Feeling poorly and micro vascular ang... - British Heart Fou...

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Feeling poorly and micro vascular angina

20 Replies

Just a quickie have been diagnosed with micro vascular angina and had my covid booster Thursday , that evening was fine but Friday felt very fluey (is that a word) and it seemed to aggravate my angina. Mine is what I would call mild, sometimes don’t have it for days then it just bites to remind me it’s still here,usually only a few times a day very random, but when I was feeling poorly after the jab it went into overdrive, and bit me a lot more often and a bit harder lol. Now Saturday and both the poorly feeling has mostly passed and the angina seems to have settled too, so we just wondering if anyone has had the same? Thinking it’s the poorly feeling that exacerbated the angina not the actual jab anyone any thoughts?

20 Replies

A lot of people find that they get 'fluey' type symptoms, this is most likely as your body has reacted by triggering an immunoresponse, which is, i'm told, a good thing.

As for the Angina, hopefully someone else can answer.

Good to hear that you are ok again 🤞

Hi Milkfairy, is the treatment for Vasospastic angina a blast of GTN spray when it plays up as it is with unstable angina? I'm currently being investigated for angina returning 2 years post 2xCABG and the cardiologist has suggested it could be the cold causing my coronory artories to spasm.

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to

Very good questions and I'm looking forward to Milkfairy's reply. I have presumed MVA (queue for the definitive diagnostic so long, so very very long!) but vasospastic angina could happen so I try to learn all I can about any of the microvascular dysfunctions.

in reply to Sunnie2day

Wouldn’t want to presume what milkfairy would say but for micro vascular angina I have a gtn spray which relieves the symptoms though don’t always use it as it also makes me a bit dizzy and need to sit which is also what I do anyway when I get the pain so only use it when either getting a lot of em or more painful ones,

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to

I'm on a low dose beta blocker plus a high dose aspiring regime, apparently it's the standard for MVA and I'm responding very well to it so my cardiologist is happy to say it's 'presumed' MVA until the queue for the diagnostic is shorter.

On the occasion I do have angina now I do as you do - find a place to sit (or lean) and use the GTN. So far so good.

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

The usual recommended treatment is to use GTN spray when you have coronary vasospasms. If it doesn't help after 3 blasts, 5 minutes apart, it's time to call 111 or 999.

Vasospastic angina if not treated can lead to acute coronary syndrome or a heart attack.

I suggest you keep a diary of symptoms. If there are any changes in the pattern, frequency or severity of your symptoms, again contact your Cardiologist , GP or ring 111.

I suggest you ask for a review of your medication, beta blockers in particular can make coronary vasospasms worse.

Microvascular dysfunction only effects the small blood vessels.

The treatment options are different usually beta blockers, however nitrates may not be as effective.

The BHF has this information about Vasospastic and Microvascular angina.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to Milkfairy

To clarify for me, is vasospastic angina a 'microvascular dysfunction' or is it tucked under a different header?

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to Sunnie2day

Vasospastic angina is the transient constrictions of the coronary arteries and sometimes the small blood vessels. Diagnosed during an angiogram with acetylcholine.

Normal blood vessels should dilate when acetylcholine is injected into the coronary arteries, if they constrict along with chest pain and ECG changes, coronary vasospasms are diagnosed.

Typically patients with vasospastic angina experience chest pain at rest, during the night and they can exercise.

Vasospastic angina is not caused by Microvascular dysfunction the most common cause of Microvascular angina.

Microvascular dysfunction is when the small blood vessels fail to dilate or stay dilated in response to extra demands like exercise.

Most patients with Microvascular dysfunction experience chest pain or other symptoms when they exercise.

It is diagnosed when a person's coronary flow reserve is below 2.5 along with an increased microvascular resistance.

Another good source of information is this website.

internationalheartspasmsall...

Sunnie2day profile image
Sunnie2day in reply to Milkfairy

Thank-you, hopefully I won't mix the two again:) I do have the link (bookmarked, you've posted it before) but I have to be completely honest here - I open the link, start reading, and almost immediately go into a state of what I can only describe as 'denial', not the perfect description but close enough.

I go into 'Yes but...' 'what if...' and 'Oh please no not me!' mode and my eyeballs refuse to connect to my brain.

It's quite silly, I know this. After spending nearly all of my life with various heart conditions I really should be fine with reading-learning-understanding my latest condition but I'm beginning to think I've reached my 'accept and move on' limit. Yes, I am responding nicely to the treatment regime but when I start considering the alternatives my mind refuses to go there.

Embarrassing, really - but I'm reasonably certain I am not the only person doing it. sigh

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to Sunnie2day

Sunnie2day,

I don't think you are the only one to try not to acknowledge being a member of the Non obstructive coronary artery disease NOCAD club!

Life truly is not fair sometimes.

You seemed to have been given a double dose of painful heart conditions.

Managing to live well with both Microvascular angina and recurrent pericarditis must be such a challenge.

Long may the medication keep working for you.

in reply to Milkfairy

Hi milkfairy they were going to prescribe me nitrates but they give me bad migraines,and can’t take beta blockers ,summats to do with my Crohn’s or it’s medication? And as mine is only mild at mo just gtn and yep 3 sprays then I was told 999 am also on a calcium blocker they holding back nicorandyl ? If it gets worse

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

I hope everything stays on an even keel for you.

I am on , Calcium Channel blockers, nitrates,Nicorandil, statin,Clopidogrel with the back up of hospital for IV GTN when necessary.

Keep warm and stress free😊

in reply to Milkfairy

Oops forgot about them yep am on clopidegrel and statins as well been on them since my stent

HectorsDad profile image
HectorsDad in reply to

Might be worth talking some more to your cardiologist. I have a form of coeliac, with resembles Chrones in some ways. My Cardio thinks that the condition interferes with the slow release mechanism in nitrate capsules, and has switched me to nitrate patches. Pain in is much better controlled now, although it took three weeks for the headache to ease.

in reply to HectorsDad

Hi hectors dad I had a really bad reaction to nitrates even cutting them down to 1/2 a tablet didn’t work I got migraine so bad after 11/2 hrs after taking them laid up in dark room couldn’t move for hours worst headaches ever had in my life had to stop after 3 days couldn’t do it and as mva is only mild? Decided not to continue how you did 3 weeks beyond me sheesh 🙄 for me mva is lesser of 2 evils at mo no one ever mentioned Crohn’s or the meds would interfere tho so will look into that thx👍

Ta milkfairy that’s what I thought it would be as today gone back to normal hardly there but just a lil bite once or twice to say don’t forget about me 🙂

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

That's a good way to describe our angina, it sometimes creeps up on us unexpectedly, just as you say saying' don't forget me'

in reply to

Thanks Ancientone and Milkfairy, very useful advice! I also got really bad, dizzy headaches from my GTN spray (always felt like a hangover without the fun drinking bit!). Have a cardio CT scheduled in the new year but didn't occur to me to keep a diary of symptoms so will start doing that. Fortunately, while I have had hypertension for 20 years I have managed to avoid beta blockers so far.

Yep all cleared back to normalish lol thx to milkfairy have now identified a couple more triggers 😃

Yep it certainly seems to be a trigger but once again your circumstances remind me that thankfully mine is definitely on the milder side compared to what some of you have been and are going through. And although I have a combination of problems can only thank my lucky stars ⭐️ 🙂 that they are all on the mild side just the ganging up that gets me lol .wish you well in the future ps I know it doesn’t ever go away but you get the idea lol

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