prinzmetals angina
Posted , 96 users are following.
I have had prinzmetal's angina for over 7 years. Information about prinzmetal's says that pain occurs at night while in bed. Well not in my case. I get angina pain in the day time as well at night. Does anyone out there get pain in the day as I do ? I get pain at anytime, when it is cold or when I feel stressed and sometimes activity brings it on. I am taking a lot of medication for it , can't be without the nitro spray. Am having a lot of bad days lately hope to have a few good days soon.
Because prinzmetals is rare I feel a bit lonely having it , even though there are people who have the usual angina. It would be good to talk to somebody who prinzmetals.
14 likes, 699 replies
wolfgang_8778 Guest
Posted
Hi Everyone, I visited this forum nearly two years ago after suspecting I had Prinzmetals Angina. I decided to try something and report back (if it worked) after trialing it for some time. I want to provide some hope, encouragement and advice (take it or leave it) to those still suffering from symptoms. Heres my Journey….. I thought I was very fit and healthy ….. however I developed angina ephisodes out of the blue and after a couple of Hospital visits 2x angiograms (in NZ and Aus) a stent and daily ephisodes (early morning too) I was left dumbfounded as to why I still getting these symptoms after all this intervention which included a drug regime (nitrate, nifedopine, metropolol, statin, clopedigrel, aspirin etc). After discovering valuable information I converted to a plant based diet. I am pleased to say that over the course of the last year I have observed my symptoms decreasing , my exercise is back to previous levels (so I can distance run again…this from not being able to walk down the shops without nitro spray). Further after a year I am off all my drugs (and my BP is lower than ever). I do take a daily baby aspirin (because of stent) and a statin by choice which I may stop at some point. For me this proves that for those of us with cardiovascular disease our bodies are not tolerating what we are eating. If we follow standard recommendations about lifestyle changes e.g cut the skin off chicken, cut back on cake, keep cholestoral low… We may think that we are making positive changes but for us it is not sufficient and a more radical change is needed. Please either read DR Esselstyns book on preventing and reversing heart disease or watch the videos on youtube. To me it was black and white, the diet was based on observing populations with little or no heart disease around and applying their diets to cardiovascular patients and observing results (simple). The results are astounding from initial relief of symptoms to angiograhical evidence of plaque reversal over time. After coming through the health systems in two excellent countries where I was impressed by the professionalism of the medical staff also the technology and interventions which no doubt save many many lives for patients experiencing heart attacks…however I was most very surprised by the fact that these professionals were largely unaware of the effects of plant based diet on preventing, reversing and providing relief to heart disease. I even told cardiologists what I was doing and sought their views but got blank faces staring back at me as it was unheard of/not recognised…..If the professionals are not aware then presumably the patients are not and this is consistent around the world. I worry about people suffering and getting progressively worse and not having access to this information that could transform their lives. Although I gave up some foods the price is nothing, I have my health back, have lost 10 kilos (eating as much as I want) and feel great. Anyway I wish you all the best and pray for your recovery and bright futures. Please consider adopting a plant based diet (you must review esselstyns dos and don’t’s for specifics to diet but it is very straight forward). With Prinzmetals I think the recent posts are on the right track. The endothelium spasms occur because of damage,inflammation which consequently results in a reduced capacity for our arteries to produce nitrate oxide which relaxes our arteries (and prevents the spasming). To replenish the nitratrte oxide do not eat the foods outlined in essylstyns book and eat lots and lots of leafy greens like spinach. I eat at least a bag a day. There is no harm in trying this. Talk to your doc but it is basically taking a heart healthy diet to the next level and don’t be surprised or discouraged if they haven’t heard of it. Like most of us have learned it is sometimes best to take a leap of faith and take control of our own destiny as much as possible.
samuels wolfgang_8778
Posted
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experience(s) whilst most of us eat correctly anyrate, no cakes for me, skin off the chicken, plenty of fruit and vegetables etc etc, this is pretty common knowledge throughout the cardiological side of things, As you mentioned all heart disease can be reversed (blocked arteries, plaque build up) this has been known for quite sometime, however with prinzmetal angina, because of it's supposed "rarity" there has been no further research into this type of angina until the last few years as incident rates are increasing, more so in Japan, they have found several factors that could lead to coronary artery spasms, they all lead to the production, well , lack of production of nitric oxide, they are cholesterol, genes, blood pressure and even the nervous system faulting, I.E …. the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. Cardiologist not well versed in this condition tend to brush it off as they don't know much about it and don't want to formerly research it themselves unless there is something at the end of it for them, blunt I know but it's what I have encountered.
I was originally diagnosed with the small blood vessels in the heart going into severe spasms and as you know the symptoms they produce, angina symptoms, it took my now retired cardiologist approximately 6 months to diagnose it as this as he ran test after test, not just cardiac , an array of tests for everything, He found I had an extremely weird lipid profile and that aided in his diagnosis.
As the years went on the chest pains were getting worse, every now and the there were some ECG changes whilst being transported to the emergency department, an emergency doctor had put a different name to the original diagnosis, he called it prinzmetal angina, this name intrigued me and like the rest of us here researched the intestines out of this condition, for me this started to all fall into place with me.
My original cardiologist said that all the nitrate medication that I am on, my body will become tolerant to them, he was correct, he retired before I had my first heart attack, I asked 4 cardiologists on the cardiac ward at different times during their morning and afternoon rounds, 2 concurred it was prinzmetal angina, the other 2 weren't sure what it was, now the 2 that concurred were older and more experienced in cardiology, now I know this doesn't always mean anything but being in practice a lot longer, to me it does, they have seen it in their younger years, especially on their overseas placements in cardiology.
wolfgang_8778 samuels
Posted
Hi Samuels, You have certainly done your research! I hope you are feeling better these days. It is interesting that this condition is prolific in Japan isn't it and not so much other countries. I wonder why, perhaps because there is a higher rate of smokers in Japan (or maybe just genetics). It is fantastic that your condition is recognised as prinzmetal. As you know people seem to carry on suffering with this for a while (as you did) before it is diagnosed). In my case although I had a stent it didn't give me relief and the artery blockage that was opened did not seem to make a difference. I came to the conclusion that I was spasming as the symptoms where consistent with Prinzmetal (random ephisodes with and without exercise, most occurring in the early hours of the morning). This was eventually proved when I had a stress ECG that produced alarming ST elevation and inverted T waves, I was sent for Angio straight away but there were no blockages. On the way in I actually told the cardiologist (who suspected a significant LAD proximal blockage) that I think I am having vasospams and there isnt a blockage. This was confirmed from the Angio. At that point I was put on calcium channel blockers etc. I really wanted to find out what I was doing to cause this condition and look for natural alternatives. As such I decided to take the medication and start a plant based diet in paralell with emphasis on a high volume of leafy greens. I did this because I believed that I had a nitrate oxide deficiency caused by my previous diet and the damage i had done to my arteries. Although I had to take oral nitrate spray, I resisted the prescribed imdur (nitrate pills) with a view to get my nitrate levels up through diet and just take spray if needed. i decided if I got much worse i would definitely take the pills but gradually over 6 months I improved without them. I started cutting back on my meds gradually. I actually could not go for more then 10 days at the most without nitrate spray then eventually I passed the 10th day and havn't taken it since. The vasospasms continued although they became milder e.g instead of having to sit bolt upright at night everytime I just got a milder ephisodes. I felt the sensations but went back to sleep without sitting up or nitro. Then they got even more milder and stopped completely. As I was feeling better I tapered off my nifedopine over a period of months 90 to 60 then 30 then stop. I believe that in my case primarily the lifestyle change settled my arteries/spasms (statin therapy can have a positive effect on vasospasms as well btw) eating what I thought was healthy isn't enough. There are specific foods that cause these conditions and arterial inflamation in many cases that we are not aware of, these include animal protein, oils, dairy etc and if we stop eating these and fill the gaps with greens it may have a profound effect on health for many people. I dont mean to evangilise and don't usually blog at all but really want to let people know that this worked for me and may work for many others, so there is no harm in trying. Sadly, this may restore the health of many people but the doctors wont tell you about it it. I think that every physician should read Esselstyns book and definitely all cardiologists so they can at least pass on critical information. My heart goes out to those like yourself Samuels that has suffered from this condition for years and it does seem to persist for people that have tried many different things. I wanted to let people know that there is hope and a very real chance for many that thier conditions will improve/resolve through trying a plant based diet and to hear it from someone that has been there and come out the other side. A bit of humor and some inspiration - There is an old lady down the street with a walker, she suffered terribly from emphysema the first time I saw her I watched her like a hawk as I was convinced she was about to drop dead. One foot in front of the other struggling for breath, having to stop after 20 paces or so I was was positives shewas drawing her last breaths.That was 5 years ago and she is still going and shuffles past my house to the shop every day. When she catches her breath she says something cheeky to me (wicked sense of humor), Although she doesnt know it she inspired me during my darkest periods. When I saw her.. I thought look at her despite a major issue she seems happy.She keeps busy and has the best garden in the old folks flats accross the road. I was a bit down because then because I needed my nitro to walk 100 metres to the shop. Then I thought what the hell ...Annie is way slower than me but she is still smiling. I will too ! :-)...Good luck all and keep smiling X God Bless and Good luck to all
samuels wolfgang_8778
Posted
Hi,
No that's fantastic that you have found something that has worked for you and your knowledge to others definitely will help others suffering the same .
I forgot to mention in my last comment, I'm from Australia and was watching a morning show here quite a few weeks ago, it had a GP commenting on the food pyramid for healthy eating and prevention of the major risk factors of diabetes (type 2) heart disease, stroke, blood pressure and of course the infamous cholesterol. Now as A GP he said, that's how he was taught to guide patients to a healthier lifestyle, following the food pyramid, he noticed that he was getting plumper in the belly even though he exercised daily and ate how we are all taught to via the food pyramid, over time he noticed that is belly wasn't getting any better, so he studied the food pyramid, tried his own way of dieting in a medically healthy way, he came out and said that the food pyramid was completely wrong and he is of the opinion it needed revising even though that's how he was taught at medical school and how he taught his patients to follow. He found that he lost the weight by eating "normal foods" with moderation, he followed his own diet and he noticed within several weeks his pot belly had started disappearing, he calls it ERF (Eat Real Food), like butter, meat you know stuff like that but also involve what was once thought to be bad food for us in moderation, it was a very interesting segment to watch, I haven't followed this one through to see any new developments etc, but what made it extremely interesting is that it came from a well qualified and experienced doctor.
Now from memory with the Japanese and the increased prevalence of PM angina amongst them was due to high stress and a dietary role, I am not 100% sure, I will have to go through my research again but I do seem to remember high concentrations of mercury and others in the fish that they consume, but don't hold me to that one .
JJJ1954 Guest
Posted
Now i can usually feel it coming on and immediately use nitrogen, so it does last as long. Last time I had it a couple months ago, I had an idisole at least once a day for a week, then I might not have another for months.
Doctor or put me on Endur also with blood pressure meds, but the Endur drastically slowed down the occurrences. Doctor say they probably would never be eliminated, so the goal was to slow the occurrences. Still it is frustrating to never know when it will happen.
samuels Guest
Posted
Hello everyone, how has it all been for you this year ? Bad year for me. Andrew and Bishpick any improvements ? You had us all worried earlier this year when you had a real bad run and landed yourself into hospital.
samuels Guest
Posted
Anyone still dropping by this thread still ? Doesn't seem to be 😃
kim93394 samuels
Posted
I have just joined samuels
michelle72051 Guest
Posted
hi there i can sympathise totally. i am almost bedridden with this horrible disease and find it all very isolating. i am lucky though to have an amazing daughter who cares for me as much as she can. i find that my ipad has been the biggest help i can connect to friends, the television facebook etc and this keeps me in touch with everything.hope this helps.
.
kim93394 Guest
Posted
I have just joined this group and would be great to be able to hear from others that have the same. I was diognosed with Prinzmetal angina in around 1.5 yeqrs ago.
My first episode of chest pains was in October 2017. i was taken to hospital and had my tropoins done. First one was 48 second 53 so was told that id had a mild heart attack the third though came down to 33 so was told that i hadnt actually had a mild heart attack. I had an angiogram done which unfortunatly my artery in my arm spasmed so they had to stop( luckily they had already seen enough). It was the most painful thing i have expereinced. Next thing i know i was coming back to up at the ward. There were no blockages. I had an MRI in January 2018 all clear as well. A couple of weeks later i was diognosed with Prinzmetal angina. I seem to end up being taken to emergency by ambulance every 3 months with my worst being 4 times with in 6 weeks. There is no frequency for the pains. I can have them daily or weekly. I can go for a week and think," this is great then boom they start again. I hate not knowing when they are going to occur, they can just come out of nowhwere and always at rest. The worst is that i work in a childcare centre and have been taken from there by ambulance numerous times but i am so lucky to have such a supporting boss who is so understanding.
I have a plan with my cardiolosist of if th paing lasts for more than 5 mins i take the Nitrolingual spray wait 5mins and repaet 3 times before then calling an ambulance. i am also at high risk he said being a Type1 diabetic. I am on a few tablets to help the amount of episodes. Ramipril, Asperin, Feldour x 2 and Isosorbite x 2. I was put on the 2nd Isosorbite 7 weeks ago with no pains but a couple of twinges before 3 weeks later back in hospital. 2 weeks ago i was then also put on Rosuvastatin to hopefully stop them but yep i was back in yesterday.
this is soooooo frustrating. And what i hate the most is that although i keep telling everyone that it cant be cured but only controlled by the right medication and dosage , they always ask after being in hospital," What are they going to do about it? They have to do something, "
neale Guest
Posted
this is a replyto kim933394.
hello i had my last series of attacks in 2014. i saw prof Kaski at st George's london . he put me on 480 Diltizam for over a year and gradually reduced to it to 180. this stopped it. i find that when it happens it starts off bang then its like a vulcano and settles down. triggers in my case are tiredness, jet lag, constipation, cold air around my neck, bee stings etc, and extreme stress. i avoid all of these things if possible. i eat organically, exercise hugely like you take statins as a matter of course although not needed for cholesterol and D3 and hrt. hope that helps.
the amount of diltizam was high and not recommended by my hospital in leicester but prof kaski said it was the only thing to do to stop the series of attacks . he has retired now unfortunately, but i believe you can see him privately still. When i feel an attack brewing i will medicate myself up the ladder to stop it. my motto, nothing stays the same for ever, its mind over matter and things will change and you will be sympton free.
kim93394 neale
Posted
Thanks for your reply neale.
It is a great comfort to know that it can be stabilised. I haven't found any triggers as yet. I work in a childcare centre and my boss and I had thought that maybe it was stress as i was working in a stressful room so i was moved to a more calmer younger room but it hasn't helped.
I live in Australia so wouldnt be able to see Prof Kaski but will definatly bring up the idea of trying Diltizam to my cardiologist.