Coronary artery spasm.

[Baggies9]

I have coronary artery spasm am I have chest pain like angina any time of the day stress - exercise- and cold can bring it on I take medication I also have high blood pressure and high cholesterol which I am on medication and 12 months ago I was told I have asthma I am female age 58 .Has any body else have this .

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hello Baggies9

Welcome to the forum

I have lived with coronary vasospastic angina for over 7 years.

I have spasms in my small vessels- microvascular angina and spasms in my large vessels- coronary artery spasms.

I also have spasms in the blood vessels in my brain and experience sensitivity to light and noise and I have an ice pick headache with my chest pain.

I am also on a ridiculous number of medications.

I have learned to try and manage the condition as much as I can. However I still end up in hospital for a week or so to manage my really unstable angina episodes about twice a year.

Unfortunately vasospastic angina is not well recognised or understood by many Cardiologists.

Pethaps ask your Cardiologist to review your medication? Sometimes it is trial and error finding the best combination of medications.

I was referred to a Pain management programme which I found helpful.

Cardiac rehab is important too.

Learn your triggers

Common ones are the cold, emotional and mental stress and in response to exercise with chest pain later at rest.

Pseudoephedrine in cold remedies are to be avoided as should adrenaline used in local anaesthetics.

Beta blockers make vasospasms worse.

So keep warm in body and chilled in mind.

I find Tai Chi, yoga and Mindfulness meditation help.

My hot water bottles and TENS machine and oxygen help me too.

The BHF has this information on the website about Vasospastic angina

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

There are quite a few of us on the forum with either vasospastic angina or the related condition Microvascular angina or like me both.

I am sure they will be along to share their experiences and ways of trying to live as well as possible with these challenging conditions.

[Baggies9 in reply to Milkfairy]

Thankyou so much for your help got some work todo .

[Healthyheart1 in reply to Milkfairy]

Hi Milkfairy, I have been getting pains in my face for about 2 months been to docs, they have referred me to neurology. Its July my appointment do you think its anything to do with my angina. I know your not qualified just asking x Sheena

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Healthyheart1]

Hi Sheena

Good to hear you have an appointment with a Neurologist.

They will be hopefully able to say what is causing your face pain.

There are lots of different causes of headaches and face pain.

I also see a Neurologist and he works with my Cardiologist.

[Healthyheart1 in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks, it started in my face, now I have left sided headache dizzy and feeling sick. Thanks Milkfairy x

[Knktoys in reply to Milkfairy]

Can you tell me if the coronary artery spasm is an actual spasm that you feel as a spasm or is it angina pain? I keep having this weird twitch or catch in the center of my chest every night when I go to bed it happens several times but it only lasts a second each time. It is not painful but I can't sleep. I asked my cardiologist about it and they said it didn't sound like artery spasms. I am just so afraid right now. I am wearing a heart monitor and hoping it is one of my PVCs that I am feeling. How did you all get this diagnosed I am really frightened of a CT Angiogram espeially the provocation tests but I don't know how else they can rule this out.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Knktoys]

.

Hello,My coronary vasospasms are due to transient constrictions of my coronary arteries. This reduces the amount of blood going to my heart leading to ischaemia.

My coronary vasospasms come in episodes of chest pain increasing in length and strength. My coronary vasospasms feel like being in labour to me they can last upto an hour. Coronary vasospasms are notoriously long and intense.

I was presumed to have angina/ ischaemia non obstructive coronary arteries, ANOCA/INOCA.

Acetylcholine a chemical was injected into my coronary arteries.

I experience my usual chest pain, spontaneous and acetylcholine induced coronary vasospasms with certain ECG changes. My coronary arteries were seen to narrow.

This is how my vasospastic angina was confirmed.

I had some classic symptoms of vasospastic angina. My functional angiogram confirmed my diagnosis.

I have chestpain at rest, especially during the night. I can exercise except when my vasospastic angina is unstable when I start experiencing chest pain on exertion.

I have dynamic ECG changes.

For more information you may find this information helpful.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

This website was created by four expert patients by experience.

internationalheartspasmsall...

I find listening to a podcast or music helpful to distract me from my symptoms.

I hope you are able to find out what is causing your symptoms.

Not knowing can be very challenging.

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Interesting that it never ever occurred to me that these symptoms were not so "rare" after all..UNTIL you see these posts. . .it's EVERYWHERE...

I sent a letter to the hospital CEO to look into the underlying cause(s).

I saw another new Neuro lately, and noticed that he didn't know enough about these "fringe" conditions but politeness stopped me giving him a "free workshop". Patients know more about these things and this gets a little "tiring" when doctors aren't fast catching up.

Some consultants attend lectures if they are interested and those are the ones to "go to".