WWYD in my situation? - heart worry

[HyacinthBouquetNo1]

Just wondering for any ideas on this problem I have please and am I doing the right thing in ignoring it?

I am trying to go for a 10 minute walk every day to get moving and get fitter but I am finding that I cannot walk up any kind of incline at all, after less than 100 metres, my chest feels like it has pressure on it and I cannot get a full breath in, I have to breathe very shallowly. This continues until I get to the top, when I have to rest for a minute or walk very slowly on the level until it passes and I can breathe properly again. This happens every time without fail. I cannot walk and talk at the same time, this has been the case for the past couple of years. I cannot even walk up one flight of stairs at home without getting breathless and having to rest. I sometimes get the pressure/cannot breathe feeling at rest too.

I know I should probably go to the Dr again, but I bet they are heartily sick of me, I saw a Cardiologist a couple of years ago (details below) and I got the impression that he thought I was fussing about nothing, that my tests were ok and that there was nothing wrong with me, I feel like such a nuisance, hypochondriac, time waster, etc. So I am really reluctant to go back. He did start me on Bisoprolol and Nicorandil which I take every day.

Background:
Woman, mid 40s, slightly overweight, high cholesterol, non-smoker. Some health problems: fibromyalgia, IBS, bile salt malabsorption.

Now about 4 years ago, I started with breathlessness, tachycardia and chest pressure/sort of pains. Had numerous tests and was told it was probably coronary artery spasm.

Tests I have had about 3/4 years ago:
Lung function tests- Normal.
Echocardiogram – Normal
Exercise stress test- only managed about 3 minutes due to kind of collapsing with complete dizziness and exhaustion, felt and looked dreadful, took me the whole weekend laid on the sofa to recover, results show “subtle changes”
ECGs- have always shown tachycardia and previous ECGs have shown T wave inversions in numerous leads which lead me to have a coronary angiogram which was normal.

So, (sorry for epic post) I will admit I am slighty concerned that at my age and being a non-smoker, I am so incapacitated but maybe I am just unfit. Am I ok just to keep pushing through this chest tightness or should I avoid walking at all? I did wonder if I had microvascular angina as this does not show up on an angiogram but surely the Drs would have thought of this? And even if I did, I think I am on the appropriate treatment anyway? I just don’t know.

I don’t know what to do for the best really. Am I being neurotic?

Any advice appreciated.
TY in advance

Compared to a normally averagely fit person, does your breathlessness/fatigue seem unusually extreme or does it seem normal given your overall level of health?

If all else is unclear, do you suffer from indigestion or reflux? If so, mention it to the doctor when you go back.

Could you be anaemic? This kind of breathlessness sounds like it to me. What are your iron levels like?

I hope you get some answers soon.

thanks for replies. I don't think that I am anaemic. I do have a lot of indigestion symptoms and have recently been investigated for that. Bloods all normal and gastroscopy completely normal, seems likely functional dyspepsia. I do have vitamin B12 anaemia but have been on injection for the last 9 years.

oh and yes, my fatigue is extreme, but I am diagnosed with fibro. I do have an abnormal brain MRI but further tests did not indicate MS.

That is NOT cool. I would not be happy about your symptoms of I were you and I can't say I wouldn't have gone to the doctors either.

Your base level of fitness may well be affecting you. Walking everyday is incredibly good in principle but lightheaded and needing to stop after an incline is absolutely not.

Have you thought about something like a seated pedal exerciser? They're usually not very expensive but may be a good way for you to begin to increase your base level of fitness in a safe controlled environment. (You can also do it watching TV which is a major win!)

If you can build up your stamina doing seated exercises but find that you are still experiencing the hill problem then your doctor may well appreciate your symptoms with renewed perspective.

I think lots of Fibro sufferers really struggle with exercise so the fact that you're out there is really commendable. It sounds like your GPs have given you the go-ahead so if it was me, I'd continue with the exercise but maybe avoid the inclines until you see an improvement in fitness! I have no diagnosis but I do get out of breath quickly and it is down to complete lack of fitness!

I am much the same but used to be very fit till I had a particular type of (auto- immune mediated)pneumonia. Is your tachycardia postural - ie only in the head up position ( standing, sitting). I ask because I have POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia). Its due to difficulties with the automatic control mechanisms rather than any heart problem, and does not seem to part of a cardiologists remit, and cardiac tests come out norma- apart from tachycardial. Breathlessness is not normally part of POTS but I it is for me ( and my O2sats drop). Worth looking into perhaps.
If the breathlessness is a new symptom, perhaps you should discuss it with your GP.

Hi @HyacinthBouquetNo1
I know this is a really old post but wondering how you got on, if you can update. I have exactly same symptoms and same ecg, awaiting gp appointment on Tuesday

do have vitamin B12 anaemia but have been on injection for the last 9 years
How often? Breathlessness walking up a hill is the first symptom I get when I'm due an injection. Or just walking straight and talking. 3 days after my injection and I am better, a week later and I can run 10k. That's every 5 to 6 weeks. I've now been told you shouldn't wait for symptoms to appear to inject so I do one every 2 weeks.

Do you find you are better after an injection? Your issue could be a mix of issues. If your only physical activity is a daily 10mns walk, you are bound to be unfit. Add the B12 deficiency, extra weight and fybro, it's not very surprising.

Continue to exercise, consider closer injections and try to lose weight if you can and in 6 months time, you should feel much better.

I have coronary artery spasm. I have low level chest pain most of the time, with occasional acute chest pain. I have a GTN spray which usually fixes it pretty quickly.