just been diagnosed with Vasospastic Angina. I had an angio after having bouts of angina not linked to exertion.
I have a very small blockage but nothing that warrants the chest pain and tiredness I’ve been experiencing. Make matters worst I’ve had it for about 3 years and kept being gobbed off by GP’s.
I’m feeling anxious and unsupported as getting hold of basic info and any help is almost impossible. I’ve lost confidence in my primary care completely.
Follow up in 3 months by Cardiology but what if I need just advice or change of meds, who will help?
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stutengil
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I have lived with vasospastic angina for over 11 years.
Vasospastic angina is a rarer type of angina. I can exercise however I will experience a delayed response of more chest pain later.
I experience most of my chest pain at rest especially during the night.
It can take trial and error to find the best combination of medication that will suit you best.
What medication have you been offered?
The usual treatment for coronary vasospasms is a calcium channel blocker such as Diltiazem, Isosorbide mononitrate tablets and a GTN spray.
I am also prescribed nicorandil, a statin, clopidogrel and nitrate patches.
I suggest you keep log of your symptoms and see if you can identify any possible triggers of your angina.
Common triggers are the cold, emotional, mental and physical stress.
I have to manage my stress well. I practice Tai Chi, yoga and breathing and relaxation techniques to manage my stress.
It's good to see that your vasospastic angina has been recognised. Many people living with microvascular and vasospastic angina can struggle to get an accurate diagnosis.
Unfortunately there still is a lack of knowledge about vasospastic angina amongst many healthcare professionals.
The BHF website has this information about vasospastic angina. It includes a link to a Facebook support group.
This article was recently published, it was written by leading Cardiologists, researchers and an expert patient by experience. Maybe print it out and give a copy to your GP?
My Cardiologist has uploaded the article into my careplan and electronic patient records.
If you are worried about your chest pain, especially if it is not relieved after 2 sprays of GTN, 5 minutes apart, then give 111 or 999 a call for further advice.
Perhaps also give the BHF helpline a call and speak with one of the cardiac nurses too.
There are quite a few of us on the forum who live with either microvascular or vasospastic angina and hopefully they will be along to share their experiences with you too.
Thank you so much this is very long reading but like you I would like to pass it to my medical records or GP practice?
I also want to discover others in my town would my GP practice be able to advise about this or maybe I could try putting a notice at my local health centre to find others in the same situation ?
I am feeling that practitioners need educating also as you allude to but thank you again in reaching out to me. Xx
Thank you so much, MILKFAIRY! Your wise words and helpful links about this to others here on BHF every time you post (and personally to me) have helped me so much—more than I can ever express. (I mentioned you below in a comment to fushonabike.) I’ve actually begun to finally get some relief (still a few miles to go before I sleep)—and I owe this progress all to you. You are priceless—one in a million!💕
@Milkfairy has a lot of experience with this and gives helpful info and guidance
please do not be put off by doctors who are not well informed on this poorly understood condition - thanks to developments in medical science it is now possible to identify conditions like these, but often there is no proven treatment yet. So we have to push for investigations because we know something is wrong, and then we are left high and dry because treatment can he hit and miss
but things are getting better, knowledge is increasing and more is being learned about helpful treatment. So sticky to your guns and ge gentle with yourself🌺
Sage advice—thank you fishonabike! Exactly what I desperately needed to hear today.
I’m struggling with exactly that in the US. This diagnosis is like a foreign language here. I can’t find a doctor who understands it—or “a woman’s heart” (here that means you have a lady doctor!) They think I’m absolutely nuts when I suggest this condition and don’t know what to do with me—and they won’t test me for it…nobody will. My doctor last week exclaimed, “There’s a test for it?” A hospital cardiologist held me up for ridicule when he recently wrote in my chart that I fancy myself having vasospastic angina or microvascular angina. Another long time (old) cardiologist told me both of them were the same thing!
Despite all that, with my unflagging persistence in getting help by going in and bringing up my symptoms, my doctors happened to put me on some of the meds that BeKind has mentioned, including Isosorbide Mononitrate last August (which they doubled 2 weeks ago). Those have helped me significantly with my symptoms! THANK YOU, “BEKIND”!
🫶To STUTENGIL, hang in there. There is hope. You have support and wise counsel here—a solution is around the corner. I'm with you in spirit! I wish you speedy freedom from your chest pain.
there are some specialists in the US - the Cedars-Sinai in LA has a wom'en's heart health centre run by Prof Bairey-Merz which has made inderesting discoveries concerning microvascular disorder and angina - also the Microvascular Network has listings of clinics with experience in treating this, in their newsletter
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