourself cause every little helps! Keep us posted on how you get on and hope you start feeling better, and less stressed ;-), soon

[isobelhannah18]

My angina presents as pressure and as well as triggers already mentioned in previous posts I find a heavy meal causes it. When I asked for advice on here I was told dehydration could cause it so I'm careful to drink plenty.

[Jadedveteran in reply to isobelhannah18]

Thank you Isobelhannah for your post. I had not considered hydration as being a potential trigger. Normally I drink too much coffee and not so much water. So time to dig out the old bottle. Thanks again :0)

[Jadedveteran]

Thank you all once again for taking the time and offering a lot of super advice. Lots of things to think on and small steps to take. Very grateful. Take care.

[Manhattan1]

i’ve been diagnosed with MVA.. have found it mostly occurs when walking at moderate pace outside or walking uphill.. but worryingly recently i’ve been having the feeling of pressure or tightness on my chest while indoors.. i’m keeping a careful eye on it.. if it seems to be getting more frequent i’ll be seeking advice from GP