Prinzmetal's Angina
Posted , 3 users are following.
Just returned from an overnight stay at the hospital for a bought with Prinzmetal's Angina. So frustrating. The cardiologist at this hospital refused to believe my diagnosis, and since he didn't see me until after office hours for my regular cardiologist, I had no credibility with him. He said that it is very rare. No kidding, but for that to be, someone has to have it.
Have had a terrible migraine since Thanksgiving (1 week.) That is not ususally the case for my spasms. Am convinced that mine are brought on primarily when I inhale air that is drastically colder than I have been in. (e.g., I ran outside yesterday from my warm house to my car to rush to my mom's--she had been found on the floor in her own home. Flung the door open, no shoes, no jacket. And within the hour, spasms.) Anyone have the same onset?
I hate having this.
0 likes, 8 replies
samuels amy91711
Posted
Hi amy,
Yes cold weather will trigger prinzmetal angina, although I am not sure about migraines, they aren't a usual symptom of prinzmetal, I never get any kind of head aches with my bouts of PM.
Yes if there is no spasming occurring under an angiogram or on an ECG ( EKG ) doctors will automatically refuse to believe that it's prinzmetal angina because of there being no evidence of it on ECG or angiogram. for them to believe it to be prinzmetal they have to or want to see it actually happen themselves.... they need to hit the text books again..... I have been told prinzmetal doesn't always show up on an ECG and usually they come accross spasms by accident if they are doing an angiogram and you are actually having an attack at that precise moment, unless they do the provacation test via angiogram.
amy91711 samuels
Posted
Right? I told this cardiologist that it took my doctor almost 5 years to diagnose me. She wouldn't give my "cardiac episodes" any name until they simulated the spasms when they did the ct with iodine dye. He just had that same disbelieving look that we have all seen while looking for an answer. Hate that.
This is the first time that I have had a headache. The doctor last night asked about migraines. Made my husband curious, so he looked it up. Some info said there is a correlation. Something I might pay attention to. Justt gonna take my blockers and keep my nitro handy
samuels amy91711
Posted
Yes it took an emergency doctor to diagnose me and not a cardiologist.... I have 2 and a half cardiologists that concurr that I have prinzmetal angina and one that disagrees,and he is my regular cardilogist. they won't do any of the provocative testing here where I am, they say the mortality rate is to high and it's considered to dangerous a procedure , their reasons and I must admit I think I would be worried having this procedure done because as you know these coronary artery spasms are extremely painful and we don't know what's going on from the outside, anyrate back to their reason as to why they won't perform the test is because they have seen big healthy coronary arteries go into spasm and then "bang " gone, the artery just disappears, he said it just shriveled up right in front of his eyes, this happened in France, I'm not from France, this cardiologist has as many of them have travelled extensively....So as I said this does worry me this provacation test especially when it spasms so badly it can't be reversed with copious amounts of GTN infusions to reverse the other drug from stopping the provoked spasms.
In my research of PM there is no mention of migraine or it's connection to PM, there is a connection between GTN and a simple headache in all anginal conditions, but there is always someone out there that can be an exception to the rule.
Emotional stress, cold weather and extreme heat are major triggers for PM angina and so I have learnt....high cholesterol can be another trigger. I know how you feel, I have had the same treatment by some doctors, they say I don't have it or they have never heard of it.....are you on Beta blockers for PM angina ? apparently that's a No....No for this condition unless you have another heart condition as well ?
samuels
Posted
Sorry.... I thought I saw Beta in front of your last part of your comment
. so are you on a Beta or Calcium Channel ?
amy91711 samuels
Posted
Never, Never Beta blockers. Though did have those during a year or so when she was still trying to find what was going on with my "cardiac spasms." She didn't give me a nitro Rx, though. And I can't remember why. The hospital dr gave me one. My cholestoral has gone through the roof, which I didn't know and was a little embarassed about. (223. gotta lay off the chocolate! ha) When they did the scan with the dye, it was over practically before I knew it. They inserted the dye. Heat shot through my body, and in a couple of minutes they said it was over and gave me nitro. I didn't feel anything other than the heat (and the nitro headache.) Did have an allergic reaction to the dye tho. Nothing seems easy. haha
samuels amy91711
Posted
Did they use Ergonovine or is that the dye ? I have had the dye to locate blockages, I remember the heat going through my body too
The angiogram doesn't take long at all.
Cardiologist was telling me about this Ergonovine and Acetylcholine that made the coronary arteries disappear out of thin air, I forgot to mention about that incident he told me about in France, he said they lost the patient
I think each country throughout the world must have didfferent regulations in regards to health testing, the high risk ones, I mean I think we all know that any test can be risky, even a simple blood test.
Yes I have heard a lot of people have a reaction of some sort to the angiogram dye even where I am.
samuels
Posted
Wow ....my old cardiologist must be correct, I never knew this til now, both those provocative agents I mentioned in my last comments aren't US FDA approved for the indication of coronary vasospasm diagnosis. I just found a paper and it basically says it can be a dangerous procedure with consequences...
todd99038 amy91711
Posted
Hi Amy, I hope this finds you well. I have read the reply's and registered here just so I could share on and with this site. Long story short, I have had variant angina for many years and its very frustrating....but, much can be done about it outside of orthodoxy while being science driven. By now I am sure you are well familiar (though no mention in this thread here) about Kounis Syndrome, "Allergic Angina" and "Histamine Angina". Quick note, I am the last alive of many dead in my family of heart disease, all very young. That said after decades of suffering, in 2004 I became a Holistic Health Practitioner and have been neck deep in that passion and purpose since then. I have worked with thousands orf very ill folks...all charitably. Point is, I am selling nothing. I just want you to consider some things very seriously here as I had to. As you know variant is excruciatingly painful at times and in my case, I almost always have severe headaches. Many things have eliminated episodes to near non-existent and many things cause onset. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of times I had very painful attacks on top of congenital Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy, I almost always (99%) of the time had an immeidate stuffy nose. What that obviously tells you is that is a histamine reaction as so many things are to include the vessels collapsing. Here is the kicker when it comes to migraine very few know, but we do. There are many onset causes to migraines but the primary factor is histamine. Its been long proven the contrary to popular belief, the vessels doesn't just collapse during migraine. What happens is it rapidly becomes some 300% normal size then immediately constricts...thus migraine onset and what causes that? Everything from looking at the sun to having a diet coke to fungal infections (any wonder why they use ergot-a fungal mycotoxin) to test variant angina? No, not for me and not for anybody reading this. Fugal mycotoxins are ubiqitous. From our corn to our wheat to our antibiotics and everything in between, these triggers are out there and long proven as mycology is one of my favoriate subjects. In addition for me, if the wrong perfume is sniffed, I inhale exhaust, etc...it can set me off. How have I nearly eliminated them? By fighting histamine intolerance, eating an great clean low histamnine diet (get a list as everything from chocolate to alcohol and soy to sugar are high histamine), start a histamine nutrient (DAO, methionine, B6, etc.) uptake and run with it. You may find Methionine does wonders as I have. Bottom line is...this (Prinzmetals, allergic, histamine) has been known and can be found on Pubmed readily yet they are painfully clueless. I have yet to find a cardiologist that even has much a clue about Prinzmetals to say nothing of Histamine induced variant angina which most here likely have as in actuality, 95% of all "allergic" reactions are not allergic at all....but histamine inbalance. Blessings to you all. With Love from one heart to another.