Has anybody been diagnosed with Microvascular Angina?

Specialist told me to only take 2 lots of 2 sprays then use morphine (I took 10 mls yesterday), as the GTN can lower the blood pressure too much (so does morphine), thats why they don't like you to have too many.

Having morphine at home saves having to go to hosp. I don't think I would get addicted to it, as I still feel the effects of it the next day. I have been told that when you need morphine you are less likely to get addicted to it than if you have it when you don't need it, eg for less worrying conditions.

My tightness has always gone up into my throat, ECG's mostly normal, also Troponins normal.

I'm not sure if GTN helps indigestion as I'm not sure if I have it. I am on Losec just in case.

I have not got an oximetre to keep an eye on the oxygen level in my blood, is very interesting and mostly okay.

Our doctors here think differently...lol...they don't trust us to prescribe morphine,they are happy to prescribe endone but only in small amounts due to the addictiveness and for that exact same reason you mentioned, it can lower your blood pressure. My blood pressure is usually unmoved with large amounts of GTN 160/90 after the 20 sprays...If I take the old regime of 1 spray wait 5 minutes, if pain still persist then take 2 sprays wait 5 minutes if pain still persists take 3 sprays wait 5 minutes if pain still there take 4 sprays then start the old GTN regime over again and if no relief call ambulance, that's a lot of GTN in a 40 minute period, when I do the old GTN regime it will drop my blood pressure down to 140/80.

ECG's are a good thing but as a nurse once told me you have to be having a heart attack at the time of an ECG for it to show up or have something wrong with your heart in the first place like a leaky valve, you know those kind of heart problems.

Here's an example that I have experienced personally, Paramedics have arrived at my house, did an ECG, was normal upon initial first examination he repeated ECG and instantly he saw old heart damage this was in a space of something like 10 minutes, He then did another ECG and the old heart damage had dis-appeared the tracing was back to normal (these were all printed off for him to study) He was amazed at how this had happened and he was literally scratching his head. My troponins come back negative as well,I have been told they are slightly raised but is of no concern because it's below the Guidelines of a specific level of increased troponins, usually sitting on 0.01 - 0.03... I have had 2 troponin levels come back indicating a heart attack and yet ECG was normal so somewhere in between ECG's I had a heart attack, there is a specific figure > than .05 from memory (I could well be wrong with that figure so don't quote me on that one ) before they class you as having a heart attack. I would imagine NZ would have the same guidelines as Australia for determining a heart attack via a troponin blood test ?

I found it incredible that people have written here that certain paramedics have told them not to call an ambulance or go to hospital etc (in other words not to bother them) when I have had my bad attacks I have become paralyzed (no oxygen) and if the people around me had not called an ambulance I would have been dead !!!!! It would have been impossible for me to call as arms where completely paralyzed and legs where nearly gone!!! Can you imagine if these people had to go through one of these attacks !! The last one I had was whilst working in a shop and I just happened to be exceptionally lucky because a paramedic was in the shop and she took complete control and called the ambulance etc and she was able to administer the nitro (my arms where mot working) she came into the shop 3 weeks later and said to me that she new it wasn't simply angina as my heart rate didn't change and neither did my colour !!!! So I was exceptionally lucky!! Whilst in hospital I had another angiogram and once again the doctors where surprised that there where no blockages !! All I can say to all the people out there is do not take any chances just call an ambulance !!! By the way I am from Australia the lucky country and I have never been told not to call an ambulance !!

Hi Windylindy,

I live in Tasmania and have had 2 paramedics tell me off for calling them, I can't go into to much detail for obvious reasons, their attitude is just because nothing shows up on their ECG machine and that there is nothing wrong with you they say" it's

in your head" or "it's a panic attack" .... I have also had 2 doctors say the same thing even though what my condition is recorded on hospital records. All the senior doctors in emergency tell me to call an ambulance after 20 minutes if no relief from GTN but see in my situation I average 1 visit to our emergency department once a week sometimes up to 3 in a really bad week, what I have found is that they are sick of the sight of me...lol...the nurses are fantastic with one or 2 that may come out with a smart comment and the paramedics in concern have been spoken to by their superiors yet they still say something, one paramedic has completely changed their tune since they were informed of my 2 AMI's and a blockage in one of the coronary arteies...When you have professionals downgrading you it can make you feel like absolute crap and humiliated, they have you thinking " could they be right" am I making a mountain out of a molehill and you are to embarrassed to call for an ambulance... I hear this a lot here where paramedics say to patients why are you calling us for (chest pains) they are assuming certain things when nothing shows up on their ECG machine and your BP is fine, your skin colour is normal,etc etc. I got a lecture from a paramedic about how much I have cost the tax payers everytime I call an ambulance,($1000 a pop) I have even had one tell me to move closer to town or at the very least catch a Taxi....now I know a taxi driver won't take you to hospital if you tell him to step on it because you are experiencing chest pain they would tell you to call an ambulance or call one themselves for you.

In regards to my previous comments 99.8 % of the Paramedics are fantastic it's just that you do get that .2% of the "bad apples" saying unwarranted things,I understand that they may of had a stressful day or have family matters on their minds but they should not let that give them the right to speak to patients like this.

This is typical of the nature of the type of angina, I felt like I was putting it on, but not when your BP rises and pale colour and nauseous that they take any notice. I also have noticed that travelling in a vehicle is one of the worst things, which apparently is typical. I have tried taking 2 sprays before going in the car, but only lasts a little while and then back to being tight. Much more than 1 hrs travel is too much.

Hello.

I have just come across this forum and am so pleased & excited to find it. I have had problems for the last 18 months and am desperate for answers.

I have had 2 heart stents and a balloon angioplasty; 2 clear angiograms following these but still experiencing a lot of issues. I don't know what to think and sometimes wonder if I am just a silly crazy woman. I know i'm not - you don't imagine this pain or these episodes and its controlling my life!! I often think the medical profession just have no idea what to do with me or disbelieve what I am saying.

I am on a lot of medication that I strongly believe is responsible for keeping me alive!!

I have been diagnosed with unstable angina but they had mentioned last year that i have micro arteries that may not be oxygenating properly. Why then are they not in any rush to see me even though I and my doctor has contacted them saying that I am struggling??

Your help and advice would so greatly be appreciated.

Ellie.

Hello, if it's spasms of the small arteries, the doctors seem at a loss to know what to do like me. I am going through another bad patch at the moment and have found a herbal supplement called Heartnurse to be helpful. There is another product called Strauss' Heart Drops which are apparently good, but I have never tried them. I also take Magnesium. But like you I am at a loss to know what to do as it is very limiting. Because of not a lot of outward signs, people have a job to understand what you are feeling. Sometimes when I have pain, I actually think 'stuff this' and do some exercise, sometimes it helps, other times makes it worse, so hard to know what to do. I told my specialist I felt like going off all medication to see what happens, but he quickly said I would be very ill, so darent do that!!

By the way, both my parents had heart attack, mother cardiac arrest at 55, father at 64.

So if you find something that helps, please let us all know.

I am on a lot of meds Priscilla and am due to come off in the next month or so. Purely by accident I missed at least 3 doses over the past year and became quite unwell within 6-8 hours. My dad died at 47 with a massive heart attack ( I was 44 when my episodes first started) and as far as I am aware, he had no idea that anything was wrong. Other than 1 episode, exercise hasn't brought on one single attack. I have had (and this is a guess) around 100 Ecgs but only 2 has shown anything. I have been told that I have 'unusual anatomy' and that nothing with me is normal or like other cases.

Just out of curiosity, where is everyone from? I am in Cornwall.

I am in a difficult position currently as I believe I can improve my situation if I could do regular exercise. I feel that if I could do cardio exercises it would improve my overall wellbeing.

This is currently compounded by the fact that I am awaiting hip replacements but they will not do that because of my heart. A typical 'catch 22'!!

Hi EllieRey,

I have been told the exact same thing as you...lol...I actually get stirred by my friends they call me an alien I was told I have an "unusual anatomy " as well.

The medication that I have found most beneficial for me is a drug called Nicorandil, it has eased a lot of ER visits but I am back at least once again now I actually had a turn last night and had to be carted off ,I'm assuming something showed up in the ECG this time as the doctor believed that I had another NStemmi but was awaiting the results to confirm it, blood test came back negative so that ruled heart attack out and I was pain free due to the administration of morphine earlier, They didn't do the 6 hourly repeat troponin to which I found a bit strange so I asked the doctor why,the reply I got was because of my huge amount of presentations they were confident enough not to do another troponin test...I wonder though if the doctor flicked through my notes to about 8 weeks ago when my first troponins came back negative but the 6 hourly (after the first major pain event) came back positive...As of writing this I feel like a truck has run over me and chest pain is back, the doctor did say to call an ambulance if the pain came back, I will be in the next 20 minutes if I can't reduce the pain.

My cardiologist has told me that there is unfortunately no cure for spasms of the smaller blood vessels in the heart or even the coronary arteries, there are medications that can lessen the spasms but they aren't a permanent fix,he said I have to learn to live with it and call an ambulance when required...Sorry I can't be of much more help.

I'm from Tasmania Australia

Hi Samuels,

Its now 8.20am here in the UK and the post says you sent it late last night so how are you feeling today?

Can you not insist them doing another blood test especially with your case history?

Whats an NStemmi?

I feel sad & disappointed to hear that it may well be something I have to live with. Although I know there are people so much worse off than myself (just heard my friend is fighting breast cancer) I had hope something could be done - I don't want to have to live like this!!

I have had some pretty bad attacks but don't call the paramedics as I don't see the point and yes I feel stupid. Besides the fact you go through all the usual at hospital to be made to feel worse when you have angiograms to be told everything is functioning beautifully. Its embarrassing!!!!

The meds I am on are a lot to do with the fact I had stents so they like you to be on some for a year, the rest were added over a period of a few months following the angioplastys as I was still having the pain.

Atorvastatin 80mg

Omeprazole 20mg

Ramipril 2.5

Clopidogrel 75mg

Asprin 75mg

The following twice daily:

Trimetazidine 35mg (unlicenced in the Uk)

Tildiem 60mg

Nicorandil 10mg & 20mg

Gtn when required.

I've put my list up in the hope I can see what others are on and maybe work out which are the ones that are causing me to have bad attack if I miss a dose. I still go through cycles of getting bad attacks anyway but so wish I knew what was setting me off.

This may also help others by mentioning to their specialists and they could put you on similar to lessen your attacks...... Just a thought!!

Atorastatin is for cholesterol, Omeprazole for stomach, Ramipril for BP,heart failure & after MI,

Clopidogrel ? Asprin blood thinner,Trimetazidine Antihistamine, Sedation, Tildiem ? Nicorandil anti angina

A couple here different to NZ, do you know what they are for? I take Diltizem which may be something the same as Tildiem? Could it be the Nicorandil or Trimetazidine if this is to relax you. Just a suggestion.

Yes Diltizem is the same as Tildiem Priscilla.

Nicorandil & Tildiem both help the blood vessels to relax and help the blood flow to the heart from what I can gather.

Trimetazidine helps blood flow and keeps the heart oxygenated.

I live in the Uk too.

Have you had stents or a heart attack?

Hello, I live in New Zealand and have not had a heart attack or stents. My large arteries were clear on the angio, just spasms of the micro ones, thats why it's hard to treat. You get utterly tired of them and wish they would just stop, but have been told ' not likely'!! Hope I can prove the doctors all wrong!!!