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Has anyone heard of using bypass for Prinzmetals.....they bypass the artery that spasms with a healthier artery/vein from somewhere else in the body. I read an article on this some time ago and have not heard anything on that subject since.
shelleylynn
Plavix Surgery Lovastatin Pain Heart attack Bypass surgery Lisinopril Diltiazem Stress
Shelleylynn:
I have never heard of this. It is an interesting concept. However, having had bypass surgery at age 41, I would be hesitant to undergo that major operation for Prinzmetal's. I, like many people with Prinzmetal's, get the spasms in other parts of my body. The arteries in my eyes are affected - this was seen during a dialated eye exam before I told the doctor I had Prinzmetal's. She asked me if I had ever been treated for arterial spasms since both eyes were doing it during the exam.
A lady on this board educated me about other areas of the body being affected. I had what I thought were severe muscle spasms in my stomach, rib cage, legs and neck. Turns out certain vessels in those areas were spasming and cutting off oxygen and blood flow to the muscles. Once I got the right medications in the right dosages, my Prinzmetal's is fairly well controlled. Since I have them all over my body, I don't know how they could harvest other veins and be sure the grafts would not spasm.
Also, I had a heart attack 18 days after my bypass surgery that was caused by a combination of a blood clot passing through one of my bypass grafts as this new vein grafted from my thigh went into spasm. So I know that bypass grafts can spasm also.
Again, I think the concept is intriguing, but not sure if is a realistic fix for some of us with severe Prinzmetal's. It is hard to anticipate which arteries might or might not spasm so I don't know how they could be certain a bypass graft would be spasm free.
Take care -
Dianna
Thanks Dianna,
I have spasms every day...it's gettin really old and it hurts. How do I know the next one won't be a heart attack? How do people tell the difference. I think probably that if my prinzmetals was under control the I would not feel the need for something rather radical. I was doing well, would have a period of about 3 months with maybe 2 spasms a month. ten none for a long time, then 3 mos. you get the idea. After I had a heart cath....was told of my issues....I quit smoking, changed my diet, exercised more etc. took all the medications i was prescribed.......things got worse. Since April I have had daily spasms. Most wake me out of a dead sleep, and I have been hospitalized 3 times. Most days I pop a nitro or two and I am good for the rest of the day. Some daysi pop a nitro, it's not enough, pop anothe, still not enough, repeat and again not good. If my spasm lasts longer than an hour I go to the hospital. Sometimes the nitro will take care of it and it starts again later in the day....I am so disgusted, tired, and scared. All my numbers are great (cholesterol etc.) I don't know if maybe they did something wrong when I had my cath that aggravated the situation or what. I am going to see a new cardiologist at the university of Michigan next month. My GP set up the appt for me...because this is rare and even more rare that it can't be controlled with channel blockers, antispasmodics, statins....etc. and because it became seemingly worse after my cath. I can't imagine having this in another part of my body, hurts so much where it is now. I wish there was a way to fix this! okay too much babbling. Thank you for your input and insight. Shelleylynn
Shelleylynn:
I can't imagine having Prinzmetal's and CCB's not working. Have they told you why they aren't working? I had to try 3 different ones before I found the one that started to give me some control over the spasms. Then I had to have the dosage adjusted several times. The strange thing is that the pain of spasms can be worse than an actual heart attack - that does make it tricky to know where you stand. When I had uncontrolled spasms, my whole life revolved around them. I lived from one attack to the next. I would have to pull over while driving, especially when I got them in my rib cage. It would feel like a rubber band twisting inside me and I would have to literally stretch the spasms out. I thought they were muscular until I learned that my Prinzmetal's could be causing them. Once I got my meds right, all that changed. It was like I was given my life back.
I hope that you are able to find some sort of resolution when you see the specialist. I know how bad living with uncontrolled Prinzmetal's can be. I still have break through spasms when I am stressed out or just randomly. Some are so bad that I feel like I have been kicked in the chest by a mule for days afterwards. But those days are few, for the most part.
Best of luck to you. Stay in touch.
Dianna
I have not heard of bypassing just for Prinzmetal. I could understand it if there was a small amount of blockages that the spasms made worse, so then perhaps. I would think that stents would also be useful at times to keep arteries open during spasms.
I also have spasms in many different places in my trunk area.....sometimes into the tops of my legs and tops or my arms. They can happen all together or just in one place. I think stress is my trigger.
Shellylynn, can you go to cardiac rehab? You wear a heart monitor while exercising and then it gives you confidence to move again. Joyce
I take Lisinopril for blood pressure, Plavix to make sure I never get another nasty clot like the one that caused my MI, Lovastatin for cholesterol,and Diltiazem CD for spasms. I started out on 120mg. of the Diltiazem and that was doubled to 240 after my heart attack. On my own, I take fish oil and milk thistle supplements.
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