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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
heart and arteries
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.
heart and arteries
by wettstain, Jun 23, 2007 12:00AM
I was waking up after midnight from a good sleep with severe chest pain,,,, seem to start on left side around left side of breast, and went to right side all way to underarm, to neck and seemed to draw neck , hurt so bad, had had heart cath in feb. siad i had no blockage but bent left ventricle working about 60 percent of time, put me on cartia 180, but heart was so slow feeling,, changed it to verapmil 180 and the attacks stopped. i take it at bedtime,, cath said i had no blockage but since colon resection in dec. 06 have had several ct scans and x rays , each has said i had atherosclerosis, even my chiropractor pointed out i had it,,,, I get short of breat now, used to smoke but stopped in march. i was concerned maybe i had a pinched artery or artery spasm somewhere, but heart dr said nothing wrong with heart and that was as far as he goes,,, the verapmil seems to have stopped the attacks but i take it at night , before i think my heart was so slow that did not get enough oxygen when asleep, and verapmil keeps it going as i sleep better and feel more rested than have in years,,,, could it be arteries or veins somewhere they not checking,, would like to know why had those instead of just saying nothing wrong but changing medicine and seems to helped , during day i feel heavy chested some and dull hurt,,,,,,, thanks
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-M.D.-MJM, Jun 23, 2007 12:00AM
Hello,
could it be arteries or veins somewhere they not checking
The standard tests cardiologist use to look for blockages in major arteries evaluate large vessels for narrowing. It does not mean that there isn't calcium in the arteries --- this is what is seen on CT scans when they say there is coronary artery disease. CT angiograms can evaluate for blockages but that does not sound like the test that you had. It is possible to have disease in small vessels and have a negative cardiac work up.
would like to know why had those instead of just saying nothing wrong but changing medicine and seems to helped
Some peole have spasm of the heart arteries that causes some chest pain. Verapamil is sometimes used for this with success.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for posting.
could it be arteries or veins somewhere they not checking
The standard tests cardiologist use to look for blockages in major arteries evaluate large vessels for narrowing. It does not mean that there isn't calcium in the arteries --- this is what is seen on CT scans when they say there is coronary artery disease. CT angiograms can evaluate for blockages but that does not sound like the test that you had. It is possible to have disease in small vessels and have a negative cardiac work up.
would like to know why had those instead of just saying nothing wrong but changing medicine and seems to helped
Some peole have spasm of the heart arteries that causes some chest pain. Verapamil is sometimes used for this with success.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for posting.
