What does angina feel like?
Posted , 3 users are following.
I have been having some chest 'pains' for a couple of weeks. I have been seen at A & E and also the rapid chest pain clinic where I had blood tests and ECG's and was told that everything was normal last week and that I was 'low risk' but that they would send me to have a CT Coronary Angiography but my appointment is not until the end of May.
I don't get the pains every day and they are not always the same. They come on if I am doing nothing (but usually after eating). It sometimes feels like someone is holding and squeezing my ribs with a bit of heaviness and a strange sensation goes across my chest sometimes up the back of my neck to my head and under my jaw or like my sternum is being pressed hard and the pain is there. The feeling is almost like when you get embarrassed and feel yourself flushing but a bit prickly. It's not painful compared to having babies and root canals or gallbladder stone blockage.
I do have costrocondritis and have had gallbladder problems in the past (a failed operation to remove it so they put slits in the duct for stones to fall through if there were any). It is making me very anxious which obviously won't help matters. I've been told angina is excrutiating and I would know about it but I can't help worrying. It's making me so anxious which obviously doesn't help matters.
I am a 53 year old, perimenopausal woman! (A very scared one!!)
0 likes, 14 replies
Guest hannah61662
Posted
So maybe give a spray a go, 2, 3 or 4 pumps (or follow the instructions) and see if it helps
samuels Guest
Posted
Unstable angina doesn't always respond to GTN as well as other long acting nitrate medications, it can be a "hit and miss" with some unstable angina sufferers.
samuels hannah61662
Posted
There a a few quick and easy tests that a doctor can do and they are non invasive to determine angina pretty quickly, one symptom that you mentioned does fit with angina and that is after eating,are they heavy meals that you have been having ?
I here a lot of irritable bowel sufferers mention this kind of symptoms you mention and also have heard of menopausal women discussing similar symptoms. I hear from family and friends that menopause is both nerve racking and can at times be extremely painful on every part of the body,from digestive problems to arthritis feelings etc etc.
Hope all goes well and an answer is found relatively quickly for you in regards to what is going on.
hannah61662
Posted
My doctor did give me some asprin and GTN spray but I haven't taken it as the rapid pain clinic told me not to - I then queried this with a doctor I saw at an A & E visit and he said I don't need it either. Another A & E doctor also said he suspects it's stomach related and I should have it investigated. (I've been to A & E twice) I missed the window for seeing my doctor this morning as I was up most of the night - but will definitely go back.
I feel fine (apart from worry) except after eating - the worst pains have been after a tuna (in sunflower oil, drained) sandwich and chicken in cream sauce and to a lesser degree with other things - a day when I only had a vegetable smoothie and soup I was ok...
Thank you all again :o)
hannah61662
Posted
samuels hannah61662
Posted
I'm more inclined to think this problem is to do with your pre- menopause, my partner experienced very similar symptoms, played up with her digestive system something shocking, they diagnosed her with IBS, celiac....they even did an endoscopy and colonoscopy and took samples and all came back negative for any kind of gut problems, they then decided to put it down to being lactose intolerence, she saw a different doctor one time who decided to take a different path, she tested positive for pre- menopause and is now in a menopausal stage and it's giving her hell, like I said before,she can hardly move at times because of joint pain, digestive problems, hot and cold flushes....the list is long, very long the symptoms you can get from pre- menopause...menopause, my partner was pre-menapausal at the age of 36, she's now 48 and still suffering.
Guest samuels
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samuels Guest
Posted
samuels
Posted
Guest samuels
Posted
hannah61662
Posted
I took one spray and then after 5 minutes I took 2 sprays and nothing happened so I didn't bother to do it again. I've had the pain in varying forms after eating at 7pm for over four hours this evening. I can't even tell if I am bringing it on myself by thinking about it all the time. I got up and walked around and it went and then started again when I started meditating - which is supposed to be calming! I am going to the doctors in the morning - hopefully I will be seen as they have a weird 15 min slots for same day appointments so it's very limited.
I don't feel unwell apart from this stupid discomfort - when it's not there I am practically normal! I wrote all my perimenopausal systems down and they filled an A5 sheet of paper! No one could make head nor tail out of any of it as it's all so random!
samuels hannah61662
Posted
Yes if the GTN didn't help it is usually a sign that it's not angina even though GTN is used for other conditions, reflux and oesophageal spasm(more for reflux) is 2 that I remember my GP telling me.
Sorry I didn't mention your primary question in the first place.Angina pain is a moderate to severe pain that comes on suddenly, it's form is generally squeezing, crushing and heaviness in the centre of the chest radiating to generally your left shoulder and down the arm(but can go to the right shoulder), the discomfort can also be felt in the jaw, back and neck, nausea, cold sweats, dizziness/weakness and shortness of breath can also accompany the chest pain, shortness of breath is usually always present with angina pain. In saying that though it is known that in women symptoms can be different at times, especially when one gets indigestion, this feeling is more prevelant in women and is just fobbed off as indigestion so doctors have to treat this with vigilance. Also a tooth ache can even turn out to be angina pain or at worts a heart attack. Stress ,cold weatherand even extreme heat can trigger an angina attack, there are several forms of angina, the most common 2 are stable angina (Predictable - bought on by exercising or just every day moving around , working, doing house work etc etc) then there is unstable angina which is where it comes on at rest, unpredictable, there are other forms that branch off from unstable angina , I can't think of their names just at the moment. hope this has helped you out
julie01285 hannah61662
Posted
richard87134 hannah61662
Posted
Hello Hannah, i have Angina X Syndrome due to uncontrolled hypertension which damaged the small arteries leading to and from my heart. Who told you angina is excrutiating?? Are they a doctor or do they have angina themselves?? If neither i would suggest you ignore them as they no knowing, i can assure you angina is not excrutiating but more so debilitating and can make you feel extremely ill but not neccessarily painful, i have angina on a daily basis which causes pain and discomfort in my arm, jaw and chest but leaves me feeling very poorly and exhausted but not in pain. I guess it's different for everyone but try and work with your consultant to draw it to a satisfactory conclusion