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A MyLupusTeam Member asked a question 💭
Adak, AK
January 22
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MyLupusTeam

Are you asking about Prinzmetal angina and its connection to lupus?

Prinzmetal angina (also called variant angina) involves spasms in the coronary arteries that temporarily reduce blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain. While the search results don't specifically mention Prinzmetal angina, they do highlight that people Show Full Answer

Are you asking about Prinzmetal angina and its connection to lupus?

Prinzmetal angina (also called variant angina) involves spasms in the coronary arteries that temporarily reduce blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain. While the search results don't specifically mention Prinzmetal angina, they do highlight that people with lupus face significantly increased heart risks.

People with lupus are 7 to 9 times more likely to have a heart attack than the general population. Women with lupus between ages 35-44 are 50 times more likely to experience heart attacks compared to women without lupus in the same age range.

Lupus can affect the heart in several ways:

- Pericarditis - inflammation around the heart (affects about 25% of people with lupus)
- Myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle (affects 5-10%)
- Atherosclerosis - plaque buildup in arteries (2.5 times more likely with lupus)
- Libman-Sacks endocarditis - growths on heart valves (affects about 15%)

Chronic inflammation from lupus damages blood vessels and can make arteries stiff or narrow, reducing blood flow. This is why regular heart monitoring and managing risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol are so important.

If you're experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms, contact your doctor right away to rule out serious heart complications.

January 22
A MyLupusTeam Member

Niranjana, I try to take Felodip in the morning. But it doesn't always help me hold back the attack. Yesterday I had to apply 3 injections of Nitrospray to relieve the pain. It's excruciating. Every time, I have to control my provoking factors. It's morning now and I've been woken up by another seizure. You need to undergo additional examinations in cardiology, go to a cardiologist's appointment again to clarify something. She said that I had Prinzmetal angina due to an underlying systemic disease. Now I don't leave the house without pills or spray. The days pass in different ways. Seizures occur up to 4 times a day. Sometimes they can be avoided altogether.

January 22
A MyLupusTeam Member

I have chest pain a lot. I have an appointment next week with my primary to discuss if I need to see a cardiologist.

January 22
A MyLupusTeam Member

Hi Ekaterina, I responded to this question when you asked it yesterday. How are you feeling?

January 22
A MyLupusTeam Member

To be sure I understand you, Ekaterina, when you say seizure, do you mean another attack of the angina? Or are you having neurological seizures in which you lose consciousness, have uncontrollable jerking of the limbs, etc.?

I'm sorry to hear you're suffering so much. Please ask your doctor whether increasing the felodipine may help you, though it will lower your BP, too, which will hopefully not cause trouble.

January 23

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