Episode of intense chest pain on Saturday night. Variant angina?

[flourella]

I had an episode of intense chest and jaw pain on Saturday night: sudden onset while lying down, felt like my ribcage was crushing in on itself, with an equivalent pain in my jaw towards my ear. I've had a fair few of them before going back around 15 years but they've lasted only around 10 minutes; this one lasted more like 30 and was staggeringly painful. I nearly called 999 but wimped out, and then it did eventually diminish.

I also have had an issue with air hunger for at least a year, whereby I have to take a huge deep breath a few times a minute most of every day. I've put this down to anxiety, but am mentioning it in case it's connected.

I am nearly 40 and have had atypical bulimia for more than 20 years. These days I only eat and drink anything every other day at most (have had nothing since Friday but will today), and when I do eat, it is always a massive binge lasting a few hours followed by vomiting (obviously I am digesting some stuff as the binge continues, otherwise I would be very much dead)

Called the GP today and just had a telephone appointment. Was told that it couldn't be a heart attack because of my age and lack of risk factors, and couldn't be angina because it only ever happens at rest. I reminded GP about my bulimia and told her that I'd read (on Mumsnet! And also BHF website) about variant/vasospastic/Printzmetal angina or coronary artery spasm/vasospasm and she agreed that that could be relevant and a possibility but still said that a referral to Cardiology would be inappropriate

Am I worried about nothing? I can't go to A&E 36 hours after the event when I'm feeling fine (apart from standard air hunger, as above). What should I do?

Sorry, just bumping this really. But I did just ring the BHF helpline and the nurse said that I really should have blood tests done now, rather than wait for the next incident. Can I speak to a GP about the same issue again to ask them to refer me for blood tests, or is that not on given that today's GP didn't think it was necessary? Are blood tests even being done at the moment?

Can you go to a walkin centre?

You were very silly not to call 999 when it happened. You can still attend A&E now and get a blood test and ECG.

Can you go to A&E to say that nothing is happening now but it might've done the other day? I'd feel like an idiot. If the tests can show something after the event, why not refer to Cardiology in a more measured fashion, rather than treat like an emergency when it's over? Genuine question, by the way; I've never needed an ambulance and only been to A&E when I broke a couple of toes as a child.

Obviously I want to know if it's a condition that needs medicating and monitoring. Does anyone know anything about variant angina, and if it sounds like that? Or could it just be mineral deficiencies due to the eating disorder?

Could it be gallstone attack? I had crushing chest pain that went down my left arm, up my jaw, back of my neck. You could suggest this and ask for blood tests and an ultrasound.

I was misdiagnosed twice. 1st by a&e who said I had plurecy even tho I presented no symptoms at all and hadn't been unwell.

2nd time by the paramedic who told me I had a panic attack. Turned out I have gallstones and one was blocking my liver duct and I have an I blamed gallbladder. Now waiting surgery to have it removed.

*inflamed

Ispywithmycynicaleye thanks for that suggestion; it sounds possible from what you describe. The only thing that didn't fit the angina description was that heart pain is apparently usually felt on the left and I could feel mine in my back and jaw only on the right-hand side. Also the jaw pain did spread behind my ear to base of skull/top of neck. I think I'll call the GP again; I should probably be having blood tests periodically anyway because of eating habits.

I'd personally go to A&E. Explain everything to them.
The worst they can do is tell you to go away - but they honestly won't. You need tests and monitoring.

flourella

Although my pain started near the middle, it was also predominantly on the right but the pain was so intense it spread out.

Another reason I also dont think it was angina is because last year my dad had a few angina attacks followed by a big heart attack.

Dr told him angina attack never last more than 10 minutes, if they do it's a heart attack not angina.

But definitely get checked out. Go to a&e or back to your gp. I was told me telling my gp the pain was worse than child birth was what made them pay attention. Theres only a few things that could be apparently and that led to my diagnosis.

I hope you get to the bottom of it, it can be quite frightening

Ok, heart attack survivor here.

Female cardiac pain is often atypical. Mine felt like the glands in my neck were up in terms of an ache. That went on for 4 days. The night of the heart attack I had a feeling of pressure all over my chest, not horribly painful but uncomfortable and I couldn’t sit back or lay down.

A couple of months later I had an episode of unstable angina, which was the same pressure while being sat down. Unstable angina is a huge red flag and needs hospital intervention.

PLEASE call 999 if you have another episode. You need at the very least a 12-lead ecg and heart enzyme bloods done.

My cardiologist said if I’d left it another couple of hours I wouldn’t have survived.

Angina absolutely does come and go. Especially if you use your GTN and/or rest. My unstable episode was on off for about 4 hours before I gave in and called 999 again.

I was kept in and had some more work done on my heart 2 days later.

Hope ypur sorted by now

Noone can rule out a heart episode over the phone, just because of your age.

I think you need blood tests asap

But f you have another attack, ring 999 straight away

It's a bit late for blood tests. The blood markers that would show if you've had a heart attack peak within 1-2 days and would mostly be back to normal after 5 days. The hospital could do an ECG but it would probably be more helpful to see how your ECG changes when you exercise; I'm not sure whether A&E/walk-in centre could do that, although they might suggest that your GP refer you for a routine appointment.

To get a definitive diagnosis of variant angina you'd probably need a coronary angiogram with an injection of acetylcholine to provoke vasospasm.

www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/vasospastic-angina

hi how are you now