Heart Disease and Heart Attack Forum - This Is Ruining My Life!! Any Help Would Be Great

There are many things that go on with the heart that does not show up on the normal run of test that are done, my disease that was recently discovered after 2+ years of suffering, testing and finally almost dying (prinzmetal variant angina/vasospasm) was not found out because they didn't want to do an invasive test, a very simple test called coronary angiogram done in the cardiac catherization lab. Many people call it a dye test but I say it saved my life. On the first one the cardiologist said I had a 75% blockage in the left side of my heart and started me on medicine. I was released and kept getting sicker and knew, he had not truly found the problem. I did a lot of research, I didn't have much else I could do, I had become to sick to work. I thought I had figured out what I had from my symptoms and a lucky hit on a google search. I had it written down on a piece of paper and was going to give it to my doctor at my next visit. Unfortunately I was taken by ambulance back to the hospital before I got back to the doctors. I was so terribly sick, they could not get me stabilized, my blood pressure was either to high or bottoming out, I was throwing pvc's and the pain was terrible. One of the other cardiologist from the office came in and said he was going to do the balloon and put a stent in the next morning, I asked why nothing like this was done when they were in there before and he said that doctor wasn't allowed to administer medicine or perform any surgeries of that type, only run the test. That made me a little mad but I already had what I thought it was written down and my husband had it, just in case anything happened to me.

This time this cardiologist went in and I was awake, I was not in the other one, he said, there is the blockage but it was 75% blocked in the right side this time! I couldn't understand what was happening, I figured I much be going to die if I am that closed up. He said he was going to give me a 100mg of nitro and immediately I felt relief. I looked up on the screen and everything was open and working again. I asked him what he did. He said he would talk to me about it when I got out of the surgery room.

When we talked and he told me that he knew when my arteries opened up with the large dose of nitro that it was not a true blockage, I was having what they call intense vasospasms. Still very serious, it is still closing off my heart and it is only functioning at times 25% in different areas. It is also doing the same thing throughout my body, in my legs, arms, etc.

It is normally a woman's disease but not always, some things that are irritants to it are stress, alcohol and smoking, being over weight and bad eating habits, among other.

All I am saying is, read up on your symptoms, make yourself aware of possibilities and do not be afraid to tell your doctor what your thoughts or wishes are, remember, you are paying him, he works for you and you know your body better than anyone.

Good luck

deeswish4 u@aol.Com