Anxiety about upcoming Angiogram

I was lucky enought te get an appointment with my GP this morning. He was really understanding. The Cardiologist had sent him a copy of the Stress Echocardiogram report and he explained everyting in the report much clearer and in more detail than the Cardiologist did. He said my heart is in pretty good shape and if I hadn't previoulsy had a heart attack and stents it would be unlikely they would even be wanting to do an Angiogram. He said I should do it as a precausionary measure to make sure nothing is wrong. He has a listen to my heart with a stethescope, took my blood pressure and he said from his point of view, my heart is functioning normally. He prescribed 5mg Diazepam and told me to take one before bed to help me sleep and if during the day I really wasn't coping, to break one tablet in half and have half a tablet - but only take it if needed and he said no worry about becoming addicted on on 30 low dose tablets taken in small quantities over a short period of time. I haven't needed to take one yet. Sat in a park near the sea this morning and fell asleep, came home did a little gardening and I'm still not good, but better than this morning.

@gregy You used the words "needle phobia". Whenever I hear "phobia" I think of anxiety that becomes so severe that a person wants to avoid whatever it is that makes them so very anxious. It affects the person's quality of life. I so wish that medical providers would understand that anxiety about a medical procedure is not something most of us can just grit our teeth and get through. Am I describing how you feel? I know what it's like to be so anxious about a medical procedure that I want to cancel it altogether.

I will share my thoughts about the physician who recommended the angiogram. It's simply not OK, in my opinion, to recommend and schedule a procedure without talking about it with the patient. You are worried about what the angiogram will uncover and so you are worried about a future that may or may not occur. It's not easy at all to just turn off that worry. I am claustrophobic and I've known this about myself for a long time. When an MRI was scheduled for me my nurse practitioner (NP) asked me if I'm claustrophobic. I said "yes" but I'd already had an MRI for something else in the past and knew I'd never go through with that procedure without medication. The MRI was scheduled because a recurrence of endometrial cancer had been found. So on top of the phobia I had about getting into the MRI I was afraid of what the MRI would show. My NP prescribed one dose of Ativan that was given to me about an hour before the procedure. That worked for me as I knew it would because I've taken Ativan before other medical procedures. I will tell you that I don't take benzodiazepines like Ativan on any regular basis and I manage anxiety that pops up in other circumstances through my coping skills like breathing and thought reframing.

This is me. I think it warrants a discussion with the cardiologist before the procedure to ask if they can prescribe a medication that will get you through the procedure. I'm not a medical professional however I've had many, many years of working through my own anxiety. Advocating for myself helps with anxiety and I hope it will do the same for you. You might also discuss this with your GP since you wrote that they don't know this about you either. In my experience opening up about anxiety instead of hiding it can be so very helpful.

When is the angiogram scheduled? Will you contact your GP to discuss your concerns about the angiogram?

I’ve been the same,I had CT coronary angiogram which showed that( unexpectedly) I have 70% blockage and this before departing to Europe for few months ! Totally stressed !
I went to my cardiologist,he said that everything could happen,but suggested to have an old fashioned angiogram,I did it and showed that I have less than 50% blockage,which is normal for my age( 73 ).Be strong !

@gregy

Sorry to hear all the anxiety about this. Honestly, its normal to worry about it.

I went through my angiogram after nothing was found up until that point. I remember being worried, if they found something, that is bad news because my heart has a problem, if they didn't find anything, then there is still something wrong and they do not know what it is. Finding nothing was more worrisome to me.

In these kind of things, I engage is social small talk with the staff which distracts me from what's going on in the room. It seems to help.

As for the cardiologist. Hmmm. I hear you. Since I first read your post I spent sometime thinking about a response. It occurred to me that there are occasions where the physician does not know how their patients feel because they have never been in that situation. Because they have not been there or even been with someone in their life being in your shoes, they may lack empathy. I know a couple of physicians who are going through life threatening illnesses...its a learning experience for them. I don't wish this on all physicians. I know some who have struggled with critical health issues. I noticed how these physicians know what to say and when to say it when they care for others. Some are just good at what they do, some are not.