chest pain after excercise

[Poppy451]

Yesterday I went swimming and felt fine . Only started feeling unwell in the middle of the night. Then today have been feeling dreadful. It's strange I often get chest pain the day after excerting myself. Although once I am not well then anything like the stairs is difficult. Anyone else feel like this?I love swimming but always do too much then pay for it later. I have microvascular angina and spasm.

[Carlg]

I do not have your condition so can only relate to my experience on what I went through so it my not apply to you.

It is worth chatting to your medical professional. I had odd chest pains. Thought it was nothing serious but sought advice. It turned out after medical investigation I required surgery. Shocking yes but I'm glad I pushed for investigation and now I'm post surgery with better quality of life outlook.

[Poppy451 in reply to Carlg]

Hi CarlgI am glad to hear you now have a better quality of life after surgery. My condtion cant be stented or operated on but can be very debilitating and painful at times. I have to manage my symptoms if I can what I can and cant do day to day ,the ebb and flow of it like the changing weather .

[Heather1957]

I haven't looked at your bio but I had a bypass in 2017 and 2 stents fitted last October. I had cardiac rehab and I spoke to the physio as I was finishing the sessions and said I was going to do some swimming as it was an exercise I enjoyed. She gave me a sheet advising me re swimming as entering the water with a heart problem can cause problems and should be done a particular way.

I don't have the sheet to hand but maybe you need to research it, it can also effect the blood pressure.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Heather1957]

Unfortunately those of us living with microvascular and vasospastic angina are different!

Our blood vessels do not function properly.

Either they don't dilate in response to exercise or go into transient constrictions at rest.

All this can happen completely out of the blue.

It's a bit like trying to walk a tight rope

[Hidden]

Hi I have not as yet been fully diagnosed but microvascular dysfunction has been mentioned. I find that after a day of rest I feel like I can do more, i then do more but regret it the next day and feel dreadful. So I rest the next day and the cycle starts all over again. This is as result of day to day stuff let alone any form of formal exercise.

[Poppy451 in reply to Hidden]

hi fishface101I am like that too .it can be like a domino effect. And then I rest but somehow hard to catch up. Going to the supermarket is my cardio. sometimes I go swimming and have angina for days afterward. sometimes its not so bad. gotta take the rough with the smooth. Generally speaking I try to stick with micro movements.

[Hidden in reply to Poppy451]

Yes I’ve started walking much slower to not bring it on, but my Apple Watch says i have very low stability and at greater risk of falling over in next 12 months 🥺 but I need some exercise, pottering round garden helps until I decide I want to relocate a heavy plant plot - just never learn 😊

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hi Poppy451

Exercising with vasospastic angina can be challenging!

I find that I can swim etc, however I will experience chest pain at rest later, especially increased chest pain during the night.

This delayed response to exercise seems to be a common feature of vasospastic angina.

Trying to judge what is too much has caught me out many times. I have learned to keep my heart rate at a certain level.

When I had a perfusion MRI a few years ago, I was fine when the adenosine increased my heartrate.

The increase in my heartrate then triggered an episode of severe chest pain which started as I came out of the scanner.

I ended up in in A&E with ST elevations and depressions which settled eventually.

I was nearly admitted.

I am having a stress echo next week.

Let's see if I make it home.....

[Silvertail]

As I see it that is what microvascular angina is. I've had it for many years. Walking up stairs or hills gives me breathlessness and chest pain. These days I seem to get it just after I stop. Mine is pretty well controlled by medication.

[pjw17]

Hello Poppy,I had HA in may 20 and a stent fitted .

In October 20 after exercise using light weights I had pains in chest/shoulder area.A visit to AnE found it's not heart related,follow up visit to GP who referred me to MSK team ,they couldn't solve it ,so back to cardiologist via GP and myocardial perfusion and angiogram couldn't find anything wrong .I'm back to MSK ,the pain still comes after lifting heavy stuff it's a complete mystery!!!

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to pjw17]

Anybody considered angina non obstructive coronary arteries ANOCA as the possible cause?

There is growing evidence that ongoing chest pain and other symptoms after a stent even surgery maybe due to microvascular or vasospastic angina.

Microvascular and vasospastic angina are poorly understood , often overlooked and difficult to diagnose.

academic.oup.com/eurheartj/...

[Pollypuss]

It may be muscular but don’t take any chances . I had chest pain for a year and all tests. came back negative . It was only after a bad dose of “indigestion” one night that I decided to go to A &e where they discovered I had a mild heart attack and more tests revealed I needed a triple bypass. Heart problems are often different in women. I certainly don’t want to scare you. Mine was hereditary . But do get yourself checked over . It’s probably not bad but it would put your mind at rest 😺

[Poppy451]

Hi MilkfairyYes it's difficult to judge when you don't have symptoms at the time. I am also having a stress MRI soon and will probably be fine only to have a reaction later.

Good luck with your echo.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Poppy451]

I hope all goes well with your perfusion MRI. Not too many 'after shocks'

[Cyprus12]

Hi Poopy451After having an Aortic replacement I had dreadful pain after excersing, especially swimming. I thought I was still undergoing chest pains, etc but eventually a lovely nurse doing a mamogram told me it might be muscle pain. I carried on excersing a little more each time and after about 6 months or so, things improved and finally built up my muscle and fitness levels after about 18 months. I had no excersing for about 4 months prior to op and about 12 weeks after to allow the sternum to heal. Long process. I would check it all out and if everything comes back fine, it may well be muscle pain.

[Poppy451 in reply to Cyprus12]

It's not muscle pain I have been diagnosed with microvascular angina and spasm

[Cyprus12 in reply to Poppy451]

So sorry to hear this Poppy451. I do hope life improves for you. Are you awaiting any procedures?

[Poppy451 in reply to Cyprus12]

Thanks but no no procedures as such just tweaking of medication

[PelotonHeart]

I had a heart attack while working out after having done regular long distance cycling for years. 2 stents and still chest pain. A cardiac MRI, Nuclear Stress test, echo, all normal. I work out at least 5 times a week with my Peloton Bike or Treadmill. When I ride my bike outside or Peloton bike, and get my heart rate up to about 127 sustained for more than 5 min, I get a bit of chest pain and nausea, and sweating, (HA type syptoms) and then chest pain (mild) later in the day upon excretion. My Dr. Says definitely microvascular but none of the meds agreed with me and they didnt help enough to deal with the side effects. I just have to deal with this, what I want to know, and havent gotten an answer yet, is: ARE THESE EPISODES DAMAGING TO THE HEART?? Or is it okay to just keep going….

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to PelotonHeart]

Hello PelotonHeart

Have you had any testing to confirm whether you have microvascular or vasospastic angina? The symptoms can be very similar

It's important as the treatment options are different.

Eg beta blockers can be helpful for those living with microvascular dysfunction however they can make vasospastic angina worse.

You maybe interested in these links.

internationalheartspasmsall...

touchcardio.com/cardiovascu...

academic.oup.com/eurheartj/...

There is developing evidence that living with microvascular or vasospastic can have long term negative effects on your heart.

It certainly effects our quality of life.

Perhaps ask to be referred to a Cardiologist who specialises in caring for patients with microvascular and vasospastic angina.

Sometimes it can take time to find the best combination of medication to help you best.

[PelotonHeart]

Thank you! I have tried Beta Blockers and the side effects are bad, I have low blood pressure anyway and then the Calcium channel blockers cause swollen ankles. I will check out these links, thank you!

[martigt2]

Hi poppy,I had a cardiac arrest just over 5 years ago. It came out of the blue and happened in the A&E waiting room as I went there with mild symptoms. Turned out to be a blocked artery that was to narrow to stent. The blockage was cleared and I manage the condition with medication. I was 49 when the incident happened and a frequent gym goer at the time were I enjoyed weight training and high intensity fitness classes. After a brief recovery I was advised to attend cardio rehab classes which I did. I was doing the same exercises as

60,70 & 80 year olds but like yourself I felt fine at the time but later on that evening or the next day I felt awful. I tried going back to the gym but was always the same thing, felt terrible later that day or the next day. I have spoken to my GP & surgeon and everyone in between but no one really knows. I find it really frustrating as I used to enjoy fitness but now it scares me. The advice I was given was that walking was enough for me.

[Poppy451 in reply to martigt2]

Hi martigt2Have you tried less intense excercise like very slow swimming or yoga? Maybe if you dont increase heart rate you will be ok. I like to swim but try to slowly so as not to bring on the pain. Its annoying when I get chest pain after because I used to love swimming . But dont want to go and then speand the rest of the week in pain. Having said that I went today at 12pm and felt fine by 5 pm I am taking gtn like 10 times.