angina

I consider angina my friend.  For a long, long time, I didn't realize that the pain across my middle back was angina.  But it kept getting worse, especially with physical exertion.  I finally connected the dots, got a scan, it showed blockage, and I underwent sucessful bypass surgery.  That was about 6 years ago, and everything has been OK.  Here's my question.....if I ever develop coronary artery blockage again, can I depend on my old friend angina for a return engagement, giving me the early warning that it did before? 

pjblevin

Annie: Thanks for your response. But I certainly accept no credit for astute diagnosis. In the final progression of my back pain, the sequence went something like this: No pain. Walk briskly. Back pain would begin and intensify. By about 100 feet, I would have to stop. Pain would then go away. Walk another 100 feet, and the pain would start up again. It didn't take any high-end analysis at this point for me to realize that I was experiencing angina. That's when I turned myself in & got tested & had the bypass surgery. I guess I'm trying to find out what the odds are.....should I get cardiac blockage again.....that angina will come to my aid as it did before? I'm certainly not getting any answer from my doctors.

pjblevin

Welcome to the foum pjblevin we are happy to have you join us here.  I think Annie has brought up a very good point that perhap "your doc dosent want to speculate on how the next heart attack will go"...it is very difficult to define these things and I believe that the signs for people are differant.  I think that once you have gone through this before you are going to be more aware of your body and the conditions should something happen again.  The only advice I would give would be to follow up with your doctor and Cardiologist regularly and eat healthly, exercise and hopefully you wont have to go through this again.

I have taken the liberty of pulling up some information for you on angina so if you want you can read up.  I hope you continue to use HW as a resource...it is a great place for information and support.  Not to mention but we just have some wonderful people here.  Take care

http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Heart/heart_attack_identifying.htm

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9454.html

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4591

I am glad you found healing well also pjblevin, it can really be helpful for a lot of people.  Even if you dont directly get your question answered you will people who have had similiar experiances and can relate to what your going through thus giving you support.  In the end that can be priceless.  Okay now I sound like that credit card commercial...but it is true...   

As for my heart conditions, I have sick sinus syndrom, bradycardia and a septal defect.  I also have multiple sclerosis which was diagnosed almost 6 yrs ago so, back pain and spasms are very familiar to me.  What brought on my heart problems (except for the septal defect which I have had since birth) is an autonomic disorder called multiple system atrophy and this started in August 2005.  I had chest pain, chest pressure, fainting (from low blood pressure), back pain and spasms and blurry vision.  My first two weeks in the hospital I got a pacemaker (I was 31 at the time) and then medication to control my BP which remained low.  I always have chest pain and pressure and back spasms so it is confusing to me even now to tell which is my MS and which is my heart.  Even my doctors cant seperate it out...After all this time between my cardiologist and neurologist I am sure I have paid off both of thier BMW's by now in doctor visits and tests...

Anyhow, I do hope you keep posting.  We are always here...