Gasping for breath -angina?

[Qualipop]

Can angina be just breathlessness?

I've spoken to 3 GPs about bad breathlessness just from walking into eth kitchen. Today I sat in teh sun and pruned a rose bush. When I came in I couldn't speak I was so breathless. I had an ECG and a blood test t o look for heart failure last MOnday and was told yesterday both were clear but 4 yrs ago after my Heart attack I was t old I had t wo more blockages around 64% but not bad enough to stent. I'm wondering if they've got worse but the GPs keep saying it's muscle spasms in my back ( I have disc disease). That's what they said for a year before the heart attack.

This today has really scared me. It's lasted half an hour now and I'm still struggling. Oxygen is 99%; BP when I first came in was 140/74. and showed an erratic beat which isn't there now. Pulse 122 - usually in the 80s. I gave in and used a GTN tablet under my tongue ( never ever used one before) but apart from giving me a horrible headache it doesn't seem to have done much.

Please don't suggest 999 - I have reasons.

[Lezzers]

I've never heard of breathlessness being angina and the fact the gtn didn't work would probably bear that out. Your BP is a bit above normal, was the 122 HR a resting HR? If you're still feeling poorly, maybe speak to nhs111 I'm not sure anyone in the group will be able to help you more than that. Good luck, I hope you're feeling better soon.Ps: I may be wrong but I don't think HF can be diagnosed by an ECG, presumably the blood test was a pro BNP test which if elevated would need investigation to rule out/in HF, do you know what the level was?

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

UYes, breathlessness can be symptom of microvascular angina in particular. GTN spray sometimes isn't as affective for people living with microvascular angina.

Perhaps keep a log of your symptoms and see if there is a pattern to your breathlessness. Discuss this with your GP.

I agree with Lezzers please give 111 a call if you feel breathless again.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

This is about the 3rd time this has happened so badly ; never any pain; just the gasping for breath. Thanks for the quick replies. It eased off after about 2 hours. BP back to 127/63, pulse 87. Just one reading showed the little wobbly heart symbol which could be anything from one ectopic to AF. My son's Samsung watch seems to show any ectopics as AF. The difficulty is getting any of the GPs ( never the same one twice) to consider that it could be anything other than my spinal problems. I certainly wasn't doing anything strenuous. Sitting on a stool clipping a rose. It does seem to happen when that specific disc; right at heart level, is especially painful but I am very breathless at other times. Lungs checked- fine; ECG and bloods fine. Although I don't really want one , another angiogram to check those 2 blockages would really help stop me worrying. My husband is not at all supportive and any trip to A&E; a very long way away proves very unpleasant and I can no longer get to Urgent Care locally under my own steam.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Qualipop]

I am really sorry to hear that you are not getting the support you need.For many years before I had the testing to confirm that the cause of my symptoms was due to coronary vasospasms, I was told incorrectly, I couldn't have angina or coronary vasospasms because my coronary arteries are unblocked.

I experienced from my late 20's pain in my stomach, my thoracic spine and my upper left back near my shoulder blade.

Maybe ask your GP to look up microvascular angina.

It's more common in women.

Some types of MVA can be diagnosed by a cardiac perfusion MRI.

Or an angiogram which assesses how the coronary blood vessels function. Unfortunately these tests are not routinely performed in many centres.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

Pain in thoracic spine and my upper left back near my shoulder blade.. Me exactly, especially that spot near the left shoulder blade. It's very specific. If someone puts a hand on your shoulder and drops their thumb down your back, it just reaches that spot. When I get palpitations, getting someone to press hard on that spot always stops them. However, I've read your posts often and it sounds dreadfully painful. I never get any other pain except from degenerative discs, herniated discs, spondilo listhesis and pelvic adhesions oh and fibro. I've lived with chronic pain for 35 years. No chest pain ever; just this breathlessness for around 8 years; gosh no I remember an episode when i ran for a tram some 25 years ago . The GPs always say any pain is spinal, even when I was having the heart attack and only had pain in my back and indigestion the triage nurse said it wasn't , despite the paramedics having diagnosed HA. The lack of support or empathy I'm afraid is caused by a form of autism. When I had the HA he went to bed. Illness doesn't exist if you can't see it. I will certainly ask the GP but I can imagine them just saying no. Is the cardiac perfusion MRI in a normal scanner like a regular MRI scan? I'm afraid I can't ever get in an MRI scanner again.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

Have since looked it up on Harefield's website and ALL the triggers fit; post menopause, first episode was around 6 months after I stopped HRT, hysterectomy . I will definitely contact GP .

[JennyRx]

my angina was ONLY breathlessness on exertion. And some hiccuping I was ok when not moving but very noticeable when running Because my RCA was 100% blocked and that feeds the lungs. My Gp spotted it and sent me to angina clinic. Had two stents. Now I’m fine. More or less.

[Qualipop in reply to JennyRx]

BUt I wasn't exerting myself at all. I was sitting on a stool gently pruning roses.

[JennyRx in reply to Qualipop]

Just that people here are saying that breathlessness alone isn’t a sign of angina. I did also get breathless at other times but it was noticeable more when active. My GP was the only person who realised what was happening.

[Qualipop in reply to JennyRx]

Yes I get that and thank you. My GP completely ignored my breathlessness before my heart attack. I never get to see him now, it's always someone different and they all just "assume" it's caused by my spine like he did. I feel like going down and sitting there until someone takes it seriously. Yesterday was REALLY bad but the GTN didn't seem to make any difference at all.

[Lezzers in reply to JennyRx]

Those 'people' would be me! I asked my husband's nurse should he take his spray if he's breathless & she said no. If others are told differently than that's fine, I only gave the info that was given to me! Plus the gtn didn't help the OP anyway which I would have thought would give some relief had it been angina. Other than that milkfairy has given excellent advice re possible cause

[Qualipop in reply to Lezzers]

Yes I'm definitely leaning towards Milkfairy's advice; it all seems to fit but will the GPs listen? Probably not

[Lezzers in reply to Qualipop]

Probably not!! Maybe milkfairy could point you in the direction of websites, studies etc that you could print off to give to your Dr. Good luck, it must be so frustrating & worrying for you

[JennyRx in reply to Lezzers]

my cardiologist said to use the GTN when I was breathless. But didn’t work for me either. Tbh I don’t think it was you that said that breathlessness on its own wasn’t a sign of angina.

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hi Qualipop

Microvascular and vasospastic angina are unfortunately, still under recognised, under diagnosed and treated.

My journey to diagnosis was a bumpy one.

Perhaps share with your GP this information from the BHF website?

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

There is also this website that was created by 4 patients with over 50 years experience of living with microvascular and vasospastic angina. They are supported by 30 world expert Cardiologists.

internationalheartspasmsall...

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you very much indeed although when I gave them information on Maigne syndrome, they didn't even read it and it was over 10 years before I got an instant diagnosis from a new pain consultant. Of course once he wrote to my GP, he wanted to know as much as possible about it- exactly what I'd already given him. By then my nerve damage was too severe to treat. If he'd listened to me I would never have spent 30 years in chronic pain and in a wheelchair

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Qualipop]

I am so sorry you have had such difficulties getting doctors to listen to you in the past.

I hope you are able to get referred back to see a Cardiologist.

There has been a growing awareness how heart disease affects women differently.

Let's hope it's percolated through to your GP.

I can recommend Prof Angela Maas book a Woman's Heart.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

You can indeed recommend that book, Thanks. I'm afraid that information certainly hasn't reached our A&E department, particularly the female nurses who do triage on arrival. The one who triaged me was adamant I wasn't having a heart attack despite a diagnosis from an ECG by the paramedics. Of course I wasn't grey and sweating or clutching my chest so I was left alone on a corridor from 10.30pm until the day staff came on.

[dunestar]

I have microvascular angina. I've never had any chest pain. My main symptom is shortness of breath which has got better with the medication I am prescribed. Before diagnosis I got very short of breath but it was linked with exercise - like rushing to answer the phone would leave me unable to finish a sentence without taking more breath in. When you were sitting pruning your roses were you bent over at all? That might have contributed towards not being able to get enough air in. Just a thought.

[Qualipop in reply to dunestar]

Very slightly bend just a c ouple of times but your description describes it perfectly. I'm sick of everything being blamed on my spinal problems. I do get slight discomfort in my chest , just like a bit of pressure but not pain. I just don't know how to get a G P to take it seriously. I've had one say "What do you expect? Look at your age|", another ordered ECG and bloods but never got back to me when they were clear, another just said "Oh it will be your spine". I've struggled all weekend but nowhere near as bad as Friday. However, no point even trying to phone tomorrow as the phone queue will be hours after a bank holiday and I'll get a completely different G P anyway. If I ask for a referral to cardiology it would just be a standard one with a 12 month wait. I need an angiogram to check the two remaining blockages and possibly the special one for MVA but I can't struggle like this for another 12 months. I go upstairs and have to sit for 10 min before I c an get dressed.