Renal Artery stenosis?

Posted By diane on May 10, 1998 at 12:39:36:







In october of last year, I went to the hospital with chest pains.
My bp was 195/110.  they gave me three nitro glycerin tablets before it
came down.  The blood test revealed no negative enzymes.  That was a
sat. night and I was admitted to the hospital and put on a nitro patch.
5 AM monday morning, the ekg showed that I had "flipped my t-waves."  Up
to that point the ekg hadn't changed.  Tues. morning I was transferred to
another hospital for a heart cath.  That revealed no damage but the doctor
said that part of my heart was not beating with the rest.  I believe it
was the anterior apical.  The diagnosis based on the above info was that
I had a coronary artery spasm.  that there was some damage to my heart but
they felt it was reverseable.  I was told I have prinzmetal's angina also.
I went to cardiac rehab for 3 months and was working out 4 days a weeks
at the gym after I finished the rehab.  A few weeks ago, I went to SLC,
Utah.  On both planes on the way out I had chest pains and took my nitro.
The next day I had chest pains 2 more times.  The hotel called the
paramedics and I was taken to the er.  My bp was again 190/110.  I had
chest pains again in the hospital and they gave me nitro and it finally
came down and stayed down.  After 6 hours they released me.  The cardio-
logist at the er in Utah said he thought I got cehst pains because of the
high bp and that he wasn't convinced it was angina or that I had a CAS in
October.  I was dizzy off and on for the week that I was there but I
thought this was due to the altitude (I live at sea level and SLC is 4500
ft.)  When I returned home I was still dizzy.  Went to my cardiologist and
my bp was 200/100.  He put me on diovan and sent me for a renal scan
with flow (nuclear).  the results of the renal scan were R>L 55>45.
that was a couple of weeks ago.  the diovan is keeping my bp around 110/70.
the cario. wanted me to go to our local community hospital and have a
renal angiogram and possible angioplasty.  This hasn't been done at
this hospital before and I don't think I want to be the first.  My
primary physician is sending me to another cardiologist at Temple
University in Phila. for a second opinion.  I see him on the 22nd
of this month.  This is where I get confused.  Why a second cardiologist?
Should I be seeing a different kind of specialist?  Sorry I forgot
to mention that I am 48 year old female.  My father had a heart attack
at 54 and he had high blood pressure although he was an acute alcoholic
so I assumed the bp was from the alcohol.  I don't drink (haven't in
19 years), stopped smoking 3 years ago.  Smoked from 18 to 26, didn't
smoke from 26 to 36, smoked from 36 to 45.  I take cardizem cd 300mg,
lipitor 10mg, premarin 1.25 and one aspirin daily. And now diovan 80 mg.
From what I have read 55>45 doesn't sound definitive for blockage but
I was told that normally the left kidney has greater flow then the right.
I am wondering IF my renal artery is partially blocked, could this have
been the reason for the cardiac event in October?  Could it have been
that my bp going so high caused damage to my heart? It was more then 2
hours before I went to the hospital and my bp was high at the hospital
for a while before they finally got it down.
Thank you for your time
diane