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Pain during Angiogram

ninasimone999 profile image
30 Replies

Hello this is my First message

I had paid during my angiogram and was given spray and painkiller, why was this please? The cardiologist said I had the heart of an 80 year old , the angiogram showed 50% to one of the arteries and 90% to a lesser artery . I have been having physio and I have a heart monitor test and a nuclear heart scan coming up.

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ninasimone999
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30 Replies
shopman profile image
shopman

Welcome to the Forum.

I think it may be beneficial if you can tell us more about how all this came about and in particular what area you live in.

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999

Hello Shopman , i am 46 and live in Tameside, greater Manchester ,before the angiogram I spent week in hospital , admitted after a visit to the doctor after pains in chest of varying degrees for over a week and sometimes after I had just woken up, the doctor found I had a BP of 196 ,on reflection I had pain in chest before but not as severe and also in throat and tongue for some years and have been diagnosed with CHD and unstable angina ,After admittance to hospital . Thanks for your reply

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toninasimone999

Good Morning

I was told when Cardiologist started to inflate stent, if I felt any pain to just call out and they would give me a shot of GTN. I had to say pain level on a scale of 1 to 10, I reckon I was around 7 to 8 so not to bad. I don't recall having any pain on the Angiogram.

I believe the pain is caused by the squeeze on the gunge blocking the artery being pushed into the Heart Muscle,

I think but don't know for sure it's a pretty common reaction I am sure other will confirm or shoot me down lol

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply toPrada47

Blimey! 7-8 on the pain scale is my 'OMGsh I'm in agony!' level, I'm genuinely impressed you see a 7-8 as 'not too bad'! (Er, perhaps here is where I should confess hitting a 5 is when I start trying to stifle tears?)

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toSunnie2day

Hi Sunnie2day and it is Sunie2day down here in Dorset.

I have been to 10 on the pain scale once !! Coming home from work in Mississippi I had a really bad headache. After an hour or so I said to my wife, think we need to go to the ER, US equivalent of A&E. The Triage Nurse asked where are you on a pain scale of 1 to 10 10 was my instant reply. To cut a long story short I was having a bleed in my brain from a leaking AVM. The doctor had told my wife this is a lot more serious than an MI ( after she told him I had taken 2 Aspirin in case it had been heart related lol now ) so off to Jackson to a brain unit. I think I only realised how bad these can be when I woke to see our son at my bedside, the Insurance company had flown him from Aberdeen to Jackson as it was deemed to be life threating.

I think that's maybe how I have a very Positive Mental Attitude MI and Brain Bleed and survived them both !! without any really bad side effects, well Heart Failure from the MI but can cope with that. Oh and OHS for CABG followed by stents 2/3 years later. Isn't medical science just brilliant so I keep popping the pills and planning ahead for the future 72 in September so planning for at least 80 !!!

regards

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply toPrada47

Ah, I get it now - you're a gentleman! My husband is the same, 7-8 is 'a slight twinge' to him, he only starts openly wincing at 9-10.

Are you still in the US? I worked there my entire career then retired home to NE Scotland (Aug 2010).

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toSunnie2day

No we live in Dorset now, moved here just under 2 years ago from Aberdeen. I spent 4 years in Mississippi lived in a town called Starkville which is the Home of MSU. I actually worked in Ackerman, Oktibbeha County it wasn't to bad I like Americans !!

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply toPrada47

The heat and humidity of AL, FL, and NW GA is why I chose to retire home to the UK (NE Scotland - small world, eh?), otherwise I think I'd still be there. Even with all their troubles, there is something so energetic and positive about Americans, hopefully I've brought a bit of that back with me.

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toPrada47

Thanks

Heather1957 profile image
Heather1957 in reply toPrada47

I have had 2 angiograms and they never mentioned giving me GTN, in fact when I had my stents fitted and was in a lot of pain it was fentanyl into the cannula that did the trick!

Jaycey profile image
Jaycey

I had significant pain during an angiogram. They had to give me morphine. I was told it was the heart's reaction to blockage that increases just before the stent is inflated. I was a bit surprised as so many people say their angiogram was painless.

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toJaycey

Thanks for replying

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star

I had alot pain during my 2 angiograms.

I was given morphine too. My ECG showed ST elevations.

The reason I had pain was that my coronary artery constricted in a spasm. I was diagnosed with coronary vasospastic angina. I have spasms in my small and large blood vessels.

I still have lots of pain mainly at rest.

I am actually enjoying the warm weather at the moment as it relaxes my blood vessels so less pain.🌞

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toMilkfairy

Thanks so much sounds very much like my symptoms and loving being able to sit in the sun more than usual ,i may even get a tan😀

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toMilkfairy

Thanks for replying

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toninasimone999

I was reading on your page about migraines ,I used to get them very badly until I was around 22. In the past few years they have made a comeback but thankfully not as bad, I had put them down to stress at work as that is where they mainly happen, now I am thinking its a combination of stress and exertion. Your posts have really helped, especially now I realise that should I tell doctors about the migraines. Massive thanks

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply toninasimone999

Hi ninasimone99 send me a PM if you would like some more information.

Everyone knows I am a research geek specialist subject non obstructive coronary artery disease aka

Microvascular and vasospastic angina.

Alison_L profile image
Alison_L

Hi Nina. When I had my first angiogram/plasty (1 stent), the doc told me the pain in my shoulder was temporary angina caused by him rooting around in my arteries. I think it far more likely I just had cramp from the awkward way I was lying on the table!

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999

Thank you mine was in my heart ,sharp pain that made me apologetically sweary and no stent, the doctor stopped and soon got out of there thankfully. Thanks so much for your reply Alison

Arthurtom profile image
Arthurtom

I think the 80 year old heart was supposed to be a Joke!

I had 5 stents about 7 year ago -- they give a light sedative and a spray to open up the arteries etc.

It took about 2 years until I felt completely well -but that could also been all the drunks I take !

Good Luck !

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toArthurtom

Thank you

Handel profile image
Handel

Hi ninasimone999 (love the name!!).

I can only speak for my husband who had an angiogram a year ago. Very painful through the wrist as the tubes and dye was going through and even more painful when they had to keep pressure on the wrist as he was a right 'bleeder'!!. Mega bruising for weeks. He had no pain in the heart region though.

Hope you get sorted out soon. Best wishes to you xxxx

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999

Thanks for the compliment and advice Handel xxx

littleR profile image
littleR

I had my angiogram a year ago now, and it was the worst experience I have ever had, the pain was horrendous throughout, I felt like he was ramming a square rod into a small round hole, I to,d him I could feel it, he told me I couldn’t! At one stage the pain was so bad I shot upright from the table, and screamed, he jumped and bleed went everywhere, on seeing my cardiac specialist at my routine appointment, I asked why did I feel it so much, when people don’t feel anything, he said all my veins had gone into severe spasms, and my immune system had kicked in making it worse,

This week I have been diagnosed with anxiety due to PTSD caused by my angiogram, if you are suffering please see a GP

sickandsore profile image
sickandsore in reply tolittleR

Bless u that sounds awful, I must admit I found the whole experience really painful. I got sedated Lot! Suffering a week post in a lot of pain😓

littleR profile image
littleR in reply tosickandsore

Please see your specialist or Doctor, you shouldn't be in pain from it, sending hugs x

SomersetJo profile image
SomersetJo

I had an angiogram and 2 stents fitted in May this year. It was really painful - I wondered if I was having a heart attack at one point and felt like a baby elephant was jumping up and down on my chest. It also lasted in total about 2 hours. They gave me extra painkilling meds , I think some of the bits were a bit awkward to access as well as partially blocked. Hope you get sorted soon. Jx

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999 in reply toSomersetJo

I was very blase about it until the procedure, it was awful. Thanks for reply and support Jx

ninasimone999 profile image
ninasimone999

I am definitely scared of Dr Ram man, affectionately (not) nicknamed, thanks for the reply

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply toninasimone999

Great description.

I would rather give birth again than have another angiogram. My angiogram with acetylcholine was done to provoke my spasms which it did.

I was given IV morphine however I now have a confirmed diagnosis of coronary vasospastic angina and I understand why I get my angina despite having clear coronary arteries.

My care has improved as a result too.

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