I ended up in A&E last night after suffering xtremely bad chest pains during the day which lasted upto 45 mind. The pains came back & went down both my arms & up the left side of my jaw & remained in my chest as coming & going with the odd burst
They can't be 100% sure what happened to me, but it has left me really scared as I've never experienced anything like this before & was sent home today with a fast track appointment to Cardiology & some GNT spray
Unfortunately I didn't say anything until very later on & it came back again as the worst of it was during the afternoon, the ripped off parts of the ECG said damage to parts of my heart, but the blood tests were fine as it was several hrs later. They couldn't look @ me when said heart attack, my husband thinks the same as he certainly knows the symptoms as has had 2
I've had a few short, shart pains today, but they've gone away very quickly
It's a little more complicated.
The 4th universal definition of a Myocardial infarction discusses myocardial injury
This what I have when I have a bad run of vasospasms. Not a heart attack but not harmless
escardio.org/Guidelines/Cli...
The patients symptoms should be treated not the Troponin level
heart.bmj.com/content/105/8...
It is possible to slip under the wire and have your heart attack missed because the Cardiologist is treating a test result.
This is a particular problem for women with heart disease.
Medicine uses the male body as a template
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men amazon.co.uk/dp/1784741728/...
Yes I have been referred back to Cardiology very quickly. We wonder if it was a warning 1 or a small 1 that passed very quickly like my minor strokes? Or is there other things that cause the same symptoms heart related? Sorry for all the questions, but right now I'm scared stiff. I forgot to add that I was wearing a 7 days heart monitor, so hopefully that will have picked up anything that happened as we know something happened then, it was also difficult to breath
Thanks, right now I just dunno what happened as they didn't say, hoping Cardiology will be able to shed some light, but not holding much hopes as they ain't been helpful for yrs. I guess I'm looking for answers as have never had nothing like this before & wanna know what happened so I know if it happens again
Thanks for your words of wisdom, they are helping me. It is with me @ all times, still getting chest pains, but as soon as I go to reach for it they stop, when I used it last, the pain didn't go away straight away
I looked on The British Heart Foundation website & it says that the levels in women are lower for a Heart Attack, so it could have been a small 1. I have an appointment with Cardiology on the 30th, but to be honest, I ain't holding much hopes as they don't listen to me nor my husband. Had to use my spray again today
Women are more likely to live with angina due to a disorder of the way in which the coronary blood vessels function.
Microvascular dysfunction causing microvascular angina or vasospastic angina aka Coronary artery spasms or Printzmetal Angina causing vasospasms in the coronary arteries.
These types of angina are well known to cause prolonged severe debilitating pain that can feel just like and can cause a heart attack.
You can gave subtle ECG changes and slightly raised Troponin levels with these types of angina.
You can have blocked coronary arteries and microvascular dysfunction at the same time.
The BHF has this information about angina
At your appointment you'll be assessed and may be put on a treadmill for an exercise ECG. You may also be referred for an echocardiogram - I was, and the echo showed I was in an acute flare of my recurrent pericarditis.
There are so many different heart problems that could be causing your symptoms that it is best to wait for the Rapid Access appointment - the waiting is horrible, really, but eventually the day dawns and you're sitting in the cardiac nurse's office telling her/him your symptoms, what you're doing when your symptoms hit, etc.
Meantime, rely on the GTN if it works for you. It took several times for me to really see good results with it and now I go nowhere without it.
I sometimes use it before exertion especially if I'm about to go for a walk in cold weather, it helps keep an angina attack away for many of us who respond well to the GTN. Be sure to keep at least a mental note of the times you need the GTN and if it works for you, and tell the Rapid Access cardiac nurse at the appointment.
If the GTN doesn't help be sure to tell that to the cardiac nurse at the Rapid Access appointment. If the GTN doesn't work for you they need to know that as it helps them work out where to look in further investigations.
Keep us updated, be active on the forum while you wait for your Rapid Access appointment - you're not alone and staying active on the forum really helps pass the time until your appointment (and after!).
Thanks both of you, I will keep you all posted. Had to use it twice yesterday & it took a short while before it helped, but the times I used it was a couple of hrs apart & once on the Sun after I was given it
Yes I'm still scared as it's the not knowing what it is & whether it's gonna happen again before my appointment, also whether they're gonna listen to both of us for a change as they ain't for the past few yrs
I'd had similar (the eye-ball glaze over from medics) so I was not expecting much. I've been very pleasantly surprised by the current medical team (ok, the cardiac nurse doesn't like me and doesn't hesitate to make that dislike obvious - but she is very professional about my care and that's what matters).
Give it a go. Make a list of your symptoms, when you have them, and what alleviates them so you don't forget anything that might be important. They like that, they also like it when you have a short list of questions so you go home with answers.
Luckily my husband will be going with me for the appointment so he can back me up. I have loads of questions since then as I am still getting chest pains & not doing very much. I do suffer from various heart problems, so will definitely be mentioning that they are having an impact on my life
Since last yr I have been getting tired & even more so since my minor strokes & again after my stroke & again after what happened on that Thurs
Are you writing all those questions down on a piece of paper, or are you keeping them in your head? Some doctors aren't happy to see a written list come out of a pocket or handbag but most are glad to know you're prepared and want answers.
And again, please be sure to update us!
The Stroke Clinic appointment went horribly wrong 😫 Just hoping that Cardiology doesn't go the same way & Neurology 🤞Been having to use MY GNT spray more often the past couple of days
I'm sorry about the stroke clinic going wrong for you! Do you feel up to talking about what happened there?
Yes, he doubted as to whether I had a stroke & I suffer from other health problems, but we know that I do. He wants to mess about with my tablets which is an uber bad idea & is trying to get the Neurology dept on his side, they have been good to me along with the Stroke Ward
Hopefully the cardiology appointment puts the medications 'confusion' to rest.
I hope so as gonna mention the tiredness to them & see what they say. My surgery would be able to help, but what with this virus it ain't easy to speak to them
The 'indirect' consequences of this coronavirus and I think we're all going to see more of those consequences as the next months go on.
Can you email your surgery?
I might be able to, will have to look & see, thanks for the suggestion. I can still try on the phone, but I feel like I'm wasting their time. True, life as we knew it is changing all the time
Lately all my communication with the surgery, my cardiac nurse, and my cardiologist has all been email. Actually rather like it this way and would happily continue with it once this virus thing is over.
That sounds like a good idea. I know what was said about the tablets is wrong as it ain't every day, just days when I do alot
With this virus shutting every thing down, email and telephone may well be the only way we communicate with our medics unless critical for the time being.
How are you feeling, are you seeing any improvement at all?
With not being able to go out that much, I ain't as tired, but the chest pains are still coming & going,so hoping my appointment next Mon is still going ahead despite my uncertainty about it
Chest pain is so worrying even if it's 'just' a dull constant ache. I've spent the last year waking up every morning hoping the ache from the acute flare of my recurrent pericarditis would finally go away - it has in the last two weeks, finally (read that 'finally' in all caps and bold and underlined - it's taken a full year to go away, it was like a stalker!). Add to that the sudden sharp pain if I moved too fast...
Chest pain is a crime against humanity!
I hope your appointment happens for you when it is supposed to. I was to have an email consult with my cardiologist in a couple of weeks and I found out this afternoon he's been called to coronavirus only 'until further notice'. So the email appointment (which had been a face-to-face appointment they agreed to do by email to avoid the face-to-face) has been cancelled and they don't know when it's going to be rebooked.
I'm feeling rather well so it's not a bother to me but I feel for people in worse shape than I am who are seeing their appointments cancelled owing to the virus.
We would like to get answers as to what happened that Thurs as I was wearing a heart monitor @ the time & why I'm getting tired all the time (not gonna accept tablets) & getting chest pains, hopefully they'll accept all that's been found wrong recently with my heart & see if anything can be done about what can be fixed - doubt it!
When is your appointment?
It was Mon, but had a 📱call today saying it was cancelled, so had a 📱appointment instead & I must admit that it went better than I expected. He listened to what I had to say & understood, was interested in ALL that happened that Thurs, but still couldn't definitely say what happened, did however give a couple of options
I've gotta have an Echo of my heart & a CT scan of my heart when I can to see if my arteries are furrying up & how effective my heart is pumping plus to see what the valve is doing, something was mentioned about beta blockers for slowing my heart rate down, but I didn't catch all of it
All I can think of is that the heart monitor must have picked up various stuff & he didn't wanna tell me as it's stuff I already know about & maybe new stuff, but he's gonna write to me & my GP about the above to get it all done when possible & see what's found & take it from there, guess the chest xray showed up stuff as well
If it helps any, I found the beta blockers to be absolute little miracle tabs. I'm on Bisoprolol 1.25mg once a day (mornings plus 300mg aspirin) for angina and to 'calm my heart' and I've never felt better. The side effects I've had are so minimal I have to think about it before remembering 'Oh right, yes, had those'. I'm so pleased with how well the beta blocker is working for me I told my cardiologist I am happy to be on it for the rest of my life.
I'm so glad the doctor paid attention to what is going on with you, what a result! Please update after you have the scans.
I will do, but just found out that the GNT spray that helps I was only on for a short while so can't get anymore, so dunno what to do when I get chest pains until things are sorted out
On a different note, how can you go from having a good day yesterday to doing everything wrong & having a right bad day the next?
For me, those bad days usually follow a good day I've overextended myself thinking 'Oh I'm all better, I can (insert activity I shouldn't try doing)!'
And then spend the next day wishing I'd not done that thing.
Can you call your doctor and tell him you can't get a refill for the GTN but you need it, and ask if he can re-prescribe it?
I tried that, but the doctor up the hospital said that it was only for a fortnight & it ain't on my repeat list, so no can do & suffering. I had to have a sleep today as came back from going out tired out, my husband woke me up when tea was ready
I'm sorry it's taken me a bit to reply - we had an Internet issue (faulty connector end) and only got it sorted last night.
If it were me, I would send a 'snail mail' letter (photocopy to keep at home). Sent to the GP and any consultant you are currently being followed by, stating you understand the coronavirus crisis is causing no end of problems but you have had good results using the GTN and wish to be on record as requesting it go on your repeat prescriptions.
Key words: 'wish to be on record' - by saying it that way it may light a fire under them to get you the repeat prescription. At the very least it puts you on record as wanting the prescription - should relations go to the point of an official complaint you would have the proof you tried to get the prescription and puts the onus of explaining why you weren't able to have it on the medics.
Such strange times we are living through!
That's OK, we had a phone mast down & it caused us to have no phone or Internet for nearly 3 days not that long ago, so I know what it's like to have nothing
Thst sounds like a really good idea, I can certainly give it a go, the Cardiology person I spoke to didn't rule out Angina for what happened Thst Thurs or a suspected Heart Attack despite what all the others said
If you can reach the cardiologist, he/she would be the person to ask for a GTN prescription. My GP and cardiologist both said if something responds to the GTN it is worth having the GTN available as it is some sort of angina - GTN doesn't work for anything else, according to them.
I don't know the Cardiologist name as rarely see the same 1 over & over again as it's a dept that I'm under rather than a doctor. Right now they're shallow & long, rather than the sharp ones that I was having before
If you're under the department rather than a specific cardiologist, you might have a cardiac nurse co-ordinating your care. It's worth ringing the telephone number on the last letter you received from them to see if you have a cardiac nurse assigned - if you do have one, he/she can order GTN for you (I know this because mine did when I asked). If you're being followed 'by staff' rather than a specific nurse, you can ask who ever answers the phone if you can please get a repeat prescription of the GTN as it really does help you.
That sounds like a good idea, I'll see what's in the latest letter from the dept as I must admit that I didn't take in all that he said & take it from there
Just to give you all an update, had another episode of the same thing last Thurs, ended up A&E again, was admitted to 1 ward who wanted to send me home as they thought it was not heart related again, but saw the heart doctor who thought differently & admitted me for proper, strongly saying that it's unstable angina
Really fed up!
So confused! Angina? Early heart failure? 
My struggle with the heat in uk continues 🥵
EP STUDY NORMAL....CONFUSED
