weight gain, dizziness and poor sleep

[Imoverhere45]

I have microvascular heart disease and take Ranolazine, Monomil, Bisoprolol, Amlodipine and Atorvastatin. Despite Ranolazine being increased to 1500 mg daily I am still very breathless with little exertion. I am dizzy if I bend or move quickly, Sleep, or lack of it, is awful and I am gathering weight around belly area. Doctors don’t seem to know what to do with me. It’s so depressing I just read someone who changed Atorvastatin to morning dose. Maybe I should try that. Doctor says it should be evening as that is more effective. I live alone as my husband died two years ago after a 6 year fight against colorectal cancer. Life is so empty now as I see much work needing to be done in house and garden and I just can’t do much of it. Okay, so that’s my rant for the day. Feels good though just to get it off my chest. Thanks x

[Masters69]

yes get the exact same symptoms excluding sleep. My c pap machine helps me sleep

[Imoverhere45 in reply to Masters69]

thank you for your response. I don’t get much chest tightness if I do nothing - but of course, losing weight isn’t going to happen if I don’t exercise. Within minutes of bending or walking too far I get really breathless. Maybe the increased medication will kick in soon

[Masters69 in reply to Imoverhere45]

i go to gym the gym 6 days a week Sunday morning I spend in sauna . I am still gaining weight breathless and dizziness. I think something we have get used to it.

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hello Imoverhere45

Welcome to the forum.

I am sorry that you are facing such challenges in your life at the moment.

I send my condolences to you about the loss of your husband.

I lost my brother very suddenly last September from bowel cancer.

How was your microvascular angina diagnosed?

Have you spoken to your GP about how you're feeling and what support is available to you?

We are a challenging group of patients with a challenging heart condition, unfortunately very few Cardiologists understand.

I have lived for over 10 years, with another type of ischaemia/ angina without blocked coronary arteries,

I have transient constrictions in my coronary arteries, vasospastic angina.

Microvascular and vasospastic angina are still unfortunately not well understood and it can take time and patience tofind the best combination of medication that will suit you as an individual.

Have you considered asking your Cardiologist to seek advice about your treatment from a Cardiologist who specialises in treating patients with microvascular angina?

Or be referred to a more knowledgeable Cardiologist?

The BHF has some information about microvascular angina and there is this website created by four patients who have over 50 years of living with microvascular or vasospastic angina. They are working actively with Cardiologists who are researching the condition.

They also facilitate two Facebook support groups.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

internationalheartspasmsall...

Lack of sleep is a problem for me too. I am often woken during the night by chest pain.

I didn't sleep well last night.

I did manage to get to my yoga class this morning which means I will now be going for a rest. I am exhausted!

Yoga, I find helps me with my breathing. I also get to talk to a group of very caring individuals who all look out for each other.

There are quite a few forum members who live with either microvascular or vasospastic angina on the forum and hopefully they will be along to share their experiences with you too.

[Imoverhere45 in reply to Milkfairy]

thank you so much for your detailed response. It is heartening to know others are making the same journey I will read the links you sent

[Autumn_Leaves]

You poor thing! There are some lovely people here with microvascular disease who I’m sure can advise on your medical situation. I just wanted to reach out and say so sorry to hear that you’ve lost your husband after such a long illness, and now on your own to deal with your own health challenges. I don’t know how old you are but there are ‘handy person’ schemes operating in some parts of the country at a reasonable cost (not free) for older people. I know some people who have made occasional use of the scheme for odd jobs around the house so perhaps that might be of some practical help. Age UK can advise. I’m sorry I can’t be of much use otherwise but there are lots of good people here who probably can.

[Imoverhere45 in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

thank you for your response. I do feel better already to know I’m not alone in this foggy experience

[Lailabud in reply to Imoverhere45]

You're not alone 😊

[10gingercats]

Do you have a local U3a group? They have events , meet regularly,give talks,have meet ups,go on days out etc. It is also a way of meeting those that can direct you towards house and garden help.....not free but often reccomended.

[Dogloverxthree]

I feel so sad for you, I’m in a similar boat to you I lost my husband from cancer, heart decease, alziemers and amoloidosis I have got CVD had 3 x bypass and now pacemaker, I feel unwell most of the can’t sleep pain from bad surgery and osteo arthritis and live alone and hate it had another visit to AE this week bad AF and atrial flutter so scary on your own, so I really do understand where your at, so please come at chat most are so lovely x😀

[devonian186]

I have just looked at the medical papers and bisoprolol will tend to cause people over 60 to gain weight, with that more prevalent in females. It tends to be a couple of pounds and not continual after the first few months, but everyone is different.

Breathessness is quite common with several of the medications, not helped by the extremely high levels of pollen the last month or so and of course by gaining weight and not getting enough exercise.

Some of the medications and the mental aspect of your situation will induce 'I don't care about much' that is to say the glass half empty syndrome.

[Crystal614]

Hi, I have Microvascular angina. I have had it for over 9 years. I take Monomil, Trimetazidine and I use a Nitrate patch. I have to take a tiny dose of a beta blocker as I take Flecainide for SVT. I also have a pacemaker . I have no experience of taking Ranolazine although it is a drug I would quite like to try at some time or another but only if I can try and get the SVT ablated (it would be a second attempt) so then I could stop the Flecainide and give the drug a try. I need to be careful what I take as I have CKD. 5 years or so ago I had no problem walking 8-10 miles a week I had the energy to do things. Now at best I take a slow walk every day if I can manage it for a maximum of 45 mins, that's all I can do. I get breathless and where ever possible I avoid walking up a hill. Even walking I may need to stop for a few minutes. I can feel totally exhausted and have to lie down for a while. Like you and no doubt many others I don't sleep very well. These days where I can, I will sit on a chair while I do the gardening!! How things have changed over the years.

[Larneybuds]

Good Morning.....so sorry to hear of your sad loss which in itself is challenging and difficult to deal with. I know nothing about your particular heart condition but if you are putting on weight around your middle and are more breathless, even though this is possibly part of your health problem, it might be worth getting it checked just incase you have a fluid build up.... that in itself can make you breathless. Just a suggestion of course as I am not medically trained and you might already have had this checked. I know you will get lots of advice from people who have the same symptoms as yourself. People on the forum are generally very supportive so I hope any suggestions are helpful for you. I am also sure you will get some good tips from members about the not sleeping problem and anything is worth a try. I hope things start to change for you and wish you all the best.

[Furryears]

Hi Imoverhere45, sorry to be reading this and I am so sorry that you are feeling this way, please do not give up, since my HA and bypass I have suffered a few issues along with the heart issues I have mainly gastrointestinal it has taken 12 months and a few changes with some of my meds(I am also diabetic)

Please keep working with your doctors, ask if there is any changes you can make too,

Do you have family and friends who could help in the garden and house a little and maybe just spending time with you, I can only imagine how lonely you feel, this is a lovely group everyone is so kind.

Always here if you need a chat x

[Sunshinebrew]

I am sorry to hear you are struggling with this condition and for the loss of your husband.

It is so debilitating when you can’t do what you want and feel breathless I was the same for a long time and it took a while but I was eventually seen by a cardiologist who changed my medication from beta blockers to calcium channel blockers and this made a difference to me, after a long time I now am able to do much more and only get symptoms occasionally.

It is different for everyone but in my case the change of medication made a real difference.

It must be so difficult for you feeling so Ill and coping with your loss.

I hope my experience offers some reassurance and wish you well for the future.

[dunestar]

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. It must be very difficult to cope with such a loss when you are struggling with your health condition as well.

I agree with Milkfairy that ideally it is best to be in the care of a cardiologist who specialises in microvascular dysfunction. My own experience is that it can take a while to find the best combination of medication to give the optimum results.

If you are not sleeping well then you are unlikely to have the energy in the day to take on your tasks around the garden and home. I found that bisoprolol made my dreams very much more vivid which disturbed my sleep. I was very pleased when my cardiologist took me off it.

As far as the dizziness is concerned are you able to check your blood pressure at home? Medications which are designed to open up our blood vessels to allow blood to flow more freely can lower blood pressure at the same time. I find it helpful to keep a check on what is happening with my own machine bought from Boots because my readings go through the roof when I'm anywhere near a health professional.

I take my Atorvastatin in the evening now but I have taken it in the morning with the consent of my GP.

Cardiac rehabilitation classes helped me a lot in the early days following my diagnosis. They are normally for people who have had heart attacks and start off with a programme in hospital. But I was able to join a class at my local gym with the support of a letter from my GP. As well as getting a bit fitter in a safe environment the social aspect of meeting up in a group was very beneficial for me.

I wish you well on your journey.

[Gladiator1951]

I am so sorry for your loss. Hope you can find relief for your microvascular heart disease. I'm sure you've seen publications on this condition, but perhaps you'll find this article useful. See the quoted excerpt.

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...

"Who is more likely to experience microvascular coronary disease?

Small vessel disease is more likely to affect women than men. This is especially true in people with low estrogen levels, which occurs around menopause."

[Concker]

I am so sorry you feel so helpless but I was concerned that you may not be getting financial help you are entitled to, so many people do not know what is out there. I run groups for all ages at at 81 myself have learned a lot. Do see if you are eligible. Sorry can't help re meds.

[DoggieMum]

Don't worry, we all need a rant sometimes. In fact, I am about to post one. It does help to get things off your chest and we know we are always going to get friendly and supportive comments back. Take care

[Maltise]

So sorry to hear about your loss and how unwell you feel .I also don't sleep well and am short of breath even after a short walk ! I wish you the best and try to speak to your doctor about adjusting your meds . A cardiologist familiar with microvascular disease would understand you better. It is a challenge to live with this disease !! Use all the support you have !

[Smitty1956]

Hi, Imoverhere45,

Your post truly tugs at my heart, and I can relate so much to some of the things you mentioned. I don’t have a diagnosis of microvascular heart disease, so I have no experience with that, but there are members on this site who may have suggestions to help.

I do know a thing, or two, about lack of sleep. I have always been a bit of a night owl, but in later years this situation has gotten worse. When my second marriage ended in 2015, I felt devastated, and it began to be almost impossible for me to sleep at all. I was suddenly all alone, lonely, unemployed, and in a place that I didn’t want to be. Looking back, I believe that I was depressed, and, at that point, I also had undiagnosed anxiety disorder. My doctor did ask if I was feeling depressed and if I wanted to try an antidepressant for awhile. I simply refused to admit that I might be depressed and to take the medication. So—no sleep.

I can say that sleep is vital to good health. I do sleep better now, but I still have to fight my natural inclination to be a night owl. I am going to share a couple of things that have helped me.

1) Almost each night at bedtime, I take one low-dose muscle relaxer. I take Tizanidine, 4 mg. My doctor prescribed it to help me sleep. It is mild, and helps me get about three hours of solid sleep with no bad feelings the next day.

2) About 3 months ago, I began to use the Sleep feature on my Apple Watch. I have set my sleep time for 1 am each night. The app sends me a wind-down reminder one hour beforehand. I find that this gentle nudge does help keep me on track.

The app lets me see a bar graph of how I sleep each night—so I can also see periods of breaks in my sleep if and when they occur. It shows average time in bed (trying to be asleep) and average time spent asleep. For the period of July 9-15, I have slept an average of 5 hours and 56 minutes. That is not great, but I am working on it.

3) I often use an app with nature sounds to help me sleep. During the last two months, I have subscribed to an app called Rain Rain, but you can find some free apps out there too. I have found that the sound of thunderstorms and rain help me sleep.

4) I don’t do this as regularly as I should—still a work in progress. I sometimes use the breathing app and/or mindfulness app on my Apple Watch before bedtime. I find that these apps can help to relax me.

So, I realize how important sleep is to my heart health and general health, but I do struggle in getting enough sleep and quality sleep. The ideas that I shared may not work for you, or you may not want to try them, but I hope that you can work out your sleep issues.

I know that you said that it has been two years since your husband died, but you may still be going through the grieving process, and this can lead to depression. You might want to discuss this with your doctor and perhaps s/he will want to prescribe an antidepressant. You have been through so much with your husband’s illness for so many years and your own health issues. You have not had a break, and now, you have to face everything alone. It is difficult and scary. Plus, it takes a toll on your sleep and overall health.

I also REALLY understand what you mean about seeing all the things around the house and yard that need to be cleaned and/or repaired, but you know that you aren’t able to get it done. I know that I feel better this year—one year past my HA in March 2022–but I am still struggling with breathlessness too. I am scheduled for an ultrasound in August so maybe I will learn what is causing this. This year I am trying to break cleaning tasks and yard tasks into smaller pieces at a time. I might feel like working in my yard for one hour, so I do what I can for that hour, and then plan what to do for the next day.

You have been through a lot, and you deserve to be able to rant as needed. On this forum, you are not alone. Many of us face similar challenges and health issues that we are working through day to day.

Please let us know how you are getting on and what your doctor may suggest to help. Take care. ❤️

[Cookie2020]

👍😉

[Poppy451]

Hi Imoverhere45

Sorry to hear you are struggling .I have microvascular angina and spasm angina too. It can be horrible .

Do you think the weight gain could be due to one or two of the meds you are taking? I was offered amolodipine but refused to take it because I heard it puts weight on and fluid retention.

Sorry to hear about your husband. Are you feeling lonely? Perhaps join a group , like Milkfairy and her yoga. Or do some voluntary work if you are up to it. I work in charity shops . It gets me out and meeting people . I just sit there on the tills so it's not strenuous but if I am unwell I don't go in .

Take care

[9iron]

I'm just like you just can't get on top the fitigue loads of things I need to do but can't motivate myself to do them, I put on a lot of weight over a short time I joined Slimming world and did well for the first six weeks, but have stalled up 2lb next week down 2, but the "weight in" is keeping me at it . Maybe that's something you could try, the people who go are all trying to do the same thing,the organisers are very helpful and you'll get a laugh. Best wishes and keep your chin up.

[Treeclimber62]

Sorry to hear that I would help with your garden if I could but I live in North wales probably too far from you but I do sympathise please try to keep your spirits up ,I know sometimes its easier said than done good luck