Sporadic Angina

  If you are being treated for angina with beta blockers and nitro pills, wouldn't
  you expect some consistency?  In other words, if chest heaviness occurs for a couple weeks tim
  e but then goes away for several months wouldn't another ailment be responsible?  If angina is the
  result of clogging of the arteries, that would be present all the time so
  actually the angina should be present more consistently.  However, if it actually doesn't
  happen for weeks at a time, I would think maybe we're talking about something
  else going on.  Am I way off base on this?
Dear Robin
Angina can be aggravated by lots of different factors. Level of physical exertion, stress, emotional state, a heavy meal, cold weather - these are just some of the possible factors that can trigger angina. In addition, angina can "go away" on medications such as beta blockers and nitro pills, even though the arteries are still clogged.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck.
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.