Is this Angina?

[TirednessOnToast]

58, (menopause aged 55, take HRT, feel well)
No real health issues except some long standing mobility ones due to nerve damage in lower legs/feet. Mobilise fairly well, stay active daily.

Last summer I had severe chest pressure & some pain overnight.
(this was after a couple of weeks of headaches & a bit of a 'twingy' chest)
Went to GP. BP was 207/110: sent to A&E.
Tests were done: Troponin (OK) ecg & echo I was told I had Hypertension, Hyperglycemia, Pericarditis & a heart murmer. I was given some BP meds & Colchichine. Over the 6 weeks I felt a bit better, BP came down to high 170's headache reduced a bit. I was given GTN spray for the chest pressure/pain.

Saw the same Cardiologist I'd seen on the ward. He repeated the ecg & echo.
Said 'no sign of Peri, probably never had it, no sign of murmur. probably stress, or indigestion, or just the very windy weather we were having but I will order a CT angio to be sure'. That was done 2m ago and 'showed a bit of furring, not too much, so I''m not too worried. No CAD'.

Now 8m since first episode. I'm on 2 BP meds (Ramipril 5mg & Felodipine 10mg). BP now around 155/95. I am still getting chest pressure & some dull pain radiating to arms/shoulder around 3 times a week. Usually around 6pm when sitting quietly before dinner prep or overnight. GTN helps. Cardiologist now says: probably mobility related, defo not cardiac due to CT Angio results.

Last night I was sitting quietly. I got 3 episodes, 20m mins apart, each slightly less, of squeezing pressure & dull pain behind sternum then sharper pain in left side. Left arm sore around shoulder level & pins & needles in hand.I used my GTN, sat quietly, waited for it to pass. Later, I had a warm bath with epsom salts.

Is this Angina ? Cardiologist says not but I wonder (lots of CAD/Angina in family)
I appreciate I don't have anything major wrong with my heat but the episodes are tiring, sometimes painful & last night was a bit scary.

sorry, should be: 'nothing major wrong with my heart' not 'heat'

That sounds like cardiac pain to me.
If you are not having pain at the moment I would call GP now. If you can't get through/can't get an appointment call 111.
If you are actually having chest pain radiating to left arm, back, jaw, pins and needles in left arm call 999.
I wouldn't take chances with those symptoms.

https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/chest-pain/

@endofthelinefinally thank you for replying. I think it's cardiac pain too.
Trouble is, GP says: 'all fine' as local Cardiologist has (fair enough)
A&E will only pick something up if Troponin raised or ecg looks wrong (which would be when something has already gone wrong & I'm trying to catch it before it develops to the stage, iyswim?)
I'm sure it's not 'mobility related' as I've had similar mobility for 20 years, or indigestion (take Lansoprazole as a preventative as rec by GP) or meno related (3 years post) or anxiety as it happens when I'm sitting quietly / noddding, asleep (can wake me up). It's getting worse but Hosp just say CT angio looks ok (which is obviously very good news!) so it 'can't be cardiac'. It's frustrating.

I think you have to keep reporting it. I am sorry it sounds scary.

Gallbladder? It also sounds like gallbladder pain. Has your gallbladder been scanned too?

Hope you are doing OK @TirednessOnToast an important reason for seeking help when you have chest pain, is that if a cardiac event is in progress, early treatment is so important. Literally life saving in some cases.

Please don’t worry about making a fuss but do call 999, especially if the pain or discomfort is strong or accompanied by other symptoms.

At 155/95 your BP is still too high. What’s happening with the hyperglycaemia? Diabetes/pre diabetes are also big risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

@TheLongRiderNo-one has checked gallbladder no. Apparently my kidneys are OK but I have a 'fatty liver' (no more details from GP).

@DemonsandMosquitoes Cardiologist says he 'doesn't want to bring my BP down too quickly'. Re Hyperlipidemia & high cholesterol I was put straight onto 80mg of Atorvastatin but I got horrible leg pains so stopped after a month. Re-tried at both 40 & 20mg but still pain. I've asked to try a different kind but GP has not got back to me (says he'll check with Cardiologist who says GP hasn't checked)

Ok so you need to get the statin sorted and a different anti hypertensive. Ramipril is cheap as shit and known for crap side effects.

The gallbladder might be a Thing though. Have you go clay coloured poo and is the pain worse after fatty stuff?

Your blood pressure needs to come down asap

I agree your BP needs to come down. You need to sort the statin and what about the raised glucose?

@Supportedinstepno. My bowels are a bit more sluggish than they used to be (need a strong coffee in morning these days) but normal apart from that. I had bariatric surgery (roux en y) in 2018 so I don't eat much sugary or fatty food now anyway. Ironically I did not have high bp or high blood sugar/fat prior to this even when I weighed 8st more (or during 2x previous pregnancies)

@Supportedinstep sorry, also meant to say, if GP won't deal (as Cardiologist simply wants to put me 'on a water tablet' for now, even though I'm seeing a specialist physio for Bladder incontenence) then not sure what I can do? It's not very 'joined up' (GP awful, but head of tiny rural practice & no other available).

@DemonsandMosquitoesmy last fasting cholesterol was 7.8, LDL 5.0, triglycerides 3.8. I was tested for familial hypercholesterolaemia which was thankfully negative then discharged with 'don't eat too many biscuits' - see previous bariatric surgery- I don't/ can't).

Your cholesterol is too high. You really need to sort the statins. Can you see a different gp?

@endofthelinefinally No. Current GP ?(head of practice) will follow Cardiologist line. No other GP available. No '2nd opinion' available in my area without approval of '1st opinion' person. I'm in Scotland, under Scottish NHS.

Just received copy Cardiologist letter to GP.

Medical problems: 'Pleuritic type chest pain July 2025. Impression of mild pericardial effusion on CT but no evidence of obvious pericardial fluid on Echo, treated as mild Pericarditis' (no mention of murmer or strong family history of CAD)
'Significant hypertension. Recurrent episodes of chest pain overnight. Previous bariatric surgery therefore probable gastroesophagal reflux. Normal CT coronary Angiogram 1st October 2025. Longstanding bilateral leg pain'. This is quite annoying as he initially said 'gastro' (& he has it himself 'so I know how annoying it is'). When I pointed out my diet, & that I've had negative tests re this plus use Lansoprazole as a preventative he clearly said to me it wasn't gastro related. Yet rhen writes it to GP (sorry for rant, frustrated...)

No mention of cholesterol. To start Frusimide to help with swelling of lower limbs (I sent him pics, can't get shoes on in evenings now) & be given Vit D supplement.

'Keep BP diary & further phone catch up in 6m' (he said 2m to me on phone)

But the raised glucose? What was it? Did they do an Hba1c?

@DemonsandMosquitoes I don't think so? (in Scotland, so cant check any tests as no 'app' here).

Fed up today as asked for my repeat prescription of GTN to be the pump one (that I was given home from hospital) not the white aerosol bottle GP wrote up (if possible as it is quite stingy to use). It's the same med just a different delivery plus the pump one has a peppermint oil in which is much more pleasant to take.
GP said 'we will prescribe 'GTN' so take your own prescription to chemist & ask them'. I did. They said 'cant help, go back to GP who should write you up the one you want'. Went back to GP, they said: 'why do you need GTN, you aren't diagnosed with Angina'. I explained that Consultant gave it me anyway & its' on my recent letter but they took my prescription back so now I'm (almost) run out.
Argh.