Are My Pains Really Due to Angina?

[thermal_dave]

I have been diagnosed with partially blocked heart arteries, and am waiting for a triple by-pass operation. My symptoms are not typical of angina though as I get no chest pain, only a stitch-like pain across both shoulders when I walk any distance, which is relieved by rest, and often by burping. I don't get shortage of breath, and the nitro spray I was given has no effect. This pain prevents me from getting much exercise, which caused me to go to the doctor in the first place, and I originally thought it was due to my hiatus hernia. I have had an stress tests and angiogram, and the doctors say I do need the operation, but I am worried that I will  but still experience these pains afterwards because they are not due to angina, but my hiatus hernia. My doctors are not sure why burping helps relieve the pain. Am I having a type of angina?
Many thanks.

[dawn56]

Well done for getting through the by-pass, i had a triple in 1991.The smae thing happened to me ,we thought it was indigestion because i am female and was only 32 yrs old at the time and on there insistance for me to have more tests and angioplasty it was discovered that i have heart disease hence the by-pass.Once again well done and heres to a good and speedy recovery.Take your time and take care
  Dawn

[thermal_dave]

Just in case anyone ever reads this because they have the same symptoms... I have now had my CABG operation, and have started to take exercise, and the pains I talked about in my first mail have not re-occured.  My symptoms were very unusual in that even the surgeon who is top in his field in the UK was unsure whether the pains I was experiencing (like cramp across my shoulders when I walked more than about 100yds), were due to atypical angina or to my hiatus hernia, because when I rested I would burp a couple of times and the pain would go away..only to resume if I carried on walking.  It was fortunate that my doctor sent me for heart tests 'just in case'. As I mentioned in my original mail, the usual anti-angina meds did not work at all (spray or drugs), there was no shortage of breath with the pains, and they were never in my chest when I walked. However not only did I need a quadrupal bypass in the end, but the surgeon found evidence of a previous minor heart attack which was probably disguised by the 'heartburn' of the hiatus hernia. Hiatus hernia can confuse symptoms and cause complacency, so take care.