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I'm looking for someone who has this problem, I've been dealing with this for 14 yrs now and its really getting the best me of, in the past month I've been in the hospital twice and my last visit I had another heart cath, this is my 10th one, the only good thing this time there weren't any blockages just the vasa spasms and prinz metal angina. Anyone have any ideas on how they treat this?
Exercise Amlodipine Procardia Lipitor Procardia XL Verapamil Plavix Anxiety Angina Prozac Crestor Stent Norvasc Benicar Zocor Xanax Stress Zetia Cardizem Aspirin Allergies Synthroid Pain Heart attack Nifedipine
Hi, I also have prinzmetal angina. I have had a quad bypass (seven blockages) in 03. Had two stents placed in 05 and just had another stent for a 99% blocked right coronary artery. Having angina and coronary vaso spasms is soooo frustrating for me. I am hospitalized several times a year with severe spasms and am treated with IV nitro until they break. I find the doctors do not understand and sometimes I think they assume I am making up my pain and symptoms. I am on cardizem 240 twice a day, metopolol 50 mg, benicar 20 mg and isosorbide 120 mg twice a day along with crestor, zetia, synthroid, plavix, aspirin and xanax. The cold weather is very bad for my chest pain and spasms. My cardiologist says he does not know what else to do for me. I am in cardiac rehab and am having angina while on the treadmill and bike. Do you have any ideas on how to live with angina and spasms? I also have develope an eye disease called blepharospasms. I am sure it it from the combination of meds I take but can not prove it. Having heaart disease is life changing. I am glad to have found this site and will be able to talk to other heart friends.
The standard treatment for Prinzmetal angina is calcium channel blockers and/or long lasting nitro. I think all of us spasm people also have quick nitro for pain. If you can, go to heart rehab. Also, stress reduction and relaxation techniques are good. Some people take Larginine supplements.
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
I did try rehab and that only made the spasms worse, I spent 15 days in CCU, and it wasn't worth it, up until 2 mths ago I was working, mowing the lawn and cleaning my horse stables, but since this last attack I'm flat out and not able to do anything.Spasms come at all times day or night. I'm going back on arginine again to see if any luck with it, I was on it before my last hospital visit but hadn't noticed any difference. Thanks for your advice.
Perhaps an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant would help if you think your spasms are related to stress. Is there any thing that you think may trigger them? Some think that allergies cause them and take anti histamine. You could ask your doctor about that. It might be worth a try to do away with all foods that have preservatives or are processed for awhile to see it that does anything.
Joyce
Hi Heart Friends,
Could someone tell me how much L-arginine to take? I will try anything that might help with this condition.
Thanks so much,
Kittie
Hi Rojan!
The treatments of choice (as someone has already stated) are calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and long-acting nitrates. I am 50 now and was diagnosed with Prinzmetal's Angina when I was 22 (!) after the birth of my first child. I've tried most everything known to even be marginally effective for spasm relief. For me, the most effective has been amlodipine (Norvasc). Some other CCBs have been effective for the spasms but I can't take them because they disrupt impulse conduction and trigger my arrhythmias. Aside from the amlodipine, several years ago I started speed walking, then jogging, then running... aerobic activity is just about the best known way to increase production and uptake of nitric oxide (NO) which is what allows arteries to relax. It wasn't easy in the beginning, but I was so desperate for ANY relief... I hopped on the treadmill and never looked back. Each day I would increase something... whether it was just going an extra minute or two, going up a notch on the incline, bumping up the speed a little... that way I always knew I was making PROGRESS. The combination of amlodipine and running have literally changed my life... oh, and did I mention the 125 pounds I lost in the process? I personally prefer CCBs to nitrates (I didn't have headaches like many do, but developed nitrate tolerance). I understand your frustration but I believe that you will find that unique combination that works for you! There are a lot of great resources... here and the major search engines (google, googlescholar, etc) for information re: Prinzmetal's Variant Angina (its proper name). You'll also want to search for coronary vasospasm and vasospastic angina. Hope you find some relief soon... glad you're here!!
Terri
I can't really offer any new advice, just saying I understand what you are going through. I take Verapamil, Plavix, Lipitor and aspiring. My spasms come in waves, one week alot of them, then weeks w/o any or hardly any. I haven't found a rhyme or reason to them. Stress though, I believe, does contribute to them.
Go back to your cardio doc. Maybe you just need a change of meds. Either something different or a different dose.
Good luck!
I just found this website and am so grateful to be able to share my concerns with other women who have heart conditions...
I have been going to a cardio doc for 5 years for chest pain when exercising. Have had 2 heart caths and many stress tests which apparently are within normal limits. My doctor has said I might be having spasms but never called it prinz metal angina. How did you and others get an exact diagnosis of this ailment. I am taking Nifedical twice a day but it doesn't do anything for the chest discomfort when I try to walk on my treadmill.
One thing that is puzzling to me is that on certain days I can work around my house, go up and down steps, rake the yard - no pain. But then I might walk up 5 steps and I get slight chest discomfort!!! Drives me crazy!!!!!!!
To Kitty, http://www.jewishhospitalcincinnati.com/cholesterol/Research/prinzmetals_an gina.html
This study recommends 12 grams of L'arginnine. I participated in the study and they recommended to me to take 9 grams per day, which I thought was impossible because of the huge pills to be taken throughout the day. ( my CCB seems to work fairly well) Some people who take L'arginnine regularly take it in something called L'arginnaide which is a powder you mix with water. I think you should ask your doctor if you should try it as it may help you.
To SSgranny, If you click on our names, you will go to each story and many of those say how we were diagnosed.
lvfrogs
Note when your spasms come. I have had prinzmetals since 2004 caught in cath lab. Suddenly, now, they are realizing the spasms are triggered by the hormones in our body. Usually, mine come about a week before I am due for my period, and sometimes the week of. Google ovarian hormones and coronary artery spasm, and you will be quite suprised!
Good luck
Barbara
Thank you Barbara. I no longer have periods but will google that anyway and see if it says anything about menopausal women. I appreciate the advice. I haven't had any lately, so will have to maybe make a note of it on the calendar and see if there is a pattern!
Colleen
Rojan,
Prinzmetal's is the most fickle heart condition to have. I was diagnosed with it in 2005. Had chest pain, arm pain and had a 98% blocked artery (they stented). Then exactly one week later more unbearable chest pain and another heart cath...all they saw was intense spasming in my artery just beyond the stent. 6 months later more chest pain, another cath, and nothing but spasming. Had one more incident of the above that year, but they saw a small blockage and stented it. It was hellish trying to work and seemed like the more stressed I got, the more spasms I had. Procardia XL 60mg (Nifedipine), Plavix, Zocor, Prozac and Xanax have been my daily regimen for the last year and spasms have settled down remarkably. I also retired which reduced stress, but do still smoke. Enemies of this disease are stress, smoking, extreme cold and/or heat and a possible predisposition caused by a mutant gene regarding nitrous oxide within the arteries. There may be more stressors, but these are mine. The right meds for one person may not be the best for you. You have to just work with a good Cardio Dr. until you find the right mix. But NEVER, NEVER, NEVER go anywhere without nitroglycerin (tabs or spray). Nitro will save your life! As some above have mentioned this disease tends to come in cycles - and contrary to what some material says - spasms DO NOT always come at night or at rest. If you can learn to relax and not freak out when the chest pain starts, that and Nitro will help the pain stop significantly quicker. It's hard and it takes time, but eventually you'll come to know what to expect and that the chance of a true spasm-blocked artery causing a full blown heart attack is actually quite rare. Take care and be good to yourself,
Jan
Since my Internist, not cardiologist, upped my Diltizan to 180mg plus my plavix 75mg and Simvastin (Zocor) to 40mg, I have had NO ANGINA. I also take 81 mg of baby aspirin. I carry nitro pills plus another heavy duty nitro which acts like a nitro patch with me. I have no blockage as well.
Hi Jan,
Your prinzmetal angina sounds so much like mine. Mine was also found during a cath, I've now had 10 heart caths.. The 10th one was done 3 weeks ago, no blockages just spasms, which are a real pain.I've been dealing with this since 1995. I take alot of meds to try to ease the pain, xanax does help calm me down when there really bad. I was just put on Ranexa 1000mg. twice a day, hopefully this will help.
I do always carry my nitro. In 1995 I had a 98 % blockage and I've had several others since than, I had a stent put in 2004, than it was blocked 70%.
I just went out on medical leave from my job, the stress was really getting to me.
I've never smoked or drank so I can't say that caused this, maybe 2nd hand smoke, both of my parents smoked.
Thanks for letting me know about you.
Have a good day.
Janis
Thanks Yatchzee. I am going to try the L-Arginine. Today, I was able to walk 1 mile on the treadmill and almost 2 miles on the bike without angina/spasms. I am taking a sublingual nitro prior to exercise. I finally feel like I am making progress. Must admit, I do feel more confident exercising in a monitored cardiac rehab setting, Best heart wishes to everyone.
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