Do I have angina?

[Pooyan01]

I had a worrying pain in the left side of my neck about 10 months ago. Doc said was probably ok but could be heart related. If anything it would go away with exercise. I stopped smoking and have now lost 56lb. I did a lot of cycling, one day in July my heart rate raced away for no reason while gently cycling, got up to 174. Went to hospital and they said 'transient rhythm problem', something similar happened 2 months later, hospital gave me omeprazole and gaviscon!

I have seen a cardiologist now and she said my heart has stretched a little because of all the exercise I suddenly started doing (cycling about 120 miles a week) which has affected heart rhythm. Sometimes it goes fast with little exercise, other times pulse drops to less than 50. I get chest tightness, often in my shoulder. Sometimes the right, sometimes the left. Feels like a burning sometimes too. I am waiting to see my doc about resltsbof a 7 day monitor and echo but done see cardiologist again now until April.

I'm worried this is angina or that the heart damage I seemingly caused myself is not getting better. I get symptoms every day, I still go walking and usually have no problems. But I feel dreadful sometimes, get tired easily and it seems sometimes little jobs make my heart beat like crazy. I am worried sick about this and it has been 9 months now with no real diagnosis and no treatment. My doc was previosuly it's gastric related, I tried omeprazole and chew rennies, I don't think they make a difference.

Does anyone have any ideas or has anyone had similar symptoms?

[ed34]

All the things you list are known as possible triggers. Certain types of beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are know to help with this problem. Another thing to watch is your blood pressure, it's known that if your left ventricle is pumping against a high pressure, you are more likely to get the symptoms. However, if your cardiologist feels it isn't dangerous in your case, or life threatening, then he will not likely offer any treatments. I agree with you though, they are annoying and not a nice thing to suffer. Perhaps it's time they took more notice of this condition from the point of view of the patients.

[Pooyan01]

Post above should say most I measured was 45 seconds, not 4. (iPad keyboard to blame)

[Pooyan01]

I get PVCs most days, particularly if I dont get much sleep or do a bit more exercise than normal. Get runs of maybe 10 - 15 seconds, most I've measures is about 4 seconds (this was recorded on the event monitor too.  I'm on no medications at all, I do take CoQ10 tablets, they I thought they helped, not so sure now. I think chocolate and coffee don't help, I can give coffee a miss but chocolate is more difficult! Alcohol seems to start it off sometimes, bit of a bummer that!

I had the PVCs for a while I think, but didnt realise what was happening, just a fluttery feeling sometimes, feeling generally dreadful and having to lie down, But one day I had been on my bike and had not taken off my heart rate monitor, its set to beep below 50 bpm and over 160, it just started beeping and my pulse read 38, then suddenly back to about 80. I now know this was the PVCs.

[ed34]

just as a matter of interest, how often is your rhythm alternating between normal and premature and how many premature ventricular complex's are you feeling each time?  Are you on any medication which is known to have a possibility to cause this as a side effect? such as anti depressants ?

[ed34]

well, I did have vasospasm for about three weeks, but it vanished. I think it was caused by the tickling of the catheter wire which is common. It wasn't so much the angina caused by the spasms that bothered me, it was the horrible twitching sensation in my chest, like I was skipping beats with it. I was put onto calcium channel blockers which I took for 3 weeks but I suffered a side effect where my molars started to fall apart so I was taken off them. Strangely though, the symptoms had gone and still haven't returned over a year later. So I have no idea if calcium channel blockers resolved it, or if they simply settled down and went away on their own.

[Pooyan01]

Hi, I had an exercise ECG test in May, it was completely normal. Only thing they have found, on event monitor, it ventricular bigeminy (which feels absolutely dreadful) and sometimes I get a burning sensation when that's going on. I'm off to the soca in the morning, I will be asking many questions I think. Because I suspect I will be told,everything is ok. If everything was ok I would not feel the need to post questions to try to find help with an answer.

So is your problem vasospasm? If it wasn't for the risk factors I would feel a lot happier with a normal angiogram result. They do have a 64 slice ct scanner at out local hospital which is fast enoughmto,image coronary arteries. Not sure how difficult it would be to get such a scan. Nhs waiting times seem long at the moment. The next appointment with my cardiologist is in April, when I called to query this imwas toldmthis was literally the next appointment available! wish I'd had the foresight tomtake out health insurance.

[ed34]

When I questioned my cardiologist about the possibility of me having vasospasm, I didn't believe him because I was getting symptoms with exertion, completely in alignment with stable angina, he said vasospasm can be triggered by exertion in some people. Maybe an exercise tolerance test on a treadmill would be a wise move to establish if it's heart related.

[Pooyan01]

That's what I keep telling myself. Every day i seem to try to test myself. For example walking up the stairs where I work (4 flights) usually it's no problem. Sometimes I walk just a few hundred yards and I get the burning pain or tightness.

Hope I get to find out what it is soon.

[jrbon]

If it goes away with exercise, chances are that is not heart related.

Jesus

[Pooyan01]

Its in the clavicle sometimes, both sides or left only or right only. When its the right shoulder it seems to be in the shoulder joint more and sometimes feels through to my back.

Sometimes in left side of neck, sometimes the front of my throat. Thyroid test was normal but was just told normal rather than any actual figures. I have read that 'normal' varies depending on the country you live in.

Usually pain goes away with exercise, sometimes not though.

Its all very confusing.

Clive

[jrbon]

Where is your pain in the neck or in the shoulder?

Does it increase with exercise?

Pain just below my left clavicle was the only symptom of angina that I had for 4 years before my MI.

I the other hand, if it is in the neck, have you checked your thyroid?

Jesus