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Prinzmetal's angina

lvfrogs
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Hi everyone,
For those of you with Prinzmetals and haven't had a heart attack, are you struggling with exercise, working in the yard, climbing stairs and many more things? The reason I ask this is because last year I went to a football game and could barely climb the stadium steps (and I exercised regularing - walking/dancing) and I couldn't understand why. This past April I was diagnosed with cardiac spams and one small blockage (only about 30%) where two arteries intersect. My cardio doctor hasn't said anything about my shortness of breath, I can only work out in the yard for a short time, I still can barely walk up stairs. My question, as stupid as it will sound, is this from my heart condition or something else???
I am supposed to go to another football game this year and I want to go but am afraid of trying to climb those stadium steps. Any advice and thank you all!
Colleen

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Asthma Aspirin Chronic fatigue syndrome Albuterol Angina Pain Heart attack Stress

15 replies

pammy1944

i have prinzmetals but my arteries are clear ........i too have trouble with 'effort'

pammy1944

forgot to say .........i had an MI in april

lvfrogs

Thank you for replying. I need to ask my cardio doc but I don't go back to him until January so wanted to post on here and see what other women's experiences were. Thank you!

Yatchzee

If I am just having spasms and no pain, I can get moving slowly and the spasms go away. I can go to the gym and do an aerobics class for an hour, come home, sit down and the spasms start up again. At times, I can not do as much at class because of some shortness of breath so I just adjust to it and do less, next time I might be fine. However, if I am having pain with the spasms, I cannot move much as it hurts more when I do. I have shortness of breath going up long flight of stairs or steep hill all the time but especially when I first start off.
Would you say, Colleen, that your shortness of breath is always the same? Or can you do more at times without shortness of breath?
I can see why you are questioning the symptoms. Joyce

shelleylynn

My prinzmetals only affects me at rest......I know it's going to be a bad day though, if I get short of breath climbing stairs. To me it is obvious that the to are connected and if your cardologist has not addressed you shortness of bread....get a new one!
shelleylyll

oldfogie

Would you please explain to me your symptoms when you have this? I looked up my symptoms and this fit it to a tee, but my dr said no to this. Please explain what you experience and then I will explain mine. Thanks.
old fogie

oldfogie

Would you please explain to me what happens when this occurs? My symptoms are fitting those that I found online, but my dr says that I do not have it. I just want to know what people experience when they have these attacks. Thanks.
old fogie

Yatchzee

Old fogie, put Prinzmetal into the search on this site and the old posts about it will come up and you can get a feel for it. But, basically, the symptoms are the same as other heart problems, shortness of breath, crushing feeling in chest, dull or sharp pain in chest, arm, back, neck, jaw. Not sure if anyone has nausea with Prinzmetal. I don't. Not sure if everyone feels the spasms all the time. I get a shakiness in my trunk, which I feel in the night and first thing when I wake up. It makes me think I am weak from not eating or have had too much caffeine.
Joyce

lvfrogs

Thank you everyone for replying. My shortness of breath comes and goes but is much worse whenever I do any exertion, whether it is exercise or working in the yard, carrying heavy stuff....
Joyce,
You have had a heart attack right? That is what I was wondering, if those who hadn't had a heart attack were finding it hard to exercise, with a diagnosis of Prinzmetal? You are always so helpful, thank you!
To oldfogie:
My Prinzmetals symptoms are basically pain in my left side, sometimes in my shoulders and arms, sometimes in my chest but most of the time, it comes at rest and passes fairly quickly. I have had it at times, be very sharp pain, nausea, faintness, but mostly for me, it is pain on my left side of my chest and goes away fairly quickly. Let us know what happens,
Collen

shelleylynn

get a new cardiologist!!!

oldfogie

Thanks, but right now it is impossible. I just cannot afford another one right now. When or if I get disability, I will. I need to do something, for there is something wrong and I do not have a dr, but him.
old fogie

oldfogie

These are my symptoms. Mine occurs usually while I am sleeping or resting on the couch. It occurs right in the middle of my chest and I feel like I am dying. It lasts about 30 minutes. This only occurs once or twice a month. Sometimes I am blessed with none occuring. Sometimes the nitro clears it and sometimes it does not. It is one of the worst pains I have every experience, except a slipped disk. I can barely move during these incidents. Right now, I am having pain and tightness in my left side just above my breast. It has been going on all day. It started in church this morning and my chest kept getting tighter and tighter and I could not breathe, so someone took me home, for I remembered I neglected to take my asthma meds this morning. I did two puffs of Albuterol at three different interval, my max with no results. I walked outside to warm up and still no results, so a lady took me home to take my meds and it got better. I came home piddled around a bit and it has returned. I am not sure now whether is asthma, heart, or both. I have had this pain off and on since yesterday. Last night, I took an antacid with no results and an aspirin with no results. I am having difficulty breathing like this morning. It feels like my there is either something on my chest or something in it. I have been able to do very little today because it gets worse with movement. If anyone has this problem, please let me know what it is. I have thought about going to the ER with it, but I hate to here those words, not cardiac related and they do not find the problem. I am so fed up with drs. old fogie

lvfrogs

Thank you ShelleyLynn,
I will talk to my cardio doctor about this. Everything sort of happened at once. I have had a rough year health wise with alot of different symptoms, many doctors, it has been frustrating.

Old Fogie,
If I were you and you still feel this way, go to the ER - you can get checked out and hopefully, some answers. Don't let anyone put you off!!

Yatchzee

Colleen, I am not sure if I am repeating myself, but sometimes I have more shortness of breath than other times. I never know. I sometimes have it right at first when exercising and then it slowly goes away and then I can ramp up the exercise. I do get a small amount of SOB when going fast up a long flight of stairs. My last stress test at doctors o ffice was not as good as the prior one, so at this point we don't know if I had a spasm right then and could not do as much or if I am getting some blockages. I have a feeling it is getting blockages because generally, I have more shortness of breath more often. I think we have to keep our arteries especially clear so the spasms don't close them up.
Old Fogie, It certainly sounds like you could have Prinzmetal becauses of the night and morning symptoms. You can take 3 nitros, 5 minutes apart.
Sometimes, if I am having a really bad spell, I don't get full relief from 3 nitros, but it is enough relief. Then awhile later, I might repeat the 3 every 5 minutes. Then, I try relaxation techniques, just watching tv, reading, getting my mind off of the discomfort. ( it is not so bad I think I should go to ER)
Joyce

lvfrogs

Hi Joyce,
Always so good to talk to you because you do make everything so clear. I guess I thought that my Prinzmetal would not affect me the way it has. I thought I would take the meds for the spasms and then I would be normal, like before. But reading these posts, I guess not. I do know that if I go to dance class, like tonight, I will get short of breath way more easily and it will take me two days later to recover. Part of that is the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome too.
I am concerned about going to the football game because I truly am not sure I can make it up the steps.
My husband keeps blowing it off but I think it is a true concern and hate to find out when I get there, that I can't do it. Or worse, start having spasms.
Thanks for all your help as always!
Colleen

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