Angina - How Did That Happen ? Any Experiences to Share ?

[Lard Armstrong]

I commute 18 miles a day all year round, and am also an active cyclist of many years. I enjoy a really healthy diet, no crap at all, and I don't smoke and don't drink much. This summer I rode in the Alps, including Ventoux, etc. All without incident.

I recently saw my GP and mentioned that I am getting tightening in my chest, when cycling, which is getting worse. It came on initially at over 85% of my maximum heart rate, but was worsening. So after tests and a hurried visit to the consultant, it has been confirmed that I have angina, and my blood pressure and cholesterol are both high.

I am now taking an assortment of medicines which make me feel worse than the bloody angina, but at least I am less likely to die. I will shortly have an Angiogram (they stick a tube into your femoral artery , push it up above the heart then release dye whilst x-raying it). This will determine whether I need a balloon/stent fitted, or not.

I am unable to cycle and thoroughly jarred off and wondered if you have any stories to share to help me get my head around this. Cheers In Advance.

 

[midliferider]

It is unusual. Perhaps you have a very strong family history of high cholesterol, early deaths in the family.
Age? 30's 40's 50's 60's??

 

[Hip Priest]

What he said.

A family history of CHD is the risk-factor that trumps all others, so despite your healthy lifestyle, you can still be unlucky. You may not be feeling positive right now, but I imagine you'll be able to continue cycling as before. Angina flags up the problem so you can get it sorted without suffering damage to the heart muscle through an MI.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I was stented aged 42 (now 50) and I've always cycled but smoked like a train. Sh1t happens, we have screamingly high Cholesterol in my family.
Good news is that it's spotted as Angina not as a full-on heart attack. More good news is that stenting can make you feel good as new. There are many stented cyclists here. The Meds are not much fun, but it's not a death sentence.
Rejoice, you're gonna live ....


Search 'Stents' for more threads on the subject.

 

[slowmotion]

Wot they said ^^^^^^^^. It's far better to have the condition diagnosed and treated than have a coronary. I had an angiogram about sixteen months ago and they wouldn't let me out of the hospital until they had given me a double by-pass. The only symptom I had was some breathlessness when riding up hills. I always assumed that angina was some really severe chest pain. I had nothing like that. I'm on five different drugs that I take daily, but I'm free of any side effects, and I feel absolutely great.

BTW, I don't blame Cruel Fate. I was an enthusiastic smoker until three years ago and I have nobody to blame but myself.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

If it helps my gran was an enthusiastic smoker until her early 60s when she could no longer afford it. She was diagnosed with angina while she still smoked. She's almost 90 now and still gets up and down the massive hills where she lives albeit at the speed of a woman who is nearly 90.

 

[Doc333]

Lard you should thank the heavens mate and should be feeling chuffed to bits as your problem will soon be gone. I have always been fairly fit even though I stopped cycling around 20-years ago, but always played at a high standard at football and was still playing at that level when I hit 40. On top of that I enjoy walking and playing a lot of golf. Fairly slim, muscle tone and fairly happy with life.

Playing golf in April I started sweating and feeling lax, just as if I hadn't eaten. I like you started to have a tight chest and throat. I played my next shot and started walking to my ball when I couldn't walk anymore. I went down onto my knees and was gasping for breath. After a few minutes sat down and drinking water I managed to get up and walk (Slowly) to the car park, where an ambulance was called. The paramedics hooked me up and soon decided i had a heart attack. Shocked was an understament and I was given blue lights and whistles all the way from Malton to Leeds bypassing 3 hospitals to get me to the specialist care place. Crash team waiting for me and I watched on 2 screens a stent being fitted to an artery. Within 45-minutes I was wheeled up onto the cardiac ward and I had not felt this good for ages. I felt like I could run a marathon as I had lived with ablocked artery for ages apperently and it finally gave out. 5-minutes on the ward and I kid you not they had served me a burger for lunch I was released 2 days later and told not to overdo things as it would take at least 6-weeks before everything settled down. I was playing golf within a month, walking and went through the full 8-session cardiac rehab course and felt really good.

2-weeks ago I decided to get back into cycling to keep my fitness levels up and so bought a bike and as a newbie I'm trying to put a few miles on.

So it sounds like you will be having a stent fitted mate, and you wont feel a thing (Just dont watch him shoving the stuff into your vein, watch it happen on screen) You will feel brilliant in minutes trust me, and as you havn't had a heart attack your heart wont be damaged so you will almost certainaly be able to crack on with your life without healing first. Good luck

 

[youngoldbloke]

Another one here with a terrible history of heart disease in the family. My first procedure was in my 40s, in the early 1990s - balloon angioplasties - I don't think stents were widely used then. Then 3 stents in early 2000s, and 2 more last year, in spite of my trying to keep as fit and live as healthily as possible. During the second half of last year I started to detect mild tightness in the chest on steeper climbs - but only when trying really hard. There was some doubt as to whether the problem had reoccurred, only resolved by an angiogram - which was immediately followed by stenting. (I had asked that if something was found that they continue to stenting if appropriate - kill two birds with one stone, as it were). Good post from Doc 333 above, btw. especially the last paragraph.

 

[Lard Armstrong]

Wow, great insights, thanks for taking time for that.

Latest is 1) angiogram next Friday 2) meds are working, but not very pleasant 3) I am very positive about the prognosis & future..

Thanks again, more follows.

PS do the side effects of the medicine improve ? I hope so :-)

 

[midliferider]

What are you on? Some Beta blockers?

 

[Cycling Dan]

You can be as healthy as you want but you cant defeat the aging progress. Something is bound to try and kill you.

 

[Lard Armstrong]

What are you on? Some Beta blockers?

No betablockers, ramipiril, isosorbide mono nitrate , diltiazem, & atorvastatin.

Plus stuff for my asthma.

Lard.

 

[Lard Armstrong]

Lard you should thank the heavens mate and should be feeling chuffed to bits as your problem will soon be gone. I have always been fairly fit even though I stopped cycling around 20-years ago, but always played at a high standard at football and was still playing at that level when I hit 40. On top of that I enjoy walking and playing a lot of golf. Fairly slim, muscle tone and fairly happy with life.

Playing golf in April I started sweating and feeling lax, just as if I hadn't eaten. I like you started to have a tight chest and throat. I played my next shot and started walking to my ball when I couldn't walk anymore. I went down onto my knees and was gasping for breath. After a few minutes sat down and drinking water I managed to get up and walk (Slowly) to the car park, where an ambulance was called. The paramedics hooked me up and soon decided i had a heart attack. Shocked was an understament and I was given blue lights and whistles all the way from Malton to Leeds bypassing 3 hospitals to get me to the specialist care place. Crash team waiting for me and I watched on 2 screens a stent being fitted to an artery. Within 45-minutes I was wheeled up onto the cardiac ward and I had not felt this good for ages. I felt like I could run a marathon as I had lived with ablocked artery for ages apperently and it finally gave out. 5-minutes on the ward and I kid you not they had served me a burger for lunch I was released 2 days later and told not to overdo things as it would take at least 6-weeks before everything settled down. I was playing golf within a month, walking and went through the full 8-session cardiac rehab course and felt really good.

2-weeks ago I decided to get back into cycling to keep my fitness levels up and so bought a bike and as a newbie I'm trying to put a few miles on.

So it sounds like you will be having a stent fitted mate, and you wont feel a thing (Just dont watch him shoving the stuff into your vein, watch it happen on screen) You will feel brilliant in minutes trust me, and as you havn't had a heart attack your heart wont be damaged so you will almost certainaly be able to crack on with your life without healing first. Good luck

Great advice, thanks. I really appreciate it. Lots to look forward to.....

 

[derrick]

Stented at 60 on pills for the rest of my life, will be 62 in February check out my ticker below.

 

[Tyke]

I had the heart Attack three years ago with more or less the same simptoms as Doc333 I also did the Blues & Twos to Leeds and had a great team waiting to stent me up and felt great in no time.

I was out on the bike at the time (I can`t play golf) but I am also a none smoking healthy eater so it came as a shock but was back on the bike in a few weeks and am now fitter than I was before.

I missed out on the burgers in Leeds but they do a cracking Steak Pie.

Thanks to anyone reading this from the LGI keep up the good work.