Need some advice Re Angina

[knittingnann]

Hi all,

I am 70 yr old Female. I visited my GP 4 weeks ago and was refered to Rapid Chest Pain. GP gave me Angina spray and advised to take it for chest pain. I know that any advice will be from personal experience only but I am really anxious about taking the GNT spray. I recently had a 24 hr BP monitoring and that came back as average of 108/70 I asked GP if that was low and was told a bit low for someone my age. After having read info leaflet for spray I was concerned that my low BP might make me pass out if I take the spray. I have not experienced any real chest pain just gas, I do get occasional pain in jaw, neck which lasts for a couple of seconds then goes off. I have appointment for cardic CT scan next week.

[Tos92]

A drop in BP is one of the side effects of the GTN spray, so I can understand why you are worried about taking it if your BP is already slightly on the lower side. I always make sure I am sitting down or lying down when I take mine as it drops my BP as well, in addition to making me feel really dizzy. Is there someone you have at home with you that can monitor you when you do need to take the GTN spray?

All the best.

Tos

[knittingnann in reply to Tos92]

Thank you for your response. Yes there is someone at home with me but I think I have made them as worried as me about me taking the spray. Just so scared.

[Tos92 in reply to knittingnann]

When I first started using my GTN spray, I only used 1 spray 5 minutes apart, instead of 2. This is because I do have several side effects to the GTN which also include headaches and a fast heart rate in addition to the drop in BP. So perhaps you can start with taking one puff under the tongue, and see how you get on. If the pain does not subside, take another puff after 5 minutes. If after taking the second puff or spray, the pain has not subsided, then it is usually a trip to A&E. The side effects are temporary and often do disappear within a short-time of taking the spray.

[knittingnann]

Thank you.

[BridBoy]

GTN spray is incredible stuff.

Before I had my heart attack I suffered from angina.

The first few times I used the spray I had to make sure that I was leaning against something because when you arteries open up that increased blood flow really "hits" you and makes you feel a tad dizzy.

Angina gave me a bit of a wake up call and I lost a lot of weight and started exercising more......as a result of this I rarely sufferwd from angina.

I did however give myself a couple of sprays before I did something very strenuous to avoid the angina pains and strain on my heart.

Has you doctor/specialist at the rapid access chest pain clinic given you any other meds?

I was put on a few after my angina diagnosis.

[knittingnann in reply to BridBoy]

Thank you for your reply. My appointment for clinic is not till next week. Until then I am not sure what to do.