I had an angioplasty 2 years ago. I had 3 stents put in 2 vessels which had 90% and 95% blockages. When I had started with angina at exercise a few months previously I was diagnosed with genetic very high cholesterol and triglycerides ....thus my problems. I was then only 54 and a slim female with a healthy lifestyle, excellent diet, keen exerciser, non-smoker.

Since my angioplasty I have had no angina with exercise and now do brisk walking, and use my exercise bike, rower & stepper with no problem.

But in the last 6 months I have had about 6 episodes of waking in the night with angina-like chest pain. My breathing is normal and I do not feel stressed when this comes on. It is like a massive weight on my chest and tracks up right side of my neck. I just lie calmly and wait and wait for it to go. It lasts about 4 to 6 minutes then slowly lifts and releases....feeling much as my exertional angina used to when that "lifted". Then I feel fine. :) I do not suffer from indigestion at all.

I have read that angina at rest may be due to spasm of the coronary arteries. Might this be the case?

I take aspirin and cholesterol lowering medication. I am due to see my CHD nurse for annual check-up in August and am reluctant to make a fuss and go any earlier. We are due to move house to 200 miles away in the next few weeks so I am inclined to maybe mention it to my new doctors once we have moved, as when we register we will have to have an introductory appointment.

I reckon I am fairly safe to wait until then. Maybe I should be going back on beta-blockers or something. But an episode once every few weeks seems to be not very much. :confused:

Anyone with any ideas about it?

bunny,

It sounds like classsic unstable angina. I'd hedge on this with someone else but you are in a good position to know precisely what angina feels like.
I think this warrants a trip to the cardiologist ASAP or at leat a phone call...tell him exactly what you wrote here and let him make the call. It's not an emergency if it's recurring only once in a couple weeks and passses predictably.

I think beta-blockade is a good idea.

Do you have any nitrates around; maybe your doc can prescribe some sublinguals that you can keep by the night table?

It is usually deemed a much more serious condition than stable angina though, so never forget that aspirin. And yes, it is related to arterial spasming.