Anyone Heard Of Microvascular Angina? It Can Be Assoc W/breathlessness

[RichGotsPots]

I just read this study http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/82/6/2011.full.pdf

Microvascular angina is basically chest pain without ischemia (thus without blockage of an artery) they diagnose it kind of by exclusion, but I read an interesting article that says it is also associated with breathlessness and this particular study notes they are investigating smooth muscle issues of the bronchi in association with it because they think they found smooth muscle issues in the artery of the arms of these patients..

I dont know if I go along with the studies theory but its results are they found more patients have brochi smooth muscle responses than the general population...

I read they generally treat it with calcium channel blocker. hmmm.. those can cause constriction of the brochi smooth muscle, so I wonder what this research doc would prescribe and I wonder if this is what I have...

[E246]

Hi Rich,

Yes i have even asked a cardio if it is possible this is what i have but he wasn't having it.

Was just thinking about you as my symptoms now include breathlessness with and without very slow hr. It feels like hypertension in my chest but arm bp at the moment ok.

I am about to get a lot of tests done so might get closer to understanding.

Any suggestions for chest pressure relief.

[tachyfor50years]

Is this and (cardiac syndrome X) the same?

[RichGotsPots]

Is this and (cardiac syndrome X) the same?

Yes this is one type, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_syndrome_X

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microangiopathy

I emailed one of the leading cardiologist in this area and he emailed me back! He said the only way he diagnosis it is with a MRI exercise cardiac stress test and nothing else! Wow!

I never ever heard of this test, but it sounds like to me I should be getting this done ASAP. Sounds to me like it could tell me if blood is augmenting away from my chest. But he says it cant tell the blood flow of the lungs, i dont know why

Best,

Rich

[bellgirl]

Because lung tissue is more dense, maybe, Rich...Just a guess? How interesting...I've never heard of this test either..interesting!!

[RichGotsPots]

I wish they had either a standing perfusion test or a standing CT scan, i think it would be able to tell.

[E246]

Rich - does your breathlessness go away when you lie down?

I am waiting for a stress echo - not sure how they do this but really glad after 18months of banging on about chest pain and now shortness of breathe - which is a new symptom.

Also having a ct scan with contrast - have you had this - I think this shows lung function - or maybe I am wrong?

What tests would you suggest with breathlessness?

I think microvascular angina can only be diagnosised by excluding everything else.

Like you I feel like I have either that or pulmonary hypertension.

[RichGotsPots]

Emma- I got as regular echo, then made them do an upright echo, just to check if my pulmonary pressure changed when standing. My insurance wouldnt cover a stress echo, but I dont know if it would find anything because they lie you back down after you exercise anyway and most issues happen while standing.

Laying down is better than standing or walking for my breathlessness but by no means will it stop it or make it go away.. The only way I get breathless when I'm laying down is if I'm hot, dehydrated, eat too much or am stressed :-(

I've had a High resolution CT scan, it doesn't show function it shows if there are large tumors (lung cancer- but not small cell lung cancer) or scarring from a number of things like fibrosis or from COPD and if you get it with contrast it shows if there is a clot. I didnt want to get the contrast in case i was allergic so I pushed them to give me a Perfusion lung scan which is a nuclear scan of the lung which also can show if there is clotting... Both of mine were good..

I want to get a standing MRI of my lung because MRI with contrast is suppose to show blood flow in the organs so it can tell if there is blood moving away from my lungs or heart when I stand...