Hi all feeling very confused today. I had a Ct Angiogram a few months back suggested I required a stent, I commenced a lot of medications and was put forward for angioplasty . I went into hospital yesterday for angiogram/ angioplasty yesterday, I didn’t require a stent, the surgeon has reported mild disease of the LAD and taken me off aspirin and clopidogrel and I’m just to take statins. One of the cardiac fellows came to see me prior to discharge and suggested they don’t think my symptoms can be heart related as everything looked ok during the stress wire test and flow didn’t appear to be affected.
So I’m feeling yes incredibly lucky that it was good news for me, however I’m really confused as to why I get so much tightness in my chest and pain in my left arm/shoulder so frequently. I can walk well on the flat but ascending stairs is exhausting. After working a long day my ankles are swollen and leg/arm left side feel painful.
I’ve had two frightening experiences where I’ve been woken during the night with tight heavy chest pain and arm pain also between shoulder blades and soaked in cold sweat. The GTN spray has helped with pain.
So yeah I know I’m very lucky not needing a stent and grateful for the care I’ve received, but am left wondering why I get these symptoms?!!
Has anyone else had a similar experience and where did you go from here? I’m determined to make lifestyle changes, increase my fitness levels and lose a bit of weight as I’m slightly overweight.
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I can see why you must be feeling so confused with all this I would imagine anyone would and it possibly would leave you feeling unsettled
It is good news that you do not need a stent and yes you are lucky but you still could do with this explaining to you
If you are like me when I get some good news I am in so much of a hurry to get away quick before they change their minds it is after that I think of all these questions and get annoyed with myself that I did not ask while I had got them there actually in front of me !
I am not sure if they have now disacharged you from their care but if you do have a follow up appointment start listing all these questions you want answering as well as telling them when you walk up hill you get out of breath ( I wonder if that could be angina ) worth asking them if it could be a possibility
I would also get an appointment with my Doctor and take a list with these questions with me as well as how you are feeling and see if they can answer you and of course it goes without saying that any symptoms that maybe new or get worse then phone 111 or take yourself to the Hospital
But on a good note I am pleased they seem to think whatever is causing your symptoms it is not your heart but you need to get to the bottom of what is causing this
I am sorry I cannot be of much help with any answers but please let us know how you get on
Thank you for your reply, yes I a as m very confused. I think I was no longer of use to them as was part of a trial about stents and because I didn’t need one, maybe they just dismissed me on those grounds. I believe I’m referred back to my GP now as diagnosis was mild heart disease with some disease of the LAD but no obvious obstruction of blood flow. I know I am lucky to not have needed a stent, but as you say I’m rather confused and anxious I’ve got no answers to why I’ve had two cardiac events during the night and have angina symptoms. The GTN spray has made a difference when I’ve had to use it, and I’d have thought if it wasn’t heart related, the GTN wouldn’t help?
I felt so sad reading your reply you were part of a trail and think you were no longer needed
Well one thing is you are very important and you deserve answers so please contact your GP and get them as I agree it is strange the GTN spray works when you use it
Please get in to see them next week and I hope you will let us know how you get on as I am very interested to see what they have to say now I have read your post x
I live with a type of non obstructive coronary artery disease NOCAD.
My coronary arteries are unblocked, my coronary flow reserve normal.
However I still have angina as my coronary arteries go into temporary transient contrictions reducing the blood flow to my heart.
I have lived with vasospastic angina for 10 years. It took a while to get my diagnosis. Until I had a specialised angiogram, I was told I couldn't have angina.
I experience my chest pain at rest which often wakes me at night.
I suggest you keep a log of your symptoms.
Go back to your GP and ask to be referred to a Cardiologist who understands vasospastic and microvascular angina.
The BHF has this information about microvascular and vasospastic angina.
These causes of angina are often overlooked, are difficult to diagnose and tend to affect women more than men.
Thank you sounds ever so familiar! I am no longer on blood thinners just statins now. I do have a GYN spray at home. I also wonder if they were quick to dismiss me as I was part of a medical trial on the benefits or negatives of using stents and because my arteries were only slightly diseased and would not have required stunting, I was no longer useful to them and now off the medical research trial! I was told having looked at my angiogram my pain cannot be heart related, they did a stress test and flow check, which I found extremely painful.
I too wake with pain, sweating( cold) and suffer a lot with pain down my left arm and into the upper left chest. I get pain in exertion but only when I climb stairs or go uphill and I struggle to walk and talk without getting breathless. I am relieved I didn’t require a stent but still feel quite anxious that they didn’t get to the route of my issue. I had a very good cardiologist apparently doing my procedure, I wonder what type of angiogram you had? I’m not sure I want another one tbh😓 but I will keep a diary on symptoms and go to the ED if I get severe chest pain again. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
Unfortunately it sounds as though the team looking after you may not be up to speed with angina non obstructive coronary arteries ANOCA.
I had an angiogram when they injected a chemical acetylcholine into my coronary arteries.
Normal blood vessels should relax and dilate in response to acetylcholine.
Mine went into spasms and closed down. I needed to be given morphine as it was so painful.
However, I don't regret having the test as it confirmed my diagnosis and my care has improved as a result.
There is a team at St Thomas's Hospital in London carrying out research into diagnosing ANOCA conditions, microvascular dysfunction and vasospastic angina.
You could ask your Cardiology team to contact them for further advice or you can contact them yourself.
Here's a link to the study which includes the contact details of the researchers.
Thank you I was at St Thomas hospital for tests the other week, they put me through a echocardiogram stress test which made me throw up and I felt like was having a heart attack it was horrible. I then did the treadmill test where I lasted 20 minutes before getting out of breath. I’m bit confused as wonder if they ought to have picked up on that but I guess if they were looking more for issues on exertion they wouldn’t have used the chemical you had? Thank you so much for that information.
I suggest you ask to be reviewed by the Principal Investigator of the trial into diagnosing microvascular dysfunction at St Thomas's hospital, Prof Divaka Perera. You will find an email address for his research fellow in the link I sent you.
You can contact this research team directly yourself.
You may find this website helpful too.
It was written by 4 patients with over 50 years combined experience of living with microvascular and vasospastic angina.
They are supported by 30 world expert Cardiologists. One of whom is Prof Perera.
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
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