Printzmetal's Angina
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi,
I've actually been correctly diagnosed with Printzmetal's Angina which the hospital did not confirm on previous admissions. All the times I've been admitted to hospital and the consultants have said yes it's angina but dithered about which type I had 
some said it was PA on admission then on another admission the consultant said it wasn't and so on. I'm diagnosed with coronary artery spasm....which is Printzmetal's. I saw a neurologist this week and he confirmed it as he'd actually read my history and told me it's written in my hospital notes, I'm on all the medication they can give me for it!!! Don't they look at your history or notes when you go into hospital in A&E or on the ward....
Anyhow, also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (been in so much pain) and been given more medication (up to 12 items monthly on my prescription now) and waiting for mibi heart scan results to come back & blood test results & got to go for mri of head & neck.
0 likes, 5 replies
samuels RubyRed21
Posted
I know exactly how you feel, We call our emergency... ED (Emergency Department) I've experienced what you have done in the past, still do actually get the occassional doctor saying it's just muscular or nerve as he/she has read the notes from a cardiologist that makes it easier for him to tell me it's probably muscular or nerve pain, but if they care to look back to November of last year they will find notes from another cardiologist stating that I in fact do suffer from Prinzmetal angina and that on every ED arrival one blood test is to be done if nothing shows up on the ECG in case I'm having an NSTEMI (only shows up in the Troponins but ECG looks normal). So at this stage I am going with the last 2 cardiologists diagnosis of Prinzmetal angina over muscular or nerve pain and they have both written it in my notes, the ED doctors just can't be bothered reading back 3-5 years
RubyRed21 samuels
Posted
I just get frustrated with it all sometimes, there's so much going on with me healthwise and I suffer with a lot of other health problems. I've had m.e/cfs for years so think the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is probably linked, or goes hand-in-hand with that diagnosis aswell.
I don't believe the neuro read my history far back, so to speak, but he could see all the recent hospital admissions I've had (I suppose over the last several months). I think this is the longest time roughly 2 months or so I've not had to go to A&E here, as I believe I mentioned in another post I'd been prescribed Nicorandil (to take alongside the current meds package) on the last ward admittance, and that really has been great, have noticed a marked difference since I started taking it.
Yes, that's a good thing to have bloods taken straight away, I also usually have one done on admission and another one 6 hours later here. I've had a couple of dodgy ECG's with the Printzmetal's angina, but it hasn't always shown up!
samuels RubyRed21
Posted
Yes I'm on Nicorandil, when I was first put on it, it worked wonders for awhile, less trips to emergency but then it all started up again. on my last admission the cardiologist bumped up my Cardizem to 480Mg's (broken up into 240Mg's twice daily) now that did the trick, hardly any visits to emergency, then this year we had an early cold snap leading into winter and that threw the Prinzmetal into a frenzy, I was in emergency sometimes up to 3 times a week during winter just gone, now that we are in spring ( rather warm spring for us this year) I'm slowly getting back to normal , still a trip here and there but nowhere near as many as during winter, cold weather is one trigger for Prinzmetal angina, well for any type of angina.
I only have the one blood test now , although depending on which emergency doctor I get, usually senior or consultants they write up a second test 6 hours later.
RubyRed21 samuels
Posted
Good to hear there's a little bit of improvement for you!
You know after I posted I was thinking about how it seems too good to be true and I hope I don't build a tolerance? to it, specifically because all the meds I'm taking for Printzmetal's are all looooong-term and the body must get used to it being in the system after time. Don't know what the hospital will try me on meds wise if this lot stop working because there isn't anything else.
I've had to go through a lot of trial & error with meds to get to the good combination I'm taking now, and hope that this isn't just a temporary breather from the spasms.
samuels RubyRed21
Posted
I don't know how true it is but it is starting to look that way to me, I think we can build up a tolerance to the nitrates,According to some Paramedics and Doctors. I know if after 10 sprays of GTN it's a trip into emergency for me, I exceed 10 sprays of GTN when I get my clusters of Prinzmetal....I know the increased dose of Cardizem works efficiently in the summer months but definately not in the winter months