Seeking a diagnosis!

sandis12
  • By sandis12 · August 2, 2012 at 7:22 pm · 4 replies
  • In Diagnosis and symptoms
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I have been experiencing chest pains midsternal that radiate to my left arm and between my shoulder blades. I have SOB, Light headedness and simultaneous headaches that throb like I took a nitro tab with the chest pains. The chest pains come at all times of the day, at rest or with activity. I have been hospitalized x2. I have had extensive testing with all results for the heart being negative. They discovered a pulmonary issue that seems to be an obstruction with air exchange...possible vocal cord dysfunction? However, I have been on beta blockers and now calcium channel blockers with some adverse side effects and I am now seeking one that works better with my body. I was having PVC's that were very painful in the hospital and were accompanied by SOB and severe headache. After being on the beta blockers and/or the calcium channel blockers the PVC's frequency were definetly lessened, however the chest pain continued at a lesser intensity even without notible PVC activity. I have now been off medications for over a week and the symptoms are returning in frequency and severity. I have not been diagnosed specifically with anything just the painful PVC's and now pulmonary air flow issues. I am scheduled to see an ENT. I feel I am having coronary artery spasms that were not seen on the heart cath. I have symptoms that could be cardiac syndrome X which just involves spasms of the small arteries in the heart which constitute microvasospasms. I am just concerened as to what long term affects these symptoms will or could have on my heart. I have heart disease on my father's side of the family and two aunts on my mother's side that had masive strokes from bilaterally blocked carotid arteries. I am so desprately seeking a diagnosis. I am so tired of the daily disruption to my life. The side effect of swelling in my ankles and feet along with bilateral leg pain with the beta blockers is just not tolerable. I had vein surgery just last year and don't need to revisit that issue. Now with the Diltiazem I experienced a chest rash and bilateral arm and leg tingling. Oh and I forgot that I also have nausea with my symptoms.

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4 replies   

Millie18

Hi there , If you look under any of the MVD topics you will find all the information you need. It sounds like Cardiac X/MVD/ endothilial dysfunction/ microvascular disease. to me and this condition is so varied in the symptoms as the people that present with it.

Artista

Good day- (one can hope can't they?)
as Millie stated, researching coronary microvascular disease (mvd) will give you correlations to your symptoms. She is sooo right that symptoms vary and are many. You also have this other breathing or O2 concern which, if it is MVD, will certainly exacerbate it. MVD is ischemia occuring in the microvasculature or lack of nitric oxide to properly dilate our tiniest of vessels which feed O2 to the heart muscle.

You must find a cardiologist knowledgeable or at least open to discussing MVD as heart disease. I wish all philosophies were the same on this but some are not quite up to speed, or will not believe what they can not see or stent or balloon! Key to best treatment is the right doc in your corner who is also willing to listen and pone around as well!!!!

Best to you- Annette

sandis12

Thank you artista and millie18! I have since seen a women"s health cardiologist. She sent me to have a cardiac MRI with the medication Regadonson(?sp)... It is like adenosine. Th result is I have subendocardial ischemia that is consistent with micro vascular ischemia... Verbiage of the Dmr reading the images. I also have an enlarged mid left atrium. I also have been diagnosed with mild asthma and vocal cord dysfunction. I am on Cardiazem 180mg ER,which was just recently increased from 120mg, for the chest pains. I have a appointment with my cardiologist in the next two weeks to discuss the MRI results. I have questions as to if she suspects my vessels as having spasms, is there plaque, stiffening of the arteries or if she can even closely decifer any of these since it is in the small vessels.i really appreciate both of your responses. I am so sorry I am just now getting a response back . I have a great GP who is not going to stop until I get relief and return to a somewhat normal lifestyle...that I have definitely begun to adjust to be more of a healthy one.

sandis12

Question?
Does Microvascular Ischemia fall up under Coronary artery disease or up under Microvascular disease (MVD) or is it Microvascular dysfunction. Confusing having seen these terms used interchangeably at times. I have read literature placing Microvascular ischemia under Coronary artery disease. I know the organ is being deprived of oxygenated blood flow in ischemia which can lead to the death of tissue (infarction), whether it is by plaque formation, spasms , or hardening of the arteries. One would think that coronary artery disease would refer to just the coronary artery effects.
So is dysfunction the disease and just used to describe the same?

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