Hi, It's been awhile since I've posted. I continue to have chest pain, occasional shortness of breath and general fatigue. I am now taking norvasc, imdur, prevacid, carafate, synthroid. After having a normal ekg, manometry study and cardiac cath. The doctors have decided that I must have prinzmetal's angina or variable coronary spasm. They do not want to repeat the cath using the meds to provoke a spasm, thus confirming diagnoses. The treatment would be the same. They can't, or won't answer my question........
According to everything I read, these "attacks" usually occur at rest, during the night. Mine usually start in the afternoon, right after I get off work. Sometimes a little earlier. They can last for a few minutes or a few hours. Now the question...... Has anyone ever had this condition, that was so relentless, with variation of occurence and duration of pain.....and had the test and proven variable angina? I do not have an elevated T segment,a clear marker that the diagnoses would be accurate.
I actually had begun to improve somewhat, the fatigue had gotten better and the episodes of pain decreased. But, last Sunday afternoon......pain, weakness, shortness of breath. Since then, I just so frustrated with the whole thing.......I really wish this would just go away! This all started on Feb 12th.
If anyone out there has had something like this......please please respond.
Thanks, Texredbird
I also have coronary artery spasms. Mine have occured ever since I had a stent inserted and even after having bypass surgery. They always occur at rest and 99% of the time it's in the morning. I had 6 or 7 caths in just a few months time because of my symptoms. The last two caths I've had have shown that my arteries are clear. I have recently gotten relief since taking over the counter non-flushing Niacin. I've never read that it works for spasm and I originally started taking it to help raise my HDL. I was not able to take the Imdur and I tried taking a calcium channel blocker and it made the symptoms much worse. I'm convinced that the Niacin is helping because before I started on it I was having symptoms fairly regularly and they have virtually stopped now.
Thanks for your reply. I must admit, I have a really hard time taking the imdur......it's like trading one problem for another. It gives me bad headaches and worse palpitations. But, I continue to try, thinking that it will get better with time. I feel like that my doctor is just not taking me serious. He did at first, but once the so called "scary" things were ruled out..he just told me that I was gonna have the pain, and to deal with it the best I could. Not sure what I am going to do at this point. The pain and pressure can be debilitating at times. I am still able to work at this point......hopefully I can continue....as I provide the medical insurance for the family. I have researched this condition (prinzmetal angina) and am not convinced that this is the problem. I guess everything else has been ruled out. Thanks again for your reply. Good Luck. Texredbird
I know the feeling of frustration when it seems that they are dissing your symptoms. I had a cardiologist at one point tell me "You just need to get on with your life". I was having pain everyday and was unable to work because of the effects that the meds had on me plus the angina at rest that I never knew when it was going to hit me. I thought I had already gotten on with my life the best I could at that point. I began to experiment on my own with meds and that was when I discovered that the calcium channel blocker was making the problem seem worse because of side effects.
Hello again....... I appreciate your responses. I sometimes think that this is some kind of psychosis. I really just want it to stop. I have quit even trying the imdur....tired of the headaches. Thankfully my job is over for a few months after this week. Maybe I can find some way to get some relief before school starts up again. I have to wonder if this is truly angina.... all the articles I can find say that the episodes last from a few minutes to a couple of hours..... Mine can go on for several hours. Usually starts around 3 in the afternoon and lasts until the early morning hours.....so, I mean it can last for 10 hours at a time. The intensity of the pain varies considerably. Sometimes just a nuisance, other times debilitating. I just don't really know what to do at this point. I know that I have a lot of stress, but no more than most people. I have eliminated as many of the "triggers" as I can. No caffiene, quit smoking, I don't drink, and I take my stomach meds faithfully. I am careful about what I eat, made some pretty drastic lifestyle changes and yet, still hurting. Have you ever heard of angina episodes lasting that long? Thanks again for your help. Texredbird
i have been suffering withthe same pain and anguish all of you have. The pain is nearly incapacitating and comes and goes whether with rest or exertion. There's no longer any rhyme or reason. My doctor has increased my calcium channel blocker and put me on another beta blocker. I totally understand when you guys say that you've been consumed by the pain both physically and mentally. I have lately begun to have pvc's and feelings of racing heart. All this is after a stent was put in and I'm supposed to be better. I was never better- not even for one day. I have been studying up on all of this stuff and I realized that there is inflammation that can occur inside of the arteries in the endothelium cells and that this cannot be seen on an angiogram--thus I feel that even though I'm taking Niacin and Tricor for my triglycerides, a beta blocker and calcium channel blocker I am a time bomb--the whole thing sucks-. I have been to several cardiologists . One of them refuses to take a stand and affirm any diagnosis while the other 'thinks' this is all vaso spasms-yet when you don't get better they seem to become indifferent and this is the point I'm at--it is a very alone and frightening situation-. If anybody can relate out there let me know. Thanks Good2beme
My son 45 also has this, and was told there is very little that can be done he is taking about 14 pills a day, and is receiving ss disablity. We have been unable to find the cause of this disorder and even the doctors don't know. His blood preasure goes through the roof most of the time so that does not help. He say's depressed and being his mother I do as well. Currently he has no insurance and is going to the VA hospital in Houston. The GP that recently saw him had never heard of prinxmetal and gave him 2 med's for acid reflux. I told him he needs a heart doctor not an MD but you can imagine how long that might take going through the government. Before he went to the VA his med's ran about 1,500. a month so you can see why we needed the VA although they don't even have all the medication he was on. Sorry to bore you I needed to vent. If you know a web site with more info please let me know.
Re: prinzmetal's angina? 
