I had one of those days yesterday, had to do more than usual including taking my dog to the vets, getting her in and out of the car, she’s old and hurt her foot. And the struggle in the vets to keep her still, told I had problems with this sort of activity but couldn’t call a nurse ‘covid’
I did have pain and breathlessness at the time but much more pain/ache today. Just wondered if anyone else either with or without this condition has had the same and if you know why, 🤗
What I tell myself is it's like overdoing any muscle or ligament - the next day is usually worse. So far I've been able to 'soldier through' but the best result I've had is to stop myself the minute I think I'm about to do something I may end up 'paying for it' the next day, whatever 'it' may be.
Too, I swear by the prophylactic GTN hit, not sure if it's appropriate for your situation, best to ask the medics, Kinda funny when I think about it - when I first started using the GTN, the side effects were so awful I wouldn't use it unless in agony. But over a few more uses I realised it wasn't causing the same horrible side effects.
Everyone is different but I have had super results with no side effects now with the GTN both prn and prophylactically.
You know Fluffy, I am on a project operated by a Singapore Uni in conjunction with Singapore Heart Foundation for over 70s. I do physical exercise well in excess of my age, do min 8000 steps a day and do my mini weights with ABS no problem. Today I went 200 yards to 7-Eleven and was so anxious about a lady with a huge dog in the distance approaching me and my poodle. I could feel myself welling up and then came Chest Pain and a strange breathlessness. Does this make sense ! It took me 15 mins to calm down and symptoms went away. It is just inexplicable ! I am so sorry you had the experience you have alluded to BUT you have helped me in this sometimes unfathomable display of symptoms.
Not to hijack Fluffy's discussion but I can't help saying I think that's the thing about MVA that makes it so difficult - physical stress AND emotional distress can bring on an attack and it can just feel so bewildering and frustrating at the same time.
Very difficult condition to manage and if vasospastic angina is lobbed on to the MVA, working out a management regime can take years. I am truly awed by Milkfairy's diligence working to find a management plan, and her dedication to not only finding it but sharing her immense wealth of practical knowledge. But in the end, MVA, VSA (vasospastic angina), and MVD (microvascular dysfunction) is best described as painful, bewildering, and deeply frustrating.
Hi Sunnie2dsy
Thanks for answering 🤗 I knew as I was doing it yesterday that I may be doing to much but I had no help and my dog was really unwell so needed to be done.
I’m already getting worried about my Dads funeral on Thursday and having pain etc as stress really does cause me problems and don’t want to be spraying during the service, I’ve tried using the GTN spray beforehand but doesn’t last long especially in these sort of situations, I’d find it so embarrassing to be unwell.
100% agree with what you say about Milkfairy, she’s an absolute star, helped me do much and still does, thanks Milkfairy when you read this 🤗🤗🤗
Meant to ask in my first post on this discussion - how is your dog, any better? The physical stress of taking the poor mite to the vet+the emotional stress of your dog being unwell combined to give you a real wallop yesterday, no amount of GTN could compensate for that prolonged a period. I'm sorry I didn't address that when replying to you the first time.
Still think it's quite like 'pulling a muscle' - the day after is almost always worse. I hope you and your dog feel better quickly
Sunnie2day that’s a really good way of explaining it, it is a muscle so shouldn’t be surprised if it gets worn out after doing a lot.
My dog had a splinter in her foot that had got infected and a problem sort of down below where a nasty lump has been found.
Taking her back in about 10 days to check meds are working but the lump has steadily been growing.
I hate to see her get stressed going to the vets but needs to be done. I won’t mention the cost 😱😱 it’s 100% worth it to get her feeling better.
Thank you for asking about her 🤗🤗🤗 x
Noted and agree. In fact the large dog and mine exchanged sniffs as they do without confrontation and we moved on. Me in pain and breathless. 😁
Sunnie2day I must apologise to everyone, I keep calling the two conditions you’ve mentioned, different names, I think I’m sort of getting it right now and again but get into the flow of the conversation and just go with it, the name has changed several times hasn’t it 🙄
I thought you'd been diagnosed with both MVA and VSA? (and yes, it seems the names DO change almost daily - here I was merrily going along thinking vasospastic angina was abbreviated as 'VA' only to find out now it's 'VSA', and poor Milkfairy has tried repeatedly to explain microvascular dysfunction and I'm still not quite clear if that MVD encompasses MVA, VSA, and all things microvascularly dysfunctional. my. head. hurts.).
Either are bad enough but both, oh boy, so difficult combined. My (presumed, no test yet owing to very long queue) MVA is responding nicely to low dose Bisoprolol once a day. But taking any beta blocker with VSA is a sure fire one-way ticket to Painsville and complications that can land the person in hospital.
My consultant says I have both after the tests done so far but to confirm 100% waiting for the stress MRI perfusion test results.
I know poor Milkfairy has said many times to me the correct name and I straight away call it something else 🥴
I’ve been put on low dose Bisoprolol but my heart rate goes down to 39-42 averages always below 50 daily around 44/45 ish what’s yours.
I’ll show you if you show me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😳
My heart rate rarely manages to get below 60, shocking, I know. I was put on the low-dose at the beginning for angina, and to calm my exceptionally strong heartbeat and it is doing that despite the seemingly high heart rate I demonstrate now - lol, (but not really funny), it used to be far, far higher. But it also stopped the angina attacks I was having very nearly in their tracks.
My consultant expected I had blocked arteries and the nearly immediate relief from the Bisoprolol (before the angiogram) was considered an anomaly and a bonus. Then he did the angio and surprise - despite warning me he was sure I was going to need 'at least multiple stents, if not immediate bypass' - my arteries are so clear all the staff were standing over me in theatre saying they want my recipes and arteries, lol. Erm, I didn't tell them I cook with unsalted butter - lots of it depending on what I'm making, and they'd go grey if they knew even a bit of my dietary abandon...Almond Magnummmmmmmssssss!
Any road, once the angiogram was done and studied, the microvascular presumed diagnosis came up, I was put in the queue for the test with no urgency owing to my excellent results with the Bisoprolol. Something that I'm learning is common with MVA patients. But not VSA patients, and not those with both conditions.
Why are you on a beta blocker if your consultant believes you have vasospastic angina?! The only reason it works so well for me is - I don't have vasospastic angina.
My excellent response to the Bisoprolol is why my cardiologist is sure I don't have VSA, he says if I had VSA and the MVA he strongly suspects I have, the beta blocker would have at the least made my symptoms worse, not better, and more likely would have seen me blue lighted at some point as a suspected heart attack.
He says owing to my 'crystal clear coronaries' and the great result from the Bisoprolol, he's convinced I have MVA, but only MVA.
Really, I'm shocked you're on a beta blocker.
I was put on Bisoprolol right at the beginning when my ECG and ultrasound showed abnormalities, plus the rest, statins etc
No one has mentioned about stopping them my Gp said to stay on them keeping my heart from not working to hard !!!!!!
Oh and by the way Almond magnums are delicious especially when it’s been out of the freezer for a little while, OMG I need to put those on my order now as well, you’re leading me astray, 😂😂😂😂
When you talk to the cardiologist (or cardiac nurse if you've been assigned one), ask them about beta blockers and VSA to see if they have any input. Milkfairy has posted several times across several discussion about her very unhappy experience with it (VSA with beta blockers) and she is SO much better at explaining this stuff than I will ever be!
OK, yes, I probably am leading you astray - but in a good way, right? 
😂😂😂😂 I’m a little angel, easily lead astray, especially where chocolate is concerned 🤭🤭
Yes I have seen Milkfairy post that before but wasn’t sure if I needed to wait for the results first, I could always stop them, my pulse is rather low !!! X
Don't stop them without consulting the prescribing physician and your cardiologist if he/she isn't the prescribing physician until the results of the MRI are in and discussed with you - stopping without consulting the professionals is never a good idea.
Oh dear, Fluffybee, I think in addition to chocolates and other tasty leadings astray, I have also inadvertently encouraged to do something not at all tasty! Please don't stop the beta blocker until you have a good long discussion with your medical team.
(fret, fret, I'm going to spend the next three days fretting I've caused you harm!)
No don’t worry my lovely I don’t stop taking them promise, you’ve not led me astray in that way just with chocolate 😂😂😂 so don’t fret I’m not going to do that 🤗🤗🤗🤗 xxx
Oh thank-you, and I'm not joking - I really would have been worrying, thank-you again!
Hi Smileyman
That sounds awful the experience you had, I completely understand the effects of stress with this condition. Are you ok now ?
Do you ever get breathless without pain ? Look after yourself 🤗
Oh yes I do. But unbelievably since I have taken Furosimide ? For swollen ankle eodema, much much less. I now wonder if my ankle edema medicine has some unknown effect on lungs. Again a mystery. I have a big Cardiac consultation very early tmw and have a long list of questions. Tks for answering.
Yes I often seem to get pain the next day or later in the day
I can be fine for a week or so but the pain and breathless always come back and I’m back to resting for a few days until it settles
It’s so difficult to manage
It really is, and I don’t always think that it could be something the day before or later than that.
It’s really, I’m not sure what the word is but when I get any different symptoms and ask on here if anyone else gets it with this condition there’s always a ‘yes I get that’ so it’s all adding up to be typical symptoms of this condition.
I’m going to get my MRI results back within the next couple of weeks, fingers crossed.
How have you been doing ?
Good luck with your results
To be honest I get more information and support from this site than anywhere else
I’m waiting for cardiology to write to my GP so my meds can be altered just spoken to GP surgery then cardiology then GP surgery again and told to call again on Friday??? Telephone appointment was a month ago
Feeling a bit tearful at the minute such difficult times not that I blame anyone it must be really difficult working in the NHS at the moment
Hi Sunshinebrew
I hate to thing of anyone being tearful 🤗🤗🤗 I know I’ve been there many times.
I think waiting for results is ( apart from the condition) is one of the worst things, it takes much longer than normal and we all understand this but doesn’t help when we’re desperate for really important possibly life changing results.
Thinking of you, don’t forget we’re all with you on here, you’re not alone 🤗🤗
Hey Fluffs,
Never rains when it pours eh?
It's so reassuring to know other people are going through the same and it's not just you. It's difficult to know what will push you over your limit - think that's the most frustrating thing with it.
You've got a difficult week this week - go easy on yourself 😊❤
Thanks Ninjanoo
It does help knowing others are coping with the same and you’re not going nuts!!!!!
Had any walnut whips lately 😀 xx
Washing up was another game of two halves today did one lot of laundry and hoovered the lounge (all of which was spread out through the day) lots of GTN today chest really not happy 🙄🙄
Clearly not had enough walnut whips!!😊
😂😂😂😂😂 clearly, oh I wish I could send you a truckload of walnut whips if it would make you better 🤗🤗
I know I’m the same I spread things around, I had work this morning but that’s gone from full time to just 2 mornings and that’s really pushing it.
Still need to take my dog for a very short walk but it’s now dark but dogs don’t know the time and love a good sniff about, she may only get as far as the gate as she’s not to well but she’ll think she’s been out as the lead and collar go on so the whole routine happens 😂😂 🤗
So nice to know there's people who will provide a laugh and a shoulder to lean on when you need it on here. Would be completely lost without this forum. Like you say it's just nice to know you're not going completely nuts!! 😜
I wouldn't be greedy I'd share them with everyone!! 😁😁 I have definitely adopted the "sod it" attitude this week I have to say. What gets done gets done and if I need a rest day well there's always tomorrow and we'll try again then and if that doesn't happen well....!! I had a call from a Dr in Occy Health yesterday to do an external assessment for work, in other words a tick box exercise! Not a specialist so cannot provide any worthwhile advice or support. Outcome....you're not well and will still need to be signed off - shocker 😮!! Tell me something I don't already know. Whiled away half an hour I suppose!
Hope your dog is soon on the mend 🐶 funny how they know the routine although mine's given up with me!!
I’d be lost without this forum as well, sounds odd but feel I’ve made friends on here even though we’ve not met 😊
I have ‘Sod it ‘ times as well it may be for a few hours or days, who’s counting, I think the general public should be lucky I shower daily and clean my teeth 🤭🤭
After all if ironing isn’t done what’s the worst that’s going to happen, a crinkly top, could be worse..... much much worse 😂😂
Oh well that was a surprise about work then, total surprise you’re not well enough 😳
Have you been signed off for longer now then ? 🤗 x
My "sod it" moments tend to come and go quite frequently - mainly because I end up getting frustrated because I'm not firing on all cylinders not being able to do things and end up with wobbly chin moments instead!! 😂
GP phoned end of last week for our check in mainly because existing sick note was coming to an end so she's issued another one for 2 months but we've already discussed I won't be going back. She just wants to get DWP sorted before I tell them.
Dont know how you're managing to do it! 😊 xx
Hi Fluffybee,
I second everyone else’s comments that you have been under immense pressure over the last month and hope it eases off very soon.
Healing hugs to you 🤗
hope you and your dog feel better soon👍
I have mva and very often have more pain / discomfort wit extream fatigue hours after event or even next day than at the time . I’m not sure if it is because when I’m in the busy , active , or stressful situation I tend to get on with things and push pain / discomfort to back of mind when I am then tired and relax after event maybe iim more consciousness of it . Hope you soon feel better .
Sorry another post on the same subject I often get very breathless when mva is playing up I also cough gp says I have exertioniional asthma but I’m not convinced reading posts on here I think it is all part of the complications of mva and vsa . Stress seems to be my biggest enemy . I also hope dog is ok x
micro vascular angina 
Micro vascular angina
micro vascular angina
Micro vascular angina 
