I had so many supportive lovely comments when I posted about a month ago of suffering with migraine type headaches after starting taking angina medication.
1 month in and the headaches have gone but even better so has my chest discomfort and breathlessness! Today I managed to walk 2km including inclines with no chest pain or breathlessness.
So fingers crossed for actually getting to a diagnosis of micro vascular angina when I see the cardiologist in August.
I’m hoping it’s not a placebo effect or it’s just generally making me feel better as after 2 years of symptoms I just want to understand what it is and get on with the rest of my life!
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Pinky20J
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Lovely to hear the migraines have calmed down and the nitrates are helping with your angina! I know the headaches were bothersome for you from your previous post.
Has your cardiologist considered vasospastic angina? I only say this as you said you respond to the nitrates. Usually, though not impossible, nitrates aren’t effective in treating microvascular angina. I would be interested to know if you do get a diagnosis of microvascular angina.
If it’s okay with you, please do let us know what your cardiologist says.
That sounds very good news, even though you had a bad month of headaches getting there. I was told exactly the same after having 9 stents. That I have blockages but they were in vessels too small to stent, so I was treated with meds. It took quite a while to get the combination of drugs right. But happily you seem to have got there v quickly.
Microvascular angina is thought to be due to the small blood vessels of the heart not functioning properly.The microvessels fail to dilate or stay dilated in response to extra demands like exercise.
The only treatment option is by medication.
The BHF have this information about microvascular angina which you may find helpful.
Hi Pinky20J So pleased that the tiresome nitrate headaches have now resolved. Also pleased to read that putting up with the headaches was worthwhile as the chest pain has also resolved. Great about the exercise. Fingers crossed you get some sort of diagnosis when you have your appointment - being in the realms of 'it could be...' is not easy. Frances
Sounds like some really positive progress with the headaches and breathlessness going. Fingers crossed that your appointment goes well too.I've been on increasing dosages of angina meds for around a month now. Started on 10mg, once a day, of Isosorbide mnf, that was upped to 60mg of slow release and them 10mg of nicorandil was added to the mix. Thankfully the headaches have eased for me too but I'm zonked out most days. Thankfully, my Cardiologist is not a fan of chucking more and more meds into the mix, these new ones were added by others "to see if they helped", and has decided I'm worthy of another look. I'm booked in my second angiogram and "fix" on 20th July.
Excellent news!I am glad to hear you are able to exercise again and getting through the 'nitrate head' was worth it!
Microvascular angina is still unfortunately not well understood by many Cardiologists, though the knowledge of the condition has certainly improved over the years I have lived with a rarer form of angina without blocked coronary arteries, vasospastic angina.
Microvascular angina can in some cases be diagnosed by a perfusion MRI.
Some Cardiologists take a trial and error approach to treatment by trying different medications. There are other medications that can help improve the function of the blood vessels as well as nitrates.
I hope you have a positive outcome to your appointment in August.
Good morning Pinky, Being pain free is something that all Angina suffers want to achieve, but as yet I haven't got that far along my journey. I am very pleased that you are seemingly getting along superbly, and long may it continue. I am happy for you, and hope that you have turned a corner in your life. happy days.
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Characteristics of unstable angina?
Sibling recently diagnosed with vasospasm angina/variant angina/Prinzmetal's angina 
Microvascular angina
angina pain
Unstable angina 
