I'm confused as when I had chest pain and was admitted to hospital I thought it was indigestion ( only went in because of breathlessness).
Nurse said ok to walk if I can walk and talk which I can do but sometimes get pain between shoulder blades, ache in arm or tonight feel like I've pulled heart muscle ( think I've done a bit much).
It's uncomfortable but not unbearable. I have a spray but haven't used it yet and not sure if I should.
Have cardiac MRI next week as angio and echo all ok.
Hello,
Have your Cardiology team established why you had your heart attack even though you don't have obstructed coronary arteries?
Are you experiencing your symptoms when you exercise or randomly at rest?
Some people especially women don't always feel chest pain when they have angina they are breathless instead.
When you use GTN, it can make you feel light headed or faint. It can help to sit down when you use GTN for the first time for this reason.
The sudden relaxation of your blood vessels can also give you a headache and your head feel strange.
If in doubt, even if you don't feel severe symptoms, it's perhaps better to urge on the side of caution and not be too hesitant about using your GTN spray.
I suggest you keep a log of your symptoms and see if you can spot any possible triggers of your angina symptoms. Especially if you have any episodes at rest. It can help your Cardiology team to determine the possible cause of your heart attack knowing when you have your angina.
Maybe give the BHF helpline a call and speak to one of the cardiac nurses.
bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
I think you may have just answered what I was going to ask. Does angina always cause pain? Angina is listed on my hospital diagnosis and I've been prescribed GTN but I have never ever a had chest pain, not even when I had a heart attack. Then |I just had terrible indigestion for 3 days and finally a bit of tingling in my arm and neck. I've never used the GTN in 6 years. However I do get extremely breathless, especially when going upstairs. I've had chest x rays and spirometry tests- all perfectly clear and spirometry excellent; echo clear and holter monitors have shown nothing except one bout of arrhythmia. After the HA they found two blockages in the LAD that were about 64% but I didn't get stents for those. My GP always suggests that the breathlessness is caused by muscle spasms in my back and chest where I have trapped nerves and degenerative discs.
The Canadian Women's Heart Health Centre has produced this illustration.
Thank you for that. Trouble is I have checked it out and GP still insists it's muscular. I was referred back to cardiology by acute care at the hospital last October and again by my GP in January. When I asked my GP just yesterday if they could do anything to hurry it up the reply was "Even for the most seriously urgent of cases, the waiting time for cardiology is 12 months. All we can do is get medical advice." So I'm speaking to a GP tomorrow to see if he can get "medical advice"
It's not great having to wait so long to see a Cardiologist.
How does the GP know ?, is the GP a hear specialist?
If someone already has a condition that has obviously become serious they would know.
But are the a qualified person or simply using their own experience which will be unique to them
Who knows? But they could well be too late anyway if the patient has to wait a whole year
I support what @Milkfairy said, but would add that "heart pain" can show up as pain in the neck, shoulder, jaw, back and stomach area (feeling like wind/indigestion) as well as the heart clutching, chest pain often shown in the media
the breathlessness is because your heart is not managing to pump blood (which carries oxygen) to your body fast enough - if your heart is not getting enough oxygen to itself you get pain/breathing problems or both
I try NOT to use the gtn unless absolutely necessary, I can't stand the after effects. Especially the awful banging headache it causes.
I had an ache in my chest like you get if run too fast but my friend made me go to a&e, and it was angina, just because its not severe doesn't mean its not,its the blood not being able to push through as fast as wants,my cardiologist said its your heart having a bit of cramp! But use the spray,1 puff is all I needed and felt better after,I didn't get lightheaded but it can as opens up the blood vessels, good luck
sit down 5 mins, if its still there take your gtn. Wait another 5 another spray if its still there, again 5 mins. If it isnt any better ring 999.
You can take gtn just before a exercise
Some people gate it because of the head aches
Hi Snap I was confused when after my HA I was given a GTN spray. When to use!!! I asked a professional always best, was told if feeling breathless after exercise, walking, anything that is strenuous, you have pain in chest, arms, jaw, back etc, you use 3 times, with 10minutes inbetween, if you still have discomfort then ring 111. You cannot overdose, which was one thing I was worried about. Yes it can make you feel weird but I'd rather feel that than cause problems and end up in hospital. You are given the spray to help you. So if needed use it. SIMPLES❤
Hi, I have a GTN spray, which I was told to use if I needed it. Not very specific, but in general, if I had 'chest pain', to take a spray and see if it helped. The procedure / timing I was told the same as Blacknight57 explains above.It is short acting, and yes it is a yucky taste & can give you a headache as it opens the blood vessels quickly hence lowering BP. I gather opening the vessels is meant to ease the pain.
Everyone's pain is different, mine wasnt pain as such, more like little twinges. I have used it occasionally, if you're not sure, it doesn't hurt to try it. If the pain isn't heart related then it won't do anything, it won't hurt you, and if it is heart related/angina, then GTN is meant to help.
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Can You Have Too Much GTN Spray?
