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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Am I suffering from Coronary Artery Spasms/Variant (Prinzmetal) Angina - please help!
Answered by
Cleveland Clinic - Heart
Cleveland - OH
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Am I suffering from Coronary Artery Spasms/Variant (Prinzmetal) Angina - please help!
by Predaphin, Jul 18, 2008 03:07PM
I'm a 29yr old male, measure 5'9, and weighed 250lbs when I began having symptoms
I have a had a history of uncontrolled mild high blood pressure for last 5-6 years and recently quit smoking pot (heavy consistent everyday pot smoker for the last 2 years or so). I considered myself very inactive both at home and and work as my job requires sitting in front of a computer for most of the day and my eating habbits were careless, as I did not watch what I ate
SYMPTOMS INCLUDE....
It started about 2 months ago. I started having different kind of pains in the left side of my chest approx an inch to the left side of the center of my chest. The chest Pain comes as Dull, Achy, Shocking, Spasm, Sharp, Stinging, Tightness. They can range anywhere from a pain scale of a 1 through 7. On 1 occasion I did feel a “9" (which lasted about 10 seconds) and made me hunch over and almost fall to the floor. These chest pains come “DAILY” (day and night) and continuing. Some days lighter pain than others. Chest Pain comes on spontaneously (for no apparent reason), sporadically (on and off) and usually lasts between 3 seconds to 4 minutes. Most notably, the pains seem more severe at night (while sleeping) till early morning. The chest pain has woken me up at night. Also, chest pain may sometimes come on for a few seconds with cold climate conditions , emotional distress, after having sexual relations or when taking a deep breath. Sometimes I have also felt chest pain about 20 - 30 minutes after a meal.
I have had the following tests done:
-Blood Test -3 resting EKG's -Chest X-ray -Holtor Monitor (24 hrs) -Stress Test ...In which all have came back NORMAL.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS I HAVE:
- High Blood Pressure (Diagnosed at the age of 23 - Untreated until now)
- Migranes (untreated all this time - diagnosed since age 15)
Could it be possible I have variant angina???? What test are needed to be done to dismiss Variant Angina??? Could I have heart disease?
I have a had a history of uncontrolled mild high blood pressure for last 5-6 years and recently quit smoking pot (heavy consistent everyday pot smoker for the last 2 years or so). I considered myself very inactive both at home and and work as my job requires sitting in front of a computer for most of the day and my eating habbits were careless, as I did not watch what I ate
SYMPTOMS INCLUDE....
It started about 2 months ago. I started having different kind of pains in the left side of my chest approx an inch to the left side of the center of my chest. The chest Pain comes as Dull, Achy, Shocking, Spasm, Sharp, Stinging, Tightness. They can range anywhere from a pain scale of a 1 through 7. On 1 occasion I did feel a “9" (which lasted about 10 seconds) and made me hunch over and almost fall to the floor. These chest pains come “DAILY” (day and night) and continuing. Some days lighter pain than others. Chest Pain comes on spontaneously (for no apparent reason), sporadically (on and off) and usually lasts between 3 seconds to 4 minutes. Most notably, the pains seem more severe at night (while sleeping) till early morning. The chest pain has woken me up at night. Also, chest pain may sometimes come on for a few seconds with cold climate conditions , emotional distress, after having sexual relations or when taking a deep breath. Sometimes I have also felt chest pain about 20 - 30 minutes after a meal.
I have had the following tests done:
-Blood Test -3 resting EKG's -Chest X-ray -Holtor Monitor (24 hrs) -Stress Test ...In which all have came back NORMAL.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS I HAVE:
- High Blood Pressure (Diagnosed at the age of 23 - Untreated until now)
- Migranes (untreated all this time - diagnosed since age 15)
Could it be possible I have variant angina???? What test are needed to be done to dismiss Variant Angina??? Could I have heart disease?
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, Jul 19, 2008 08:46PM
, Jul 19, 2008 08:46PM
Yes it could be variant angina and the only way to fully diagnose this is at a center of excellence with a LHC and an ergonovine challenge, in which during the left heart cathetarization ergonovine is injected as well as adenosine to see if there are any changes in the caliber of the coronary arteries. If this is positive then normally cardiologists advocate placing patients on long acting nitrates ( such as imdur) and Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as nifedepine or amlodipine.
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