Angina symptoms

[Drummer19]

Hello all,

My first post here so be gentle! 😃

In October ‘21 I I had severe LAD disease which led to a myocardial infarction & a subsequent stent & all was good.

In the last month I’ve been given a GTN spray only because the GP thought I had one, but I never had.

I’ve also had an Echo recently, my EF is 45% with nil concerns & now waiting for a perfusion test.

Over the last couple of months though during jogging after a few minutes I get very slight chest discomfort, when I slow down it goes & as the session goes on sometimes this goes completely. During a recent visit to A&E I was told that sounds like Angina but the doctor wasn’t very clear when I should take my GTN spray.

I’m due to take part in a 10k running event on Wednesday & I’m not sure about what I should do. Normally complete these with no issues.

After a recent hospital stay the cardiologist said that I could resume normal exercise, that was after I’d had the Echo.

Thanks for reading 🙂

[Tos92]

Hi Drummer19

I hope you are well today.

I have a GTN spray. I use it when I have pain which feels severe in intensity. I suffer with coronary artery spasms. When I can feel one come on, then I may use it and sometimes it can help alleviate the pain. Due to the type of angina I have, my pain is primarily there most of the time and more on rest. So I have become used to determining which pain requires GTN and which pain is not causing me immediate danger.

You explained that you feel pain during and after exercise. There are others which benefit from taking the GTN spray before exercise in order decrease the level of pain which they feel during exercise. You can speak to your cardiologist or GP about this and see what they advise and if this is appropriate for you.

The rule with using a GTN spray is that you spray 1-2 puffs under your tongue. If the pain has not subsided after 5 minutes, you can repeat this up to 2 more times 5 minutes a part, ensuring that you do not exceed 15 minutes. If the pain has not subsided within those 15 minutes, it is often a trip to the hospital to get checked out.

I hope this helps.

All the best.

Tos

[Drummer19 in reply to Tos92]

Thanks Tos92.

It’s not an intense pain by any means & as I say it does eventually pass as I exercise. I think I’ll contact the GP & see what they advise.

Thanks again

[Rachmaninov2 in reply to Tos92]

I was given a GTN spray when I was discharged from hospital following an angioplasty. My cardiology nurse told me a possible side effect would be a bad headache, this had made me rather wary of using it.

[Tos92 in reply to Rachmaninov2]

I experience a throbbing headache with it when I do use it. But as I use it very sparingly, it doesn’t overly bother me and it can save me a trip to A&E.

[Cookie2020 in reply to Tos92]

well said TOS 92 I have the same condition as you do you explain the condition spot on.

Cheers Andy

[Hidden]

Dear Drummer19

A warm welcome to you and your first post, I hope that you find the forum as informative and supportive as I and many other have.

There are so many forms of angina 'pains' as there is people and for a while mine was not recognized because they kept asking me if I was in pain.

I have never had pain with angina but a tight squeezing dull ache, indigestion comes to mind.

Talking with the Cardiologist he agreed that a lot feel angina this way and that maybe they would ask the question differently.

I was told to use my GTN spray as much as I needed if it helped { which it does } I have to make sure that I am sat down or I will go extremely lightheaded.

Recently I have been put on the drug Nicorandil but at this moment { week + } it has not done much.   

If you have another chest discomfort episode then try your GTN spray, { follow instructions } but remember its not a diagnosis of angina if it relieve it as the spray can relieve other type of chest/lung problems. 

Hopefully with other tests they will be able to tie down what form of angina you maybe suffering from.

Take care and if your able keep up your fitness.             

[Tos92 in reply to Hidden]

Just out of curiosity, what other types of chest/lung problems can GTN help alleviate separate from angina? I have heard that it can be useful in the treatment of oesophageal spasms, but nothing really beyond that.

Hope you’re having a good coronation bank holiday.

[Hidden in reply to Tos92]

I am thank you and every day is a bonus, hope the same for you,

It was something that the Cardiologist told me and I never paid it much attention,

I think that I should have said that it helps relieve other types of chest discomforts / tightness not problems, sorry for that.

[Flimflab]

Hi my symptoms sounded similar to yours and Blue1958 and were mild. The route case was a blocked LAD. I wonder if it is worth asking your GP if it could be warm up angina when you speak to them? heart.bmj.com/content/100/2... .

If it were me I would now probably consider skipping Wednesdays 10k unless my GP or cardiologist gave me clearance.

[Drummer19 in reply to Flimflab]

What happened in the end? Did you have a stent in the LAD or was it managed by other meds?

[Flimflab]

Hopefully not yet my end 😀. When the cardiologist did the angiogram in August 2022 my LAD was 90% blocked so I was lucky it was picked up in time. 2 stents were fitted. My ongoing heart meds are Atorvastatin and baby aspirin.

All went well and I'm now back to parkruns and signed up for a 10k in July.

I assumed you had an angiogram back in 2021 which would probably have picked up any other blockages, but because your symptoms sounded similar to mine I thought it might be worth checking with your GP.

Probably an easier to read article was in runnersworld.com/health-inj...