Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: Coronary spasm
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 Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Re: Coronary spasm
by Wendy__0__0, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By Wendy on February 18, 1999 at 17:45:12:
In Reply to: Re: Coronary spasm posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on February 18, 1999 at 15:46:32:
Hello. I am a 44 year old female who is in good shape and who has virtually no risk
factors for heart disease. I have no other medical problems and never have. This past
weekend I had a mild heart attack. After many tests and an angiogram, it was concluded
that one of my coronary arteries had gone into a spasm for unknown reasons. The doctor
said he hoped that his arteries looked as good as mine did on the angiogram. Luckily, I
had gotten to the hospital in time so that the damage to my heart was minimal and I should
make a complete recovery. My doctor put me on two medications, Metoprolol XL and
Amlodipine as well as an aspirin once a day. The only possible explanation for the episode
is that my iron level was low at 10 but I was told that may have nothing to do with it
either. I also now take iron to boost that level. In your opinion, what are my chances of
having another attack of this sort and will I have to be on these medications for the rest of
my life? When I asked my doctor those two questions he really didnt have an answer for
me. Any light you could put on this for me would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Wendy
I am not sure that you definitely had spasm. If you did, amlodipine is a good medicine, though metoprolol would not necessarily be. Spasm, if you have it, is much less likely to recur on medicines like amlodipine. Coronary artery spasm used to be much more common before the development of medicines like amlodipine.
Low iron should be treated, but it does not cause spasm.
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.
Hello again,
If what happened to me might not have been a coronary spasm, do you have any other thoughts as to what might have happened? The doctors
do know that it was a coronary event since my EKG when I arrived at the hospital was not normal, but was normal a half hour later. They also
checked an enzyme level (I forgot the name of it) when I arrived, eight hours later and again at 24 hours. The levels
were 0, 209 and 143 respectively. They said this all pointed to some sort of temporary blockage of some sort, be it spasm or not. My
biggest concerns are for the future and wanting to do anything I can to prevent it's occurance again. I've never had any sort of heart problem
in the past and I don't want to start now. I might not be so lucky next time. Thank you for any additional info you can give me.
Wendy
In Reply to: Re: Coronary spasm posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on February 18, 1999 at 15:46:32:
Hello. I am a 44 year old female who is in good shape and who has virtually no risk
factors for heart disease. I have no other medical problems and never have. This past
weekend I had a mild heart attack. After many tests and an angiogram, it was concluded
that one of my coronary arteries had gone into a spasm for unknown reasons. The doctor
said he hoped that his arteries looked as good as mine did on the angiogram. Luckily, I
had gotten to the hospital in time so that the damage to my heart was minimal and I should
make a complete recovery. My doctor put me on two medications, Metoprolol XL and
Amlodipine as well as an aspirin once a day. The only possible explanation for the episode
is that my iron level was low at 10 but I was told that may have nothing to do with it
either. I also now take iron to boost that level. In your opinion, what are my chances of
having another attack of this sort and will I have to be on these medications for the rest of
my life? When I asked my doctor those two questions he really didnt have an answer for
me. Any light you could put on this for me would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Wendy
I am not sure that you definitely had spasm. If you did, amlodipine is a good medicine, though metoprolol would not necessarily be. Spasm, if you have it, is much less likely to recur on medicines like amlodipine. Coronary artery spasm used to be much more common before the development of medicines like amlodipine.
Low iron should be treated, but it does not cause spasm.
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.
Hello again,
If what happened to me might not have been a coronary spasm, do you have any other thoughts as to what might have happened? The doctors
do know that it was a coronary event since my EKG when I arrived at the hospital was not normal, but was normal a half hour later. They also
checked an enzyme level (I forgot the name of it) when I arrived, eight hours later and again at 24 hours. The levels
were 0, 209 and 143 respectively. They said this all pointed to some sort of temporary blockage of some sort, be it spasm or not. My
biggest concerns are for the future and wanting to do anything I can to prevent it's occurance again. I've never had any sort of heart problem
in the past and I don't want to start now. I might not be so lucky next time. Thank you for any additional info you can give me.
Wendy
