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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Angina Pain
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests
Angina Pain
by Ekidd, Feb 07, 2006 12:00AM
My soon to be wife started experiencing severe back pain and underwent the stress test, thalium stress, and passed all test and was told it was not her heart. In December 2003 she was experiencing severe back pain and nausa she was takent to the ER the ER doctor was telling her is was not her heart up until the EKG should abnorminal. She then underwent an emergency Cath in December 2003 followed up by a double bypass surgery in December 2003. In May of 2004 started experiencing chest pain and underwent another cath in which a stent was inserted into one of the bypasses. Again in September another sten was inserted with little relief of chest pain. In March of 2005 she started experiencing more severe chest pain once again, a cardio cath was done and it was determined that one of the bypasses that had been stented multiple times had closed off. A redo was completed in April 2005. In June of 2005 another cath was completed to check the redo bypass and it was stated that the bypass site was bottle necked or narrowing. Now January 2006 she is experiencing increased angina pain and the cardiologist is asking her to undergo the ECP. Which is to start in 3 weeks. Are there other options for a 42 year old female who live a semi healthly life style. Is there any type of treatment that can prevent this from re-occuring.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-MJM, Feb 07, 2006 12:00AM
Hi ekidd,
I am sorry to here about this problems. The first thing to do is make sure that she has maximal medical therapy. This should include statin, aspirin, blood pressure medications if her blood pressure has room like an ace inhibitor or beta blocker. A good cardiologist should have already done all of this though -- it is pretty standard. Hopefully tobacco is not an issue.
It is probably worth a second opinion at a tertiary care hospital to make sure everything is being done.
ECP has been shown to help reduce angina.
I hope this helps. thanks for posting.
I am sorry to here about this problems. The first thing to do is make sure that she has maximal medical therapy. This should include statin, aspirin, blood pressure medications if her blood pressure has room like an ace inhibitor or beta blocker. A good cardiologist should have already done all of this though -- it is pretty standard. Hopefully tobacco is not an issue.
It is probably worth a second opinion at a tertiary care hospital to make sure everything is being done.
ECP has been shown to help reduce angina.
I hope this helps. thanks for posting.
So now I am on a Nitro Patch for 14 hours from evening to morning since I woke up avery hour with chest pain. The other 10 hours I use Nitro Tab when needed. I get chest pain with any exertion such as fixing dinner, taking a shower, etc. They will not let me work at all and put me on disability. I use about 100 doses of Nitro Tab and a patch 14 hours a day per month.
If there was any possibility that ECP could help me I would gladly do it rather than put up with the Angina pain. Just my 2 cents.
anyway, all this angina pain you all have/had, is it always in the middle of the chest ? I'm taking out the jaw/shoulder/arm/neck/back pain, only the chest pain, is it always behind the breastbone or can it be over the heart itself ? before doing any surgery or taking any pills, the pain lasted more than 30-60 minutes sometimes or always less than that ? how often accompanied by shortness of breath ?
thank you and take care
did she ever had shortness of breath w/o any pain ? or arm/shoulder pain w/o chest pain ?
a more general question, when you're having chest pain from angina, if you press onto the breatbone does the pain become stronger ?
I am having a bad flare up of costochondritis right now, if I didn't know what it was and hadn't been diagnosed with it I would be at the ER right now. Pain that becomes worse when you press the breast bone or ribs is pain usually consistent with a muscloskeletal problem and rarely if ever of cardiac origin. It can be quite severe, it is always best to have this confirmed with your doctor to be on the safe side. Hope you feel better soon, I know how distressing and anxiety provoking a pain like this can be.
any arm/shoulder pain ? what tests did you do to find out that it's that and not something cardiac ?
thank you