H
Herb M
Anyone have any solutions for eliminating or reducing the occurrence of angina, other than nitro or a stent.
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
Lots of things can cause chest pain.
Have you had a heart catheterization and angiogram?
Do you KNOW that your chest pain is angina?
Do you KNOW that your chest pain is a result of coronary artery disease and blockage?
Deciding when to go to the ER and when to just ride it out can be 'difficult'.
You really need to discuss this with your cardiologist and come up with a mutually acceptable plan.
'AL'
Have you had a heart catheterization and angiogram?
Do you KNOW that your chest pain is angina?
Do you KNOW that your chest pain is a result of coronary artery disease and blockage?
Deciding when to go to the ER and when to just ride it out can be 'difficult'.
You really need to discuss this with your cardiologist and come up with a mutually acceptable plan.
'AL'
H
Herb M
Al, thanks for your response.
I have had aout a half dozen angiograms and have about 6 stents and have also had angioiplasty. I can recognize the difference between angina and a chest pain related to a heart attack. The angina stops when I slow down or stop what I am doing. I have 2 cardiologists. During my last angiogram I was told that the stents and arteries were OK and the problem was probably small vessels feeding the heart, too small for angioplasty
I have had aout a half dozen angiograms and have about 6 stents and have also had angioiplasty. I can recognize the difference between angina and a chest pain related to a heart attack. The angina stops when I slow down or stop what I am doing. I have 2 cardiologists. During my last angiogram I was told that the stents and arteries were OK and the problem was probably small vessels feeding the heart, too small for angioplasty
Herb,
Sounds like you don't get much of a choice in this. I'm sorry to hear that they haven't come up with any good treatment for this issue.
You seem to have a strong grasp of where you are with this, and a straightforward attitude about it.
I assume you're already thinning your blood with at least aspirin, or maybe Coumadin (warfarin), or plavix, or a combination of two. If for some reason you're not, I would discuss the potential benefits with your cardiologists.
Is there a possibility of a drip treatment of a clotbuster for you? There are some Drano-type drugs that can help dissolve some of the plaque, although they are limited in how often you can use them. There are also some drugs that can make it easier for the heart to work with what it has. But if you've got two cardiologists, you've probably discussed those options as well.
As far as strategies:
Before surgery, I found that hyperventilating before and during effort seemed to forestall angina.
I also was careful when lifting to "breathe through" the lift, rather than taking a breath and "setting" my chest. Same thing when squatting or bending down.
These things help to increase the available oxygen in the blood, which is what the heart is likely crying out for. Even though there is not good blood flow in those smaller vessels, if the blood that does get there is carrying more oxygen, it stands to reason that the heart muscle has to get more.
Of course, there is bottled or concentrated oxygen as well, but I suspect you'd rather leave that for the distant future. That likely wouldn't be a first-line treatment, but it isn't nitro or another stent.
Best wishes,
Sounds like you don't get much of a choice in this. I'm sorry to hear that they haven't come up with any good treatment for this issue.
You seem to have a strong grasp of where you are with this, and a straightforward attitude about it.
I assume you're already thinning your blood with at least aspirin, or maybe Coumadin (warfarin), or plavix, or a combination of two. If for some reason you're not, I would discuss the potential benefits with your cardiologists.
Is there a possibility of a drip treatment of a clotbuster for you? There are some Drano-type drugs that can help dissolve some of the plaque, although they are limited in how often you can use them. There are also some drugs that can make it easier for the heart to work with what it has. But if you've got two cardiologists, you've probably discussed those options as well.
As far as strategies:
Before surgery, I found that hyperventilating before and during effort seemed to forestall angina.
I also was careful when lifting to "breathe through" the lift, rather than taking a breath and "setting" my chest. Same thing when squatting or bending down.
These things help to increase the available oxygen in the blood, which is what the heart is likely crying out for. Even though there is not good blood flow in those smaller vessels, if the blood that does get there is carrying more oxygen, it stands to reason that the heart muscle has to get more.
Of course, there is bottled or concentrated oxygen as well, but I suspect you'd rather leave that for the distant future. That likely wouldn't be a first-line treatment, but it isn't nitro or another stent.
Best wishes,
H
Herb M
Tobagotwo,
As long as I pace myself, I do not have problems with the angina. I am on Coumadin and aspirin.
One of the cardiologists recommended I try EECP which is a pulsating pressure cuffs on legs and thighs. It is very hig pressure that pulses between the heartbeats. I is supposed to drive more blood to the heart and buiuld new small vessels. There has been success with about 75 percent of the people who tried it. It is a 10 week session, 5 times a week. I tried it, and it beat the heck out of my thighs and legs. They turned totally blue after 5 sessions due to bleeding and I had problems walking. I visited my doctor and eventually passed out there because of a very low blood pressure. I was immediately hospitalized for several days, taken of coumadin and received 4 units of blood. It took a few weeks for my legs and thighs to get back to normal.
The procedure should not have been recommended for someone on blood thinners. Sometimes doctors do not know too much.
As long as I pace myself, I do not have problems with the angina. I am on Coumadin and aspirin.
One of the cardiologists recommended I try EECP which is a pulsating pressure cuffs on legs and thighs. It is very hig pressure that pulses between the heartbeats. I is supposed to drive more blood to the heart and buiuld new small vessels. There has been success with about 75 percent of the people who tried it. It is a 10 week session, 5 times a week. I tried it, and it beat the heck out of my thighs and legs. They turned totally blue after 5 sessions due to bleeding and I had problems walking. I visited my doctor and eventually passed out there because of a very low blood pressure. I was immediately hospitalized for several days, taken of coumadin and received 4 units of blood. It took a few weeks for my legs and thighs to get back to normal.
The procedure should not have been recommended for someone on blood thinners. Sometimes doctors do not know too much.
