I’ve discovered that as I have variant angina and micro vascular angina that it can come come in clusters.
It does seem to be like that but just seeing if anyone else has the same, also does anyone else cannot or get their breath during the night most nights, someone very kindly said they did and used a pillow to help.
Any other ideas, frightening when you’re woken up with it.
I don’t know what medication you’re on but it might be worth looking to see if that is a possible cause, I went onto new meds and was often gasping for air, turned out to be a side effect. I have heard pillows help and it’s often mentioned by my consultants, I use 2 pillows to prevent acid reflux.
Hi Fluffybee,
Do you feel breathless at night or do you wake up gasping for breath? If it’s waking you up you may have sleep apnoea... There is an app called Snore Lab which you can download and record a night’s sleep on your phone, you should then be able to see any pauses in your breathing or loud snorts or snores when you look at the results. You can then show this to your doctor.
I have MVA and complex sleep apnoea...the MVA can certainly be worse when my sleep apnoea is bad (tiredness), but with MVA I have good and bad periods constantly as well!
Hope you get some answers, good luck!
The breathless could be to do with the angina as it usually comes on when your resting .Have you got a gtn spray i use mine when i get breathless .
I do have some GTN spray but I’m on some other meds for something else that makes me extremely tired so when it does wake me up it’s bad to say the least then I hope it’s going to go then it obviously does as I fall back to sleep, those other meds aren’t helping my situation.
Thank you 😊
I know its a nightmare isnt it ive also got meds for another problem and the two seem to work against each other.There still trying to ger my meds sorted i think its difficult to treat just trial and error .Fingers crossed you get sorted soon.I found the breathless very unnerving but with time you learn to cope with it. x
Yes it’s really frightening, especially the first time I had it, I’m still trying to adjust as I haven’t had it long.
Looking forward to feeling better but think it may be quite a while!!
Do you have variant angina and micro vascular angina?
I have variant angina and a arrhythmia. Ive had it for six months it came from out of the blue was working full time driving very independent taken me this long to accept i carnt go back to work. Im on Amolodipine and the chemist shop.The Amolodipine has made my legs swell but apart from this seems to help with the angina pain x
The meds I’m on are, Amlodipine which has just been increased but tight calves and ankles !!!! Atorvastatin,Bisoprolol,GTN soray, isirbide-5-nitrate and Omeprazole for another condition
Hi Fluffybee
This is an article written by Prof Colin Berry's Glasgow team ( BHF funded) about how Microvascular and Vasospadtic angina are diagnosed.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
The definitive way to diagnose MVA and or Vasospastic angina is by a specialised angiogram to look at how the blood vessels respond to various chemicals when they are injected into the heart's blood supply
Ischaemia no obstructive coronary arteries INOCA includes both MVA and vasospastic angina.
Most people just have MVA, about 15% just vasospastic angina, another 20% both MVA and vasospastic angina the rest chest pain of unknown origin.
ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161...
Beta blockers typically make vasospastic angina worse but can help those with MVA caused by microvascular dysfunction.
I suggest you ask your Cardiologist to have a look at Prof Colin Berry and Prof Divaka Perera 's publications regarding Microvascular and vasospastic angina and microvascular dysfunction
to see the latest research into the conditions.
If your Cardiologist is using the term variant angina it may reflect that they are not as up to date as perhaps they could be about the latest research into the conditions.
Thank you, the cardiologist who stood in for mine last tine called it prinzmetal angina !!!! So maybe more old school than that 🤭
Yup it can be called
Printzmetal or variant angina ,
Coronary artery spasms too.
All very confusing.
You may see the term Cardiac syndrome X which is even older school to describe both MVA and vasospastic angina.
There is tendency to name conditions after what is happening in the body rather than a person's name these days.
No wonder I keep calling the same thing different names, I know what but dint stick to the same name !!!!
Definitely
How are things with you ?
I’ve posted this message god knows where, I cannot find it so I’ll do it again 🙄you can tell I’m new !!!!
I’ve got a medic alert bracelet for another reason and wanted to put something on it related to Microvascular angina and coronary spasm angina, there’s not much room but just wanted advice, would just putting angina on it would be ok ?
Maybe talk to your Cardiologist or GP for advice about which of your conditions are the most important to inform the paramedics about?
I have written on mine Microvascular and vasospastic angina.
With the instructions no beta blockers or adrenaline.
I have a written protocol which I give to the ambulance staff and it's on my local hospital's electronic records system.
You could also ask your Cardiologist for a letter giving your diagnosis etc. You could then carry a copy with you or put a copy on your phone.
Think you for the advice, it’s difficult as by talking to everyone it seems not many Dr’s etc seem to Even consider what we’ve got for a diagnosis, so feel I should put the whole name rather and abbreviations.
I think I’ll do what you say, better than adding another bracelet to get it all on there 😂😂😂
Amlodipine gave me severe joint pains, aching muscles and pins and needles.
There is a health website where you can check combinations of drugs for miss matches (nitrate s?) Best wishes
Yes thanks, not taking any blood pressure tablets now. Readings are now nearer average. Hope you are making good progress too.
angina 
Crescendo Angina v Unstable Angina 
Angina
Microvascular angina symptoms 
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