spasm

[ccfitzner]

I have been diagnosed with eNOS. some type of nitrate oxide is missing from my genes. I have had 5 by passes done. 4 collapsed. I have 2 stents. Now they tell me my heart has spasms. What exactly is this?  I used to smoke. I don't now. My doctor said he doesn't want me to be exposed to second-hand smoke. What will second-hand smoke matter?  I have chest pain during exercise. Is this caused from eNOS or blood pressure? Where can I learn more about eNOS?  My doctor doesn't know much about this. While he was doing a catherization on me, my heart vein collapsed. He called in another doctor and he was the one to tell my doctor what was wrong. So, my doctor cannot tell me any thing about this. He said he had never heard of it. Does other things cause a heart spasm besides smoke? One doctor has told me that I may be shopping and walk by someone who has just put a cigarette out and just the odor will cause my heart to have a spasm. Is this problem this touchey? At first I was afraid to go out anywhere. I really need some answers.  Thank you.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear msgal,
I think what you are talking about is called coronary artery spasm.  This is a condition where the coronary artery tightens down and causes decreased blood flow to the heart.  Smoke may trigger a spasm and thus should be avoided if possible.  Usually drugs such as calcium channel blockers (e.g. Cardizem) help decrease spasm.  In some cases a stent can be placed in the area of the spasm but this can have complications and is only a last resort.

[worrywort]

I will begin by saying I am sorry for using your thread here to post a comment as I know it is quite selfish. However, I have been desparate to post a question here concerning my brothers death at 38 last week. I noticed there are only TWO questions posted today and yet the site still tells me it accepts no more questions. I am sorry but I am desparate. Can someone help me to figure out how to post a question?

[rack]

hi....you have to keep trying to post...i think they allow only 2 questions a day from my understanding.  I am sorry to hear about your brother...what happened?

[ccfitzner]

The time to post a question is different every day. Try at 8:00 then try at 8:15. Keep changing the time until you get to post a question. I have tried for two weeks. On Monday it may be 8:00am then on Tuesday it may be 9:45am.It's different time like that. Sorry about your brother. I have two sisters. I would hate to give either one of them up.

[rack]

Hack,

What happened to your brother?

[worrywort]

I am the youngest of five children who lost our father to a heart attack when he was 39. It has been a running fear in my siblings always. Especially me and my brother Shandi, who were the last two. I have always had anxiety/panic attacks and thought maybe he did too. I went with him to the ER last July. ( i had been several times and was diagnosed with panic and released) He wanted me with him since I was an "ER Pro". They did blood work, gave nitro, oxygen, EKG and then insisted on sending him up for a stress echo. A cardiologist from Carolina Cardiolgy was sent in to perform the test. I will say here that he had the "bedside manner" of a turnip. Anyway, the stress test was declared a success and the cardiologist said he was fine, did not need to be there and gave him a prescription for heartburn stuff. He was so happy.

Then on, sunday April 21st he called me to tell me he had been having chest pains again and our mother had given him nitro to take. I told him, No he did not need that **** as he had a perfect stress test and was fine. He was relieved. Thursday, April 25 I recieved a call at work from Baptist Hostipal telling me to come immediately. My brother was dead. He was dead before he hit the floor at work. Sudden cardiac death according to the autopsy report. No heart damage was shown. Simply, v-fib. Death. He was 58 and a father of two children, 17 and 14. My heart is broken and I am struggling for answers. He always said he would not make it to 40 and he proved it. I am sorry this is long but hey, you asked. Maybe you or others can help me. I too had an echo/stress one month after he did at MY insistance. It too was fine but am I now at the same risk? It is so frustrating that my knight in shining armour is gone and he trusting me when I told him he was fine. Anyway. That is the story.

[worrywort]

OOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPs. I just caught my error on my post. My dear brother was 38 years old NOT 58. Just 38.

[ccfitzner]

Hack, all the test I had done had the results of no heart problems. Every test was done on an empty stomach and my pain did not exist until I ate something. I had been having pain in my chest and left arm for over 4 years. The pain was getting so bad that it was going up both sides of my neck, my ears, my head, I could hear my pulse in my ears. I had been seeing specialist in every field for those 4 years.  My heart had checked out fine. No reflux. My gall bladder had been removed. The second week of Dec 2001 I had been diagnosed with a "nut cracker esophagus". After supper on a Sunday night the pain got so bad I could not breath good. I called my doctor at that time and he told me I was just going to have to get used to the pain. Well I went to the ER and they started checking my heart. I had a catherization done and they said I had blockages that needed bypasses.  The 27th of Dec they did bypass surgery. 5 bypasses. I came home the first week of Jan. By the third week of Jan I began to have smothering spells. I was rushed back to the hospital. Four of those bypasses had collapsed. They did stents in two places. I had a spasm while they were doing the catherization this time. If I had not had a spasm they would not have know that was what was wrong. At that time it only happened when I ate something.  My mother's family had all died because of heart problems. It can be a person's heart and the test show that everything is fine.

[itsa4847]

If I had not had a spasm they would not have know that was what was wrong. At that time it only happened when I ate something. My mother's family had all died because of heart problems. It can be a person's heart and the test show that everything is fine.


I AGREE ONE HUNDRED PRECENT! I TOO HAD BEEN THRU ALL THE TEST'S I HAD HALTER MONITOR, 30 EVENT MONITOR, ULTASOUND OF HEART, EKG'S, STRESS TEST....ALL NEGATIVE.  WHEN I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL IN JAN MY CARDIOLOGIST DID A HEART CATH AFTER I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE WITH CHEST PAIN AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH, EVEN THE AMBULANCE PEOPLE SAID THEY DIDNT THINK IT WAS MY HEART. BUT GUESS WHAT IT WAS.  MY HEART WENT INTO A SPASM AND I HAVE A PARTIAL BLOCKAGE IN THE SAME ARTERY, HENCE CORNORY ARTERY SPASMS. WELL I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME GETTNG THIS UNDER CONTROL, I JUST HAD A SECOND AMBULANCE TRIP, (AFTER THEY SPRAYED AT WORK FOR BUGS)  I HAD A SEVERE SPASM AND THE NITRO DIDN'T WORK.  BUT NOW THEY HAVE CHANGE MEDS AROUND AND FINALLY I FEEL AS THOUGH I'M GETTING BETTER.  SO ITS A COMPLICATED PROMBLEM FROM MANY PEOPLE.  I'M ONLY 42 AND CAN'T BELEIVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME!

[pikamom]

So sorry to hear about the 38 yr. old brother. We just had a similar situation with a guy at our church, 44 and the father of a 4 and 8 yr. old. He had chest pain at work, collapsed before the ambulance arrived and although they did CPR and he had surgery, he was brain dead and they turned off life support two days later. He had one blocked artery, no warning signs, never smoked or drank, he exercised and ate healthy and had no history of heart disease in his family. It was a terrible tragedy, and they said that even if he had had some tests, it would not have shown up (except for a catheterization, which they only do if other tests point to a problem).