Earlier this year I was admitted to hospital with what I thought was a very bad chest infection but turned out to be a heart attack triggered by vasospastic angina. I did, incidentally, also have a bad chest infection. The vasospastic angina was diagnosed during my stay at hospital where an angiogram was conducted causing a further spasm.
Following discharge from hospital I had several further attacks - always in the early hours of the morning. Isosorbide mononitrate was added to the medication which seems to have stopped the regular attacks.
However, ever since the initial episode I have been struggling with horrendous headaches, numbness of mouth, nose, jaw and neck on LHS and ptosis of the LHS eye. The cardiologist indicated that this was nothing to do with the heart condition and recommended I see a neurologist.
About a month ago I finally got to see the neurologist who organised many tests; amongst them an MRI and MRA. It was the MR angiogram which revealed an aneurysm at the tip of the basilar artery in the head - this is pressing on the nerve on my face and causing my facial/neck/eye symptoms. I have since had a CT angiogram as the neurosurgical team wanted to view the inter cranial blood vessels. I am now waiting for the next steps! Stress does the vasospastic angina no favours so I am struggling!
Prior to the initial episode earlier this year I was reasonably fit and on zero medication. All the problems seem, to me, to originate from this time. I have read that there is a connection between cerebral vasospasm and brain aneurysms but I suggest there is also a link between coronary vasospasm and cerebral vasospasm.
I am curious - does any of this ring a bell with anyone on this forum.
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Acompletesurprise
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Morning, milkfairy, so sorry to hear that you are not feeling too good and in hospital. Although in the best place for your health I am sure you would rather be at home. You are such an inspiration and generous with your knowledge. Take care and regards
Hi Vaso. I am very curious to read what your symptoms are for Vasospastic Angina, that is what you felt. I've had 2 "episodes" of what I feel might be that disorder but so far doctors keep telling me that it's not heart attacks but don't say what it is. They give me pills to take every day but nothing that will work like a PIP for when a spasm occurs which in both cases were in the wee hours & last about 20 min. The pain in all 4 limbs are like tourniquets have been applied & I get close to passing out. Does this sound like what you have experienced?
It feels like the classic symptoms of a heart attack in that there is strong tightening along the chest on the LHS, pain in arm, neck and shoulder and strong pain in chest. It always wakes me up in the early hours of the morning. I use the GTN spray to relieve the pain and, sometimes, I need to use this several times before I feel at ease again. But it leaves a residual bruise like feeling in the LHS chest which can last many days. It is very difficult to tell the difference between this and a heart attack and if the spray doesn't work at the third attempt I ask for advice from 111 and, usually, they recommend I attend A&E. But the isosorbide mononitrate seem to have kept the spasms at bay as they have the effect of widening the arteries.
The test is an angiogram where an injection of a chemical called acetylcholine is given, which should cause blood vessels to relax. If the blood vessel instead constricts (vasospasm), then a diagnosis of coronary artery spasm or vasospastic angina is given.
Thank you so much. If I have another spasm I will use my newly learned info along with your experience and your meds as an inquiry at the time of my seeking medical help again. I will see what happens over time with my new med - Metoprolol if it prevents another event, which I think sounds very much like Vasospastic Angina.
In addition to the isosorbide mononitrate I also take calcium channel blocker and ACE inhibitor (didn't know these existed before the attacks earlier this year!) - Diltiazem and losartan.
My regukar dr recently put me on a beta blocker alpha blocker called coreg 12.5 ......it wioes me out makes my pukse at a 59 all day and im supposed to take a second pill in afternoon but i just cant...it doesnt cause me to have low bp either he took me off of my 5 mg amlodepin e and i still taje a 40 mg ARB called olmasarten ....still ill havwe an angina attack and especially in my sleep where bp goes up substantially pulse at 86 or a 94....that wakes me up .....then heart starts skipping so bad and varied patterns of skipping throat pain squeeze the nitro pill come here quick
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