Angina

[Laura__0__0]

Posted by Laura on July 28, 1999 at 11:21:18
Dear CC Doctor.
You asked me to keep you informed.  I posted about chest pains about 5 weeks ago and even though I had had a negative Thallium test done last year. You told me to not assume all was well.
10 days ago, I saw a new cardio doc at THI.  Sorry, to be so blunt but
this physician was like Digger o'Dell..the Unfriendly undertaker. Prior to seeing him..I had to have an EKG and blood work in the Cardiac Lab Place
on another floor.   This went well and they were wonderful but I was warned ( I had asked a gal about him) that this doc had a horrid bed side manner.  Too late...I was going to keep my appointment.
I told him about my periodic chest pains and how frigtened I am.  He viewed my year old thallium and an old echo. Made no comment. My EKG was perfectly normal and I have that copy.  MY blood work was good except the LDL.   Cholesterol was 220...HDL..53...triglcerides..90...LDL 150(range should be under 139) Blood pressure was 134/88.  
Everytime I tried to ask something ..he interrupted me telling me that I was getting off track.   "This 56 year old female then kept her mouth shut".
I had been a smoker on and off for 25 years quitting and starting and quitting and starting and this doc told me that there was "no hope" for me.
He told me that i would become a vegetable and barely survive.  He said my pulses in my feet were barely there.  He said I had a wheeze in my chest (I have asthma..in the family)and it will not get any better. I could not explain to him that I was on Ibuprofen/Anacin which is not Asthma Friendly and will make me wheeze more.
Needless to say......I never been treated so poorly.  It was gloom and doom.  He told me that I needed Lipitor for the LDL so I would not stroke out. (LDL elevationof 150 he said) He was not concerned about the 220 Cholesterol..
I took the Lipitor RX and finally stopped him in his tracts and TOLD him that I want a presciption for Nitroglycerine.  He wrote it out.  I asked him how to take this and what can I expect.   He relied, "the directions are on the bottle" and walked out of the room.  
Yesterday, I saw my GP (Internal Med Man) and told him everything. He has a cardio doc in with his group but many do not care for him and that is why I did not see him and besides I wanted to be in with THI.  
Well......I showed him the Normal EKG from THI of 10 days prior and showed him the blood results and showed him two unfilled RX's (Lipitor and Nitro)
While I was talking to him.....I had a chest pain attack. (lasted 5 minutes) MY BP was 155/86 a few minutes earlier.  He felt the pulses in my feet and told me that they were very strong and he had no idea what the cardiologist was talking about.  He did not want me on Lipitor at this time.  He said he wanted a Carotid artery Scan done ASAP (scheduled for next week at another large hospital)  and he also ordered an EKG  in another close by office immediately.  He listened to my chest and it was Clear.
Sorry for this being so long.   I had the EKG yesterday afternoon after the chest pain arttack and this one showed "Borderline Normal" with ST changes.  I then went home and they brought these results back to the GP/Internal med man for him to comapre with the Normal One taken at THI..10 days ago.
I am waiting to hear from him.  
Question:  Are ST changes normal? "Borderline Normal"?  By the time I got to the EKG office..it had been 10 minutes since the pains left me but I was nervous and frightened again.  
This GP gave me a hug and had a warm smile on his face.  
God Bless You Doctors at Clevelnad Clinic for letting us sound off to you.
I only wish I did not live so far away.
Thank you for being here for us frightened poor souls.
Laura.



Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on July 29, 1999 at 15:43:19
Dear Laura
A borderline normal EKG is just that - almost normal according to the EKG computer algorithm, but with some minor abnormalities. ST changes are not normal, but do not necessarily mean that you have coronary artery disease.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.