Finally Got a Diagnosis

So at 6.30 this morning I followed my GP advice having sent two ECG readings from my iWatch, 10 minutes apart, on Sunday. I called ambulance.

The niggles woke me up at about 4.30am again and the waves of chest pain had properly started by about 6.30am, when I walked from my front room to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

I didn’t take the nitrates at that point as I wanted the paramedics to take an ECG, and as per normal because I was perfectly still the pain subsided. The ambulance crew didn’t pick anything up. Neither did A&E.

But by the time I got to the see the doctor the chest pain reared it’s ugly head again after being asked to walk to the X-ray area for a chest scan. They hooked me back up to an ECG and voila. ECG reading caught a clear picture. Diagnosis - microvascular angina causing spasms.

Why is the diagnosis important. Because I had be signed back to the GP by Cardiology after my Coronary Angiogram was clear in February, with suggestion of a follow up with the gastric team. I was taken off everything but nitrates. Over the last couple of months the problem had started to to become a pain. Overnight. Literally. Not having a diagnosis was getting me down.

Anyway a member of the Cardiology Team came to see me after the ECG reading. So now I’m taking the nitrates (Isorobide Mononitrate) as before but have also been given Diltiazem. Plus they are referring me for a stress test (can’t remember the full name).

Microvascular Angina and Spasms really are a nightmare, for both patient and Cardiologist. My ECG clearly showed that one minute the graph was all over the place and 10 minutes later it had switched back to a normal rhythm albeit with a fast heart rate when the pain subsided.

Just one other thing, and this isn’t a recommendation, just an interesting fact. The doctor said was that the iWatch ECG reading I took on Sunday during a bad episode had reflected what their ECG reading had caught today. Apple, my hat goes off to you!

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hooray!

It is such a relief to get a diagnosis.

Catching a coronary vasospasm on an ECG can be like trying to catch a wil n' the wisp.

The nurses go hunting for mine by doing several ECGs one after another.

I hope the Diltiziem helps and you feel more settled soon.

[Hidden in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you, it was quite funny when I look back at today, as they had sent me to have a chest X-ray because the ECG had been clear. So I tootled off and halfway there the pain started. So I nearly gave myself a coronary tootling back to get hooked up. But it was so worth it just to finally catch the little blighter so to speak, and get the diagnosis.

[Nanaeli]

Morning! That is great to hear and I’m glad you called an ambulance and finally have a diagnosis. I really feel that the knowing is so much better than the unknown and you can deal with something rather than feel silly and a pain at times! I too am having similar episodes and although mine have been picked up a couple of times on ECG and 24 hr ECG, it is my Apple Watch which seems to have saved the day. It says Atrial Fibrillation regularly yet it’s not been picked up on my hospital visits. So I sent them to the cardiologist secretary, secretly thinking that they would tell me to throw the watch away as it was a gimmicky accessory. But I was so wrong, I received a call from the cardiologist the very next day! Hallelujah! Fingers crossed I will now get somewhere too with a diagnosis and the correct medication if necessary 👌. Aside from the Apple Watch though, the moral of your story (and mine too) is to always follow your instincts as nobody knows your body like you!

I wish you all the luck and I’m so happy you finally know for sure that you’re not imagining these episodes.

[Hidden]

Really pleased to hear you finally have a diagnosis. So so important to put your mind at rest! And now you can get the correct medication. Good luck 🤞

[nederlandse]

Hi SloopyLJ,

I'm so glad that you got your diagnosis, you must feel so relieved to be taken seriously. It's bizarre isn't it how it's actually better to be given a serious diagnosis than to constantly doubt yourself and your symptoms!

I hope they will find the right treatment for you, and that your pains will start to diminish soon.

[-007-]

A really interesting post.

I can take a lot from this.

Well done 👏🏻

-007- secret agent - currently on furlough due to the pandemic 😷

[Debtyd]

Hi...and yayyy at last,I'm so pleased for you told ya they'd sort you out eventually....after all that worry and your body just makes out that you're story telling when you see the professionals lol and the relief to know that you really are not imagining it all....makes you feel like shouting to everyone that "I told you So,I told you there was something not quite as is should be".. So now the only way is forward.im so excited for you now that you can start living again ❤.x.Deb.x

[Hidden in reply to Debtyd]

Thank you 😊 xx

[beemiles]

I found your post really interesting as I’ve been going through the same thing for over 3 years now.Have been to A&E 5 times now with chest pain etc and been dismissed on 4 of those with ‘gastric’ issues! On the fourth occasion I thought my heart was going to explode, was promised a referral to the chest pain clinic, but on appraisal by a cardiologist was told it was gastric.

The last time at A&E in Nov 20, I finally got someone to listen to my history and yielded a referral to cardiology.

I was taken on by an arrhythmia nurse practitioner who I sounded out about Microvessel dysfunction, but she kept reiterating there is no treatment for this!

After much badgering she has referred me back to a cardiologist and I now have a 12 month wait for a CT angiogram...which I know still won’t diagnose MVA.

Hats off to you for getting your diagnosis!

Half the battle appears to be having symptoms when tests are done...something I’ve always struggled with as my symptoms are very episodic.

Hope everything works out well for you

[Hidden in reply to beemiles]

Oh blimey that does sound like my experience but is dragging a lot longer for you

I took to emailing my GP with evidence of my own - iWatch came to my rescue. Plus sent them a link to the following and asked them to get Cardiology to write back and confirm they were ruling out NOCAD:

internationalheartspasmsall...

Luckily my GP has been really good, she was already in the process of asking for a second opinion when I went in to hospital.

It’s a horrible journey that left me feeling quite mistrusting and disappointed at times with huge self doubt and quite scared at other times when the pain was bad. I really hope you get the help and diagnosis. x

[beemiles]

Thanks so much for your post...and the weblink. I’ll give that a good read later.I’m very impressed by your iWatch...I may look into one myself.

I think you’re right about the mistrust and disappointment.

The A&E doctors I’ve encountered over the last 3 years have all been full of their own self importance and seem to treat you like an idiot! I think most of us can tell the difference between excruciating chest pain and reflux, but most doctors seem to think they know best.

Really hope it all pans out for you x