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Hello All,
I read on another post about this and wanted to do research on the internet but am coming up with a blank wall, not much info. Does anyone have this and/or does anyone have a link to info about this? It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Colleen
Exercise Asthma Heart disease Cancer Lipitor Cardizem GERD Chronic fatigue syndrome Breast cancer Verapamil Plavix Angina Pain Coreg Ambien Floaters Stress
Dear Colleen... a lot of us have this problem, so you are not alone.
Here is some info I found regarding micro vascular disease. I hope it helps. I have more info if you would like it!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511164612.htm
Carolyn
Oh and you can also do a google search for the W.I.S.E study.
I was diagnosis with this and the pain I have on a daily is hard to deal with but I was started on Cardizem and it has already been increase to 240mg so I'm hoping it work out for me.
Careh,
Thanks for responding. I read the article and it does help. I am looking for an article with a list of symptoms that I can take to my cardio. I do think this could possibly be part of my problem along with the cardiac spasms and I would like to talk to him about it.
I will look up the W.I.S.E. study. Haven't had time yet but wanted to thank you!
Colleen
I was hospitalized 9/26/09- 9/29/09 with unstable angina, uncontrolled HTN after an ER visit. My 9/28/09 heart cath was "clear"..so I was written of as reflux disease, overweight and CRAZY. And to top it all off last Monday I received a notice from my medical insurance stating they did'nt approve my hospital admission..and I should of been outpatient for 23 hours instead. Well I can't go backwards and change that. My ER visit notes list my condition as guarded..and admit inpatient..and it was the weekend. Needless to say I left the hospital on 9/29/09 still hurting, fatigued, and short of breath..and I did'nt need my medical insurance company we PAY for dearly to do this to me NOW !! My cardiologist is going to help me fight this nonsense..I hope his input sways the insurance company to do their job correctly and quit harassing me !!!
I too have MICRO vascular heart disease. That is why my heart cath was "clear"....it only images the BIG coronary arteries. Fortunately my outpatient cardiologist ( he can't do inpatient NOW because he left a previous practice and they are forcing restrictive covenants on him until 9/2010) is AWESOME..and he reassured me I'm not nuts...and it's just not stress ..or anything to be poo-pooed off. I asked him last Wednesday what tests can we do to confirm MICRO vascular disease. He said there is a special type of cardiopulmonary stress test..but he has to travel a long way to do such..and it is expensive and he is not out for just the "money" like some cardiologists are.( I think why he left his former practice ?? ) He instead placed me on CAD medications ..and told me if I feel better ..then we have confirmed MICRO vascular heart disease. He put me on Ranexa and Coreg. Let me say that FINALLY for the first time in 3 weeks I can walk across the room w/o being winded, my chest discomfort is very minimal compared to before and I am functional again !!! Of course I have decided to incorporate major lifestyle changes as well. HUGE wake-up call for me !!!
I am 41 yo, about 5'9 and 230 lbs..obese..and have a positive family Hx. of premature CAD . ( My father had his first coronary bypass at age 45..and his brother DIED at age 45 due to second massive MI ) I also have as history of HTN, GERD, and asthma.
So don't let your docs belittle your symptoms. I am blessed to have Dr. T as my heart doc. We females do have different patterns of coronary disease than our male counterparts..and much of the medical profession is still unware of this fact and writes us off as emotional or crazy. If your doc does that...find a new doc !! And by the way, I am a Physican Assistant myself. Read the WISE study ..it makes much sense !!!
Could not agree more with the above comments. I was diagnosed in 2007....I had a good cardio and he kept testing me....still at the end said"this might be microcardio vascular"...put on a calcium blocker...and Liptor...within a few days....I was feeling 100% improved after having suffered about 4 months. Please use it as a wake up call....I exercise 5 out 7 days....cardio...30 minutes....and have lost weight and changed eating habits...there are several well know cardiologists (female) that have studied this...google them up....Mayo in Rochester, Dr. Sharonne Haywood, someone at Mt. Siani in California and another one at Cleveland Clinic...we just have to keep fighting...tests really can't 100% determine it...but if isn't lung issues...WHY.... there is another test endothelium (sp)..I had it .... it verified. Be well and welcome...you'd be surprised how much you can learn.
Yes, I've ditched SODAs and eating out the past two weeks almost, cut my fat and sodium in my diet..and I've tried to at least walk 30 minutes (remember I was pretty sedentary pre-hospital ) a day. Just got home from a 45 minute walk with my doggie..and wore her out too !! Since I'm on the meds as of WED I at least NOW have the reserves to "get moving". It's embarrasing to admit..but even as a 14 year practicing Family Practice PA, I did'nt know about MICRO vascular coronary disease..and neither do many of my colleagues !! But I KNOW NOW !!! And thank goodness I know a decent cardiologist locally I can send my patients to who can HELP them !!! Yep, my first thoughts on that cath table when I saw the film was "See, not me ..not my heart, I'm OK. "because it was CLEAR..but YES, it is your heart ..and you better listen and CHANGE validated by my outpatient cardiologist, Dr. T. My parents have been "heart healthy" for years..as all my dads CAD was revealed as I was completing my undergrad college studies. Matter of fact it was during his bypass procedure that I even found out what a PA was. They have been great cheerleaders helping me with my diet..and I don't care ..even at 41 yo..I'm still their baby..and that's ok with me. My Dad jokes he has to take care of me because I may be his only available source of healthcare with all the healthcare changes being proposed currently in Washington.
My cardiologist has also ordered a sleep study as well..as he says OSA..can be very detrimental to you heart health too. I had one 3-4 years ago..borderline results..but Dr. T re-iterates nicely to me..it's been three years..you need an updated study. I will be the patient and listen to my doc !!!
Colleen,
When you search try goolging coronary microvascular disease and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. I have been doing a lot of reading on the topic. About 5 years ago microvascular disease was in the popular press, I have seen a few news clips from the networks. It also appears that there are many articles in medical journals but of course you have to pay to read them and print them. I find it outragous that we have to find our own diagnosis and present it to the doctors but we have to advocate for ourselves. I'm in that process myself. Good luck
I am so glad to see that the others with this disease are able to exercise....I get out of breath and have chest pains just walking in my house! Of course my last cath was in 2000 and I haven't had any other tests (except irregular EKG's) done since 2004, so my doctor has told me it may be "more than just micro vascular", but who knows? My electrical problems don't help any either. I do try to walk a lot and I am pretty active at my job, but everything makes me short of breath and causes palpitations. I always need to rest after work and I have unrelenting fatigue most days. My cardiologist just says this is all normal for me and he'll see me in a year. (UGH)
It is nice to know this condition is taken seriously by some one. I try to ignore it.
Thank you everyone for responding. You don't know how helpful you have been and this site is wonderful for that. It is always my first resource to come to.
I want to answer the posts individually too.
to Kmps: Thank you. I will google those individuals and thanks for the name of the test. I am glad that you are doing better and feel better. I am on Verapamil, Plavix and Lipitor. I have not seen much improvement though. I also have CFS so I think that probably makes it all worse. Hard to know if it is CFS or my heart or both. I forgot to mention, when I had my heart caths, he did say that I had very small arteries, not clogged, just small, that made me think of this too.
Maternalcaregiver, thank you for your story. It is so helpful to hear how others are dealing with it and glad that you are doing better also!
Trigrandma - yes, a shame we have to research ourselves, but I am finding it more and more that I have to do that. Sad, but true. I hope you are getting answers.
Careh, don't ignore it!! As you know, it won't go away. Maybe you have something else going on.I don't think unrelenting fatigue is normal, no matter what a doctor says.I have that too and have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but that doesn't make it normal or ok. You need to tell your doctor about your chest pain and sob. Are you on meds? Maybe you just need different ones. I plan on asking my doc that too.
Let me know how all of you are! I care,
Colleen
It's me again....interesting the last 4-5 months...terribly restless sleep. My family physician ordered an night oxygen test...very simple...took an Ambien (generic version)....went to sleep with the finger deal...return monitor to clinic the next day....she called and said...appears you have definite issues with level of oxygen level at night....many times...kept dropping into the high 70's..normal 90. I then had to see the "sleep doc"....he looked in my mouth...his words..."oh my gosh....no wonder....you are 4...also said did you know you have a very narrow back of your throat....no kidding, I have to have kids dental x-rays....so on to sleep study in early November....you are young...in comparison to me...you will be surprised how good you will eventually feel. Hang in there....this is a great site...I read it everyday....and seldom contribute except when it is about MVCD....I don't believe enough women know about it and if we don't fight .... nobody including the press thinks it is anything serious. HD greatest killer of women....and all we hear about is Breast Cancer, etc as a killer of women....who and where is our advocacy? Ourselves!Don't think the American Heart Association does much to promote women's heart issues... sorry, but I got it off my chest!
P.S. when I had my cath done....was "clear as a bell" as he said...except for some floaters....pretty normal...according to the experts...those floaters are often tiny particles from the small vessel blockages that break off...calcium....but not calcium as we think about...my doc thought they were nothing... Dr. Haywood said it is a big indicator...
Dear Colleen, it is sweet of you to care about all of us!
I should probably clarify that my fatigue is always connected to my other symptoms..when my SOB, pain, and/or arrythmias aren't bothering me, I don't feel tired, but when the other things kick in, I feel as if I can't even function. I have to lie down and rest, even if I had a good night's sleep. My doctor just doesn't take anything seriously because I haven't had any current tests. He just sees me once a year to update my meds, and hopes I won't bother him again until the next appointment. (It might have to do with the fact that we are only able to make small payments to his office each month.) He did say to go to ER if symptoms don't abate with nitro, but so far, it has kicked them. (Thank Heavens!)
I am so glad we all have each other to talk to!
Carolyn
Kmps,
Good luck with the sleep study and let us know how it turns out. I have heard that people have gotten great relief once it was figured out they had a problem. I hope this will be the case with you. and vent anytime. I agree with you. There is not enough attn. about it. Even the Dr. Oz episode they mentioned, it could have been a whole show and not just a fairly small segment. Better than nothing I guess.
Carolyn,
Do you think you should get a new cardio doc? I am new to all of this, just sort of fell into finding out and I don't know if my doc is doing all the right things or not. Maybe I should call him to say, "I don't feel better". My appt isn't until Jan/Feb. Can't remember now. I don't have alot of episodes but I am always unrelentingly fatigued. Could just stay in bed all day. How does one know if we are better? Too many questions I guess. I hope that you are feeling good today!!
and yes, this is so nice. It has truly been a lifesaver for me.
Colleen
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