Looking for suggestions re: questions to ask an expert on MVD/MVA.

[Divasong]

I have my first telephone appointment with Prof Collins this week. I think I have a good idea of what I want to ask him but I don't want to miss out things so....is there anything you could suggest that I should ask him? Thanks x

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

I suggest you write down your questions.

Ask what is most important to you.

Perhaps ask if it is possible to diagnose Microvascular dysfunction and or vasospastic angina by history alone?

Can your diagnosis be confirmed through testing?

If he says it's not possible or unecessary ask for a second opinion.

There are other experts carrying out research into testing techniques for microvascular dysfunction at St Thomas's Hospital.

Ask him about the PRIZE trial into a possible treatment for Microvascular Angina.

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...

St Thomas's Hospital and The Royal Free Hospital in London are taking part in the trial.

Ask him what are the complications of living with microvascular angina.

[Divasong in reply to Milkfairy]

So... Because nothing showed up on any the tests I've done & because I didn't get bad pain when having my mri it would seem there is no evidence of it being mvd even though by all accounts it sounds like mvd... One more tablet to try - uniphyllin and if that doesn't work then referral to the pain clinic. Nothing else to be done. There is a blood tests being done for something else but if that comes back negative then I'll be sent to the pain clinic.

Apparently there are no more tests to be done, I'm on all the meds & having no response to any of them. It would appear I would never know what was causing the angina (bear in mind I have no quality of life)! I can't help feeling I've been shelved...

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Divasong]

Divasong,

I am sorry, however please don't give up hope.

I was told the very same thing by the same Consultant many years ago.

I was told I had a pain problem not a heart problem.

I asked for a second opinion.

This lead me to having an angiogram with acetylcholine which confirmed my vasospastic angina.

I had ST elevations and depressions even before they injected the acetylcholine , then all the way through the test.

I had to be given morphine.

Testing is available at St Thomas's hospital.

Here is a link to a research study they are doing at St Thomas's hospital, at the bottom of the page you'll see a contact email to the research team. I suggest you email them.

isrctn.com/ISRCTN94728379

[Divasong in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you for your support. I'm sorry you had this experience as well and well done for sticking to your guns. I think he had already made up his mind about me before he even spoke to me 🙄. I'll look into it further thanks.

[jerry12953]

If it were me I would like to know if MVA predisposes the sufferer to other heart problems. What is the latest thinking on this?

(Edit re-written post)

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to jerry12953]

There is some evidence that Microvascular angina increases the incidence of major cardiac events, such as unstable angina, heart failure, heart attacks and strokes.

Here's the latest research published a few months ago.

internationalheartspasmsall...

[Divasong in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks Milkfairy. All your suggestions are on my list. Thanks for the link to the research as well. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[Divasong in reply to jerry12953]

Thanks, that's going on my list jerry12953!