Probably one for Arnie, or any other sufferers of heart disease. I've been warned not to use the gtn spray when using cannabis but I'm getting serious chest pain. What's your opinion?

my opinion is that you should call an ambulance.

ffs mate. if they are serious pains? you are 12 months overdue for an op as it is

yeah call 999, get checked out mate.

I'm with Bart on this one.

FFS call an ambulance if its worse than your used to.

Take one now!! if that does'nt help... in 5 mins take another and if that does'nt help call a fucking ambulance.

Going through the same thing myself atm....but I would'nt be on here asking for advice if I was scared..

, not that bad mate, although I appreciate your concern. It's not an attack, or at least it feels nothing like an attack from past experience. It's just reminding me I think. Thing being I've been given the spray for exactly this situation but I've been told not to use it when toking.

If your not worried about an incipient heart attack take it.

I must admit I toke and get angina and take the spray.

Its an interesting experience but it does stop the discomfort.

k. That's all I needed to know.

Steady with the "Ring 999" advice, peeps. Too many folks are too quick with that, and the service is already overstretched. Just a thought, and I do fully understand where you were all coming from. Sometimes if I get angina at a party or a dinner or whatever, folks are drawing mobiles like six shooters in a western movie! All very well meant, but generally speaking most, like [IME] 80% most, angina attacks are just a warning to relax a tad, to breathe a bit easier. Even the remaining 20% can generally speaking be sorted by easing off a tad. Its only after 20 minutes treated but unresolved angina that they say you deffo must ring 999.

Hvy, I hardly ever use my GTN spray. I don't like it, it makes me headachey and dizzy due to my having abnormally low BP to start with. So I tend to just ride out my angina attacks unless they go beyond ten minutes or so, or if I find I'm really struggling for air. I have found that I can pretty much control my angina by focusing on every breathe and consciously relaxing every muscle in my body if at all possible. It can take me a while, but I only ever get to use my spray maybe once or twice every couple of months. Thankfully, most of my angina is more about loss of air, and not being able to breath right, with only modest chest pains usually (but by no means always). Maybe that is why I can generally manage without the spray. But when I need it, I use it to the hilt. 3 good sharp sprays, and if no change after 10 mins repeat, and repeat again if needed. After 3 sprays, if still experiencing angina - ring 999, and settle back to relax. Relax, relax, relax. They will give you big drugs to relax you when they arrive. Generally IV Tramadol in the 'bulance, followed by IV Diamorph when arriving at Hossie. They want you 100% pain free and relaxed, and they have the tools to do it! Its very different outside the nick

I had a nasty attack of angina two nights ago (for some reason I tend to get it most when alseep/going to sleep/resting quietly, it wakes me up!). Its a bit freaky, aint it? Especially in the dead of night. I woke up all cold but sweaty, couldn't breath, felt like a Rhino had parked its arse on my left chest area and wired my jaw to the mains. Thankfully it passed after about 6 minutes or so.

All the best M8, hope its all settled down by now? Most of us have a weakness that doesn't help. Mine is vast daily ammounts of real coffee. It's not good for me at all, but I am utterly addicted. I found it easier to quit fags and hard drugs than I do to quit real coffee. Speaking of which .....

PS:
Coming rapidly to your question ( )
Smoking and spraying is a bit of a risk. You could just black out due to sudden BP descent to the floor, in a worst case scenario. In reality, I find I just don't want a smoke if I have had to spray. When I have mixed 'em, its just made the headache and queeze a load worse. But half an hour after a spray, crack out the skins, I do!

Cheers for that tip. I've had very little advice about the angina. The doc inside couldn't care less and the prison took forever to send my medical records to my doc so we concentrated on getting the vascular disease in my legs sorted while waiting for the records. I've got an op for that due soon.



Not touched mine since I got out until last night but mostly because I'd been told not to use it with canna.



I had the heart attack when I was asleep Arnie. The angina has, luckily, been very rare but it's usually when I'm pushing myself. Last night's was a surprise as I was relaxed and just clicking about on here. I had just finished off a bottle of vodka though I've only drank alcohol on three nights this month, so I'm getting there slowly.



Cheers, all good now. I had a couple of squirts and went to bed, dropped off almost instantly, and feel fine this morning.



Ta for the advice mate. I'm going to have to sit down with the doc next week and discuss it properly.

Glad to help mate. I find it really disturbing you've had so little help from your GP tbh.
Anyhoo, here's the advice I was given about angina: When it strikes use the GTN spray (a single dose = 2 or 3 squirts under the tongue, make sure you do not inhale the stuff). If the angina is not better after 10 or 15 minutes, dose again and give it another 10-15 minutes. Repeat once more of necessary and wait a final 10-15 minutes. If after three such doses the angina persists, then you MUST ring 999 IMMEDIATELY.

Like I said, I tend to try and ride out my angina minus the spray. Mainly because its not so much a pain thing as a breathing thing and that's easier to manage without GTN I think. But if the pain is serious in any way, I follow the advice to the letter. Only had to ring 999 once since my MI, and was glad I had - the consultant said it could have developed into another MI, so I had done right thing.

Like you, I had my heart attack whilst fast asleep. I woke at 4:00 am and felt well bad, ill to the bone all sweaty and breathless and a pain in the chest that was quite clear in its meaning! And most, but not all, of the angina I get is in the evening or at night whilst asleep.

My guess is the recent incident you had was probably booze related. That's your "weakness", like I said about coffee being mine in the last post. I don't moralise these issues Hvy mate, so I am not going to say you "must stop", or that your drinking is either bad or good blah blah blah. We all do something that doesn't help us, hey, that's human nature as far as I can tell. I suspect I could probably tie my angina attacks to increased coffee intake. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I've normally had damn near 2 pints by this time of day already Bad Arnie!
Once whilst I was last in hossie, the consultant was giving me the anti-caffeine spiel, half way through the tea-lady swans by and before you can blink we're both supping black coffees, uber-strong!
Life's too short to be fannying about getting all moralistic and goodie-goodie.

Don't let the Doc fob you off with second rate care Hvy. Please ffs tell me you've got a Cardiac Consultant's appointment looming....


Just put the coffee pot on again. Make that 2.5 pints by this time of day

I've got a doc's appointment in the morning mate. Firstly I need to ask what the operation is I'm booked in for as no one's bothered to tell me, but I also want to know if he's referred me to a cardiologist yet. On the booze it's either all or nothing with me. I'll probably never stop completely being honest with myself but if I get it down to one or two nights a month I'll be happy. Alcohol certainly hasn't helped but tobacco is the chief protagonist in my heart/circulation problems. I had my first cig at age seven and was buying ten a day by the time I'd reached 13-14. I've made dozens of half hearted attempts at stopping but I've set my mind to it this time, got myself a couple of packs of American Spirit, and started making a list of things to keep me busy. So, fingers crossed, I'll be alcohol and tobacco free this year and, knowing my luck, will most likely be run over by a bus in January.

Pretty much as Arnie says:

ACHES AND PAINS AFTER A HEART ATTACK:

After a heart attack, many people are more aware of odd aches and pains in the chest. These are normally muscle aches. Some people experience pain on activity, which is similar to the pain of a heart attack but milder. This could be angina and you should, therefore, stop and take the following action:



Please note:-

If the pain reoccurs when you resume the activity at a slower pace stop, and follow the instructions in the above diagram.

This pain should not affect your recovery.

You should not have heart pain at rest. If pain does occur and does not pass away within 15 minutes (after taking GTN spray), then contact 999 immediately.

If, during exercise or walking, you get chest pain, excessive breathlessness, tiredness of dizziness, rest immediately and only resume activity when the pain has passed.

If you have to repeat the procedure on a regular basis consult your Doctor.

hello mate .... hope your feeling better today ... and all go's well at the docs ect .......

your spot with your comment on my thread dude .... was nice to have a vote of confidence (along with Arnold L ) on how I felt about .....




you take care


riptd .......

ps still plodding along on the other .......... enjoying myself at it to , be in touch soon

Thanks for the diagram Scribble.


I've been fine since rip. Been sorting and putting away everything I got back from the police this morning, and doing the laundry, tidying, other bits, haven't really stopped since I got up. All without the slightest murmur. No rush on the site mate, it's not going anywhere.

How did you get on today Hvy?

Doc said they want to sort out the arteries in my legs first as the blockage there is causing extra strain on my heart. Once that's done the cardiologist will take over. The pre-op exam I have in July is to inject radioactive dye into me and stick me in a scanner. And he thinks patches are for wimps, to quote "If you really want to stop you'll stop. If you don't no amount of patches, gum, or inhalers is going to make you stop". So I'm going cold turkey as soon as the American Spirit runs out.

Nice to know that something is finally being done

I must admit I'm in total agreement with your Doc <<<<says the guy that has tried every easy way to stop>>>.. .

Personally I was in another operating theatre today,only day care mind,and I thought if I've got to keep going through this... its time to knock it on the head!!

There's enough baccy to last till Monday and then....? I think your Docs right.

Indeed he is right!
Patches etc are just a huge money making scam.
Just quit. Its down to you and deep deep down inside you have so much power you wouldn't believe it. Find it and use it.

I'm not sure that it's correct to say, blanket-fashion, that *all* stop-smoking aids are next to useless, although I've seen plenty of people myself who gave up smoking years ago only to get hooked on the nicotine chewing gum which they chew to this day...

A lot of people have reported having great success with willpower + Champix (varenicline) - reportedly it makes smoking tobacco unpalatable and seem like the waste of time that it actually is.

Personally, I'd try pure willpower first, then if that doesn't work, maybe try Champix.

I bought two 35g packs of American Spirit and I'm just about to open the first. I'm guestimating it'll last 7-9 days. I'll switch to a pipe for the herb for now but when pennies allow I'm treating myself to a volcano.

I've been saying for ages i'm stopping baccy, i'm only 24 so really if i stop just now i should hopefully not have to deal with any of the health problems that go with it :usure:

I've even got a volcano but its just not the same as sitting chilling out with a joint, its still good but i dont know it just isn't quite the same for me, not the stone its better, like a cleaner stone if that makes sense but the enjoyment isn't quite the same, but i think its time to try and stop the baccy

Good luck mate hope you can stay of it, maybe we should start a thread trying to get people to join in with chucking baccy, it would be good to see how many could do it

Got a letter this morning saying the scan's on my birthday. Have to go in for a day.

That sucks mate but better it gets done as soon as possible

At least the balls rolling






The trouble with using Champix or any other pill to stop smoking (and I was one of the first in the UK to try Zyban) is the unknown reaction when using it.
I suffered an adverse reaction to Zyban and ended up hospitalised because of its use and iirc several people died as a direct result of its use?,and after researching Champix I've noted that they have altered the known side effects several times.

My doctor has made his views quite clear on prescribing it for me... ...and because I've got a cupboard full of quit smoking aids I can quite categorically state for me...Its willpower or nothing.

It really is a case of how bad you want to stop!! and if you do?....

In the words of the wisest woman I've ever had the pleasure to know...."You pay it no mind"...