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Recent diagnosis of angina has left me feeling like a time bomb is waiting to go off -is this normal

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jenni98569
jenni98569

I was diagnosed with angina recently. I had been suffering symptoms for a while, chest pain, breathlessness, pain in left arm had all become quite normal to me however I had never suffered them all together until the end of January. Following 2 visits to hospital and slight changes on ecg noted I was given a ct angiogram which showed 50% blockages in 3 main arteries. I now take a cocktail of medication -beta blockers, isosorbide mononitrate, amlodopine, aspirin, statins and have a GTN spray which I have to use now and then. My employers have been amazing as I have a very stressful job which obviously has an effect on my symptoms. I have begun to get my head around what having angina means to my life but I can't get rid of the feeling that I am a ticking time bomb!!! Is this normal? Unfortunately I don't have an appointment with a cardiologist until July so asking these questions have to wait until then. I'm hoping there are others out there who can give advice.

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • andrew22534
    andrew22534 jenni98569

    Posted

    I have Prinzmetal angina, intermiitent Arythmia and ME so i also feel a time bomb, in all honesty each day i wake.. good news. I am jealous of you having great employers- mine werent and kept up the pressure, i am now going through early ill health retirement... anyway enough of me... yes panic and upset is of course normal as is why me and what will happen... from my experience i would ask for a refferal to a mindfulness course, it doesnt cure you but does help you to accpet where you are now and accept yourself. Until i did the course i thought ho hum yeah right... but now i am less worried and more able to do things without so much worry. No its not a cure but yes it is a crutch or tool to help the day be your day not a day of worry. also with concerns talk to your GP it is better the less you worry ... i hope all goes well and you can make good progress. Search omn here and read the other threads some offer good helpful advice that may well make a difference. I have found may helpful thoughts and advice on here also reading other peoples stories can give you some more confidence!! 
    • jenni98569
      jenni98569 andrew22534

      Posted

      Thank you, I will certainly look into a mindfulness course -did you get referral through GP or cardiologist? I will certainly read other posts on here as I'm sure there will be others who think like this. It's all been a bit weird as everyone else, including family members, who've suffered heart problems have had surgery straight away so, although their advice is great, it isn't the same as waiting and wondering when it will be your turn. I hope retirement gives you the relaxation you need and am sorry that your employers weren't as understanding.
    • andrew22534
      andrew22534 jenni98569

      Posted

      Thank you! and.. My GP referred me and was very good as was the course i was genuinly suprised. My work... well after the thrid time of being taken away by ambulance due to suspected heart attacks i went off long term sick and at the very end the conversation came up and i realised i could have had support 18 months ago as the senior HR person said they would have supported a 10 tlll 3 arrangement ... if that had been done i believe i would still be in work and not as heart damaged as i am. My manager was a bully and sadly i paid for it (no i am not the only one who thinks so but the organisation wants "robust" managers....the HR and Occ Health teams have tried but heads and brick wall come to mind. If your work is supportive, ask and support them in turn be open and see waht other arrangements they will support. 10 till 4 for example may make a huge difference for you. Friends and colleages were amazing as i am sure they are for you, my one main tip remaining is dont be afraid to ask... even if its getting someone to go get a glass of water... 
    • jenni98569
      jenni98569 andrew22534

      Posted

      I will definately get my GP to refer me asap. I'm so sorry that your work have treated you so dreadfully and hope you get the resolution that you are entitled to. What these organisations and individuals do not realise is the stress that they cause has an immediate effect on your condition although as you say "robust managers" are more important to them!!!! I can't fault mine and OH have been so helpful setting out a very clear phased return to work as well as clarifying support that has been put in place to aid and assist my role. I also have amazingly supportive colleagues who are more than happy to make sure I am not overdoing things and yes I have learned to ask smile Take care.
    • andrew22534
      andrew22534 jenni98569

      Posted

      biggrin Thank you... just keeping on waking up and perhaps a few odd jobs here and there... will be a good start... all good wishes with yours, looks like you have a plan! and hopefully a good treatment later on.
  • samuels
    samuels jenni98569

    Posted

    Hi Jenni,

    With those kind of symptoms a cardiologist should have been appointed to you whilst in hospital and then a follow up 2-3 weeks later to see how you were going with the medication and to see if it was working, for some feelings like you are experiencing ar "normal"  it's also very normal if you have had a mild hart attack to a full blown MI and that's where Cardiac Re-hab comes into play in helping get rid of those feelings.

    I to suffer from Prinzmetal Angina,  I have had around 3 NSTEMI's and with those 3 I have had feelings like you are experiencing, Once I have been given the all clear , not having any kind of heart attack those feelings change from a "ticking time bomb" to frustration, it's more of the frustating feelings that I get because of the frequency of my Prinzmetal as they can happen  the same time every day for a week, to several months, they call these clusters and is called normal. With the right medication any angina can be controlled, not cured but under reasonable control . Cardiologists will treat what they call "baby" blockages medically as they wont stent under normal conditions until at least one artery is around 90% occluded, I have a 60% in my RCA and they have been trying to treat it medically for the last 2.5 years, I had to be taken off the Statins as I can't tolerate statins, I'm literally a cripple after a day to a week of being onthem, depends on the statin and the dosage.

    Only you know your body and if it continues to give you grief in the chest pain department go straight to your emergency department and they may be able to speed up the cardiologist appointment ?

    So in answer to your question... large number of people do feel like ticking time bombs when first diagnosed with Angina, it's a normal thought proccess, I'm surprised your GP hasn't referred you to a pyscologist to deal with these feelings ?

  • elizabeth58460
    elizabeth58460 jenni98569

    Posted

    Hello anyone, I have just been prescribed Slozem, 120mg, for 14 days and then up to 240mg, this is for high blood pressure and angina, angina is new to me, Ive been on statins for about 4/5 months, as I have three arteries partially blocked one more than the other ones (atheroma) so called. and yes I feel like Ive been knocked down and is it ok to get up, because I don't know when I'll go down for good. just do not care now if it is going to happen( stroke) hope it is a good strong one to put me out completely, hate living with this not knowing when you may have a stroke.
    • samuels
      samuels elizabeth58460

      Posted

      Hello Elizabeth,

      You may think that now but if caught in time you will only be back to square one, although if this does occurr a pyscologist will be involved with your re-hab as one should of been used if you have ever had a heart event, Angina isn't the end of the world if on the correct medication.

      If you're not caught in time and nothing can be done and you're left like a vegatable that is going to hit your family or friends real hard and they are going to feel obliged to look after you, even a full blown stroke that leaves you mentally alert but with other system shut downs ...I.E like losing control of your bowels or bladder, no movement in your extremeties.

      My nephew has a friend who was a young working male who went to the gym everyday either before or after work, didn't smoke, did have the occassional alcoholic beverage, but over all he was super fit, about 6 months ago he dropped dead in the gym, he had one hell of an infarction, luckily the gym personel had CPR and de-fib experience as it was the de-fib that bought him back after many attempts of just plain CPR. he has now recovered but because of the size of the heart attack he now has a pacemaker fitted,from memory my nephew said he was 22-23 years old....that's the way I want to go when  my time is up, this young fellow can only remember a bit of chest pain and nothing much else and now he is living strong again but obviously not as strong as he once was.

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