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Only 1 episode of chest pain yet told he has angina. Now going for angiogram and possible stents

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marie04588
marie04588

My husband had an episode of severe chest pain when working abroad. He had been swimming 'hard' for 30 minutes or more and giving all he had. A friend took him to hospital where they decided he had angina. From that day he has been taking meds but has had no pain (despite ignoring the Dr and going back to swimming - just not quite as hard as he had been). On return to UK our GP reduced the number of tablets he was on and he was still fine. Tomorrow he is having an angiogram and if necessary stents. I am finding it really hard to accept he needs this intervention as he has had absolutely no problems before or after that one episode. It scared him enough to make lifestyle changes and he has already lost over half a stone. Personally I feel it is an overreaction (because he is being seen privately) but everyone else tells me I am wrong. He is a 'big bloke' and I know people look and think 'high cholesterol' (his is in fact low). He has had a thyroid problem which is also being checked out and I wonder if the recent raised reading is a result of some of the medication he was taking. He is absolutely fine at the moment. I guess I don't see there will be a benefit to this intrusive action tomorrow..............Sorry I know I go on and on ...just having a problem accepting there is anything wrong I guess

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Humanity17013
    Humanity17013 marie04588

    Posted

    Hi sister i m not a doctor. but i have different pains in my chest from 4 year. Dr said its anxeity.

    Now i m agree with you that your husband has no pain he feel fine so he does not need angio graphy. But we can not make decision. You can take second opinion from other cardiologist. Every test is not fine and its create other problem. But you cannot take risk on your husband healthy. If he heart is block he must take angio graphy and placed a stent.

  • garren88859
    garren88859 marie04588

    Edited

    Well they won’t put in a stent unless he absolutely needs one, if he’s made lifestyle changes that’s awesome I think everybody should regardless if they are having heart issues or not. From what I know about angina which is what my doctor told me is that if you do have it then he would have probably had chest pains more then once by now, unless the meds are doing their job. But having you’re heart checked out even if you don’t have any symptoms is always a good idea. If he’s a bigger guy then he’s already at a higher risk for heart disease regardless if he has low cholesterol. It’s better to be checked out and if it’s nothing then the doctors can go from there. I’m assuming they actually ran some tests on him before they diagnosed angina cause you definitely need tests done to diagnose that confidently.  

     

    • marie04588
      marie04588 garren88859

      Posted

      HI garren88859 and thank you for your reply, He was in Aruba when he had the attack. They just did ECGs and CT scan (they did 2 because the first wasn't clear). The Dr there just said Angina and take these meds. He also said my husband needed further tests when he came back to UK. Since being home he has had and ECG, and echocardiogram and that is it. The Cardiologist is going by what the Dr in Aruba said (Aruban Dr was not an approachable and not prepared to answer any questions we had) and has decided to go for an angiogram. As I said, I could understand all of this if he had had pain at ANY time as well as this episode. GP even agreed with me that it could have been caused by a severe muscle strain as he isn't one for warming up / warming down before exercise and he really was pushing himself. It isn't that I want my husband to be in pain, but I could understand what is going on if he had been suffering. I am worried he will have more pain after this procedure as many people seem to have angina pains AFTER an angiogram and stents. I hate taking tablets for anything and wish they had given him an opportunity to see if changes of lifestyle would have made a difference, and to see if he would have had any further problems. Fingers crossed they will find nothing wrong - but then it means he will have gone through a potentially dangerous procedure for no reason. Roll on tomorrow evening when it will be over and we will know. Hopefully he will come out as active and fit as he is not suffering in a way he wasn't.

    • samuels
      samuels marie04588

      Posted

      Angina pain is generally always relieved by nitro lingual pump spray ( otherwise known as GTN spray ) or the little tablet under the tongue, also with other anti angina medication, if his pains have stopped the doctor can confidently say it's angina related, if it doesn't stop or relieve the pain then a doctor can definitely also consider pulled, strained muscles, the ECG must of given this doctor some kind of evidence to suggest angina, that "fuzzy" or as you said first one wasn't clear, they may of actually caught the attack on the ECG at the right moment, a lot of doctors put "fuzzy" or "not so clear" ECG's down to some kind of interference, whether it be from electronic equipment such as a mobile phone to just sitting on a steel chair or being near a power point,  they can pretty well much tell interference but they have to be extremely careful about interpreting interference rather than any form of heart attack.

      ?I have had 2 heart attacks myself and the symptoms are always the same as my angina attacks, I can never differentiate from the angina and an actual heart attack. 

    • marie04588
      marie04588 samuels

      Posted

      Hi Samuel. I hope you are keeping well. He also has a 'branch block'? Apparently something to do with electrical impulses to the heart. He knew about it before but I think that is what showed on ECG that worried Dr. Seems to not be a problem though. The cardiologist here thought it would be the calcification causing fuzziness on CT, however we now know it isn't so bad. Obviously a duff CT that time.

    • samuels
      samuels marie04588

      Posted

      Hi marie,

      Ahh yes, bundle branch block ? Yes they do concern emergency doctors a bit, as anything could happen. Reading your comments below, Glad everything worked out and hubby was cleared, always great news to hear smile

      ?Although I see you mentioned he's on aspirin and a cholesterol medication even though it's normal, perhaps preventions for angina / heart attack ?

  • samuels
    samuels marie04588

    Posted

    Hi marie,

    ?The chest pain is obviously a warning sign, if the medication(s) worked that is also an indicator on what a doctor thinks or has diagnosed. It is a good idea to have an angiogram, it will give the cardiologist an overall picture of your hubby's heart health and hopefully peace of mind for you both if nothing is found. you can be as fit as a fiddle and have blocked arteries, you don't even have to be eating "junk food" to get blocked arteries, it's inevitable that as we get older our arteries will get some degree of plaque build up,  some people simply have a pre disposition to angina or heart disease due to hereditary factors.

    ?Angiogram is the gold standard, even though it is intrusive, it will tell doctors a lot as they can see everything with the exception of the small blood vessels, well so I was informed about the small blood vessels, as I suffer small blood vessel spasms in the heart which gives off angina symptoms, that diagnosis then moved up to prinzmetal angina, that is where perfectly healthy coronary arteries go into spasms and give off extreme pain, it's a rarer type of angina, it h as a set pattern, but from what you have described, his was triggered off by exertion, in his case swimming as you mentioned, this is out of character for prinzmetal angina, it seems to fit in with stable angina. 

  • ansom98933
    ansom98933 marie04588

    Posted

    Hello Dear Marie04588

    When you do cardiogram it will reveal the extent of obstruction and nature of obstruction. Normally, it can be more than 70% blockage and doctor may advise for angioplasty. But, angioplasty ( stent ) is an invasive procedure and there is a non invasive treatment option called  EECP ( Enhanced External counter Pulsation ) and check with your doctor about the merits and demerits of EECP. I met few people who underwent this treatment and according to them EECP is equivalent to natural by pass and very effective. So, kindly take your doctor advise.

    Regards

    Ansom

     

    • marie04588
      marie04588 ansom98933

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply Ansom. He had angiogram Monday and needed no stents. I think the cardiologist was surprised (I was convinced he wouldn't). Unfortunately I think many Drs have what I refer to as 'fat bloke/woman syndrome' where they look at the person and make assumptions that they will have all these problems -but it often isn't the case. Since his ONE attack (even GP agreed it could have been muscular strain - I know the heart is a muscle) my husband has taken control of his life - eating better and swimming again. He has lost about 12lb. Cardiologist says there is some calcification (show me someone of 66 without any!) but it didn't need action. Fingers crossed that is it! He still has to take asprin and tablets for BP (which was only borderline high) and a tablet for cholesterol - which was only 2.3 anyway. How do you convince Drs to let you try without tablets once you are on them? Anyway, he is clear to go back to Aruba to work in a couple of weeks so he is happy.

  • marie04588
    marie04588

    Posted

    Just to update those people who were kind enough to support me when I was worrying about my husband. Having found no blockages when he had his angiogram back in March he went for a check up 2 weeks ago. The cardiologist has said that he does not have angina (something I queried from the start) and the initial pain he suffered may well not have been a his heart at all, as other muscular pains can be mistaken for a heart pain.

    All these investigations have meant a different problem we always knew he had (right bundle branch block) has been highlighted, and it scared my husband into losing weight, so not all bad!

  • marie04588
    marie04588

    Posted

    This is my final post on here. I just wanted to thank everyone for their support when we thought my husband had angina. It turns out he doesn't have it. In fact he never had angina. It is a gall bladder problem. He is a 'large' man so was treated immediately as having a heart problem by Drs in Aruba ( what I term fat b****** syndrome) - diagnosed and condemned on sight. UK cardiologist when asked directly did say he doesn't have angina. Last week more chest pains ...2 1/2 days in hospital in Aruba before they would accept it wasn't his heart. Then it was 2 days of guesswork before they came to gall bladder (I guessed that last week. I don't recommend we Google all our symptoms but perhaps they should try it?). So again, thank you for your support and good luck to you all.

    • samuels
      samuels marie04588

      Posted

      Hey glad they got to the bottom of it all for you, I must admit I would of thought that's the first thing a GP, emergency doctor or even a cardiologist would of first looked at, it was for me, as the gallbladder, especially one with stones can give off the exact same pain as angina.

      All the best for you and hubby and all stays well smile

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