Anxiety about upcoming Angiogram

Posted by gregy @gregy, Mar 18 6:11am

I have to have a coronary angiogram performed soon and I am terrified. I did have an angiogram 14 years ago, but that doesn't make it any easier. I feel sick in the stomach, losing weight, not eating much, hardly sleeping and can't stop thinking about it. I am driving my partner crazy as I am miserable all the time. I am scared of the proceedure as I am quite needle phobic and hate medical procedures and scared of what they might uncover and scared of what type of solution they may have to perform. HELP, any suggestions to feel better and more positive would be appreciated

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Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Mar 19 8:05am

In reply to @gregy "I was lucky enought te get an appointment with my GP this morning. He was really..." + (show)

@gregy That's great that you got in to see your GP so quickly and that he was so understanding. Falling asleep while listening to the sea sounds so restful to me. Anxiety can really make a person tired. I hope you slept better last night with the feeling that you now have a plan for when the angiogram is scheduled. Well done!

gregy | @gregy | Mar 19 3:52pm

I am not used to taking Valium. I took one before bed and slept soundly all night, but woke up at 5.00AM feeling very negative and having feelings of not going ahead with the proceedure. When I got out of bed at 7.00AM, I am still a bit zonked out from the Valium. I was going to go for my regular weekly swim this morning, but I don't want to drive feeling like this. 5mg Valium is obviously too strong for me, next time I take one I will cut it in half or quarters.

mikekennedy759 | @mikekennedy759 | Mar 19 4:12pm

In reply to @naturegirl5 "@gregy You used the words "needle phobia". Whenever I hear "phobia" I think of anxiety that..." + (show)

@naturegirl5

@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?

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This is a great point Helen.

ion | @ion | Mar 20 7:20pm

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 | @gregy | Mar 20 9:42pm

In reply to @ion "I’ve been the same,I had CT coronary angiogram which showed that( unexpectedly) I have 70% blockage..." + (show)

I was considering having a CT Angiogram as it is far less invasive and has less risks.....but, if they do find something that needs to be fixed, such as a blockage, it can't be done during the CT Angiogram and I would have to go back to the hospital and have a regular angiogram where they can do any stents. Also, with the regular Angiogram you find out the result immediatley as the Cardiologist is talking to you while he does it, but CT Angiograms are often performed by radiologists and they have to send their report to the Cardiologist and you have to make another appointment and go back and find out the result. When suffereing severe anxiety with this sort of thing like I am, I need to get it done as quickly as possible and fixed as quickly as possible, not dragged out for weeks. I am still really suffering anxiety just thinking about it, I am up and down, good for part of the day and then in a dark hole that is hard to climb out of. I have been trying to keep busy and trying to not let my mind think about this and dwell on it (easier said than done)

mikekennedy759 | @mikekennedy759 | Mar 22 4:44pm

@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.

gregy | @gregy | Mar 22 6:23pm

In reply to @mikekennedy759 "@gregy Sorry to hear all the anxiety about this. Honestly, its normal to worry about it...." + (show)

Yes, you are right. These Cardiologists do this sort of thing every day, so to them it is just like ordering a cup of coffee. I am sure they become desenitized, firstly from not having been through the proceedure themselves, but also if they got too emotionally involved in every patients fears they probably woundn't be able to do their job. You are also correct, if there is a problem there it is still there wether I know about it or not, it is still there, so it is best to find out and do something about it. Gee.. I'm starting to sound like a Doctor, but it still doesn't make it any easier with my fear of invasive medical proceedures, needle phobia and fear of finding out the result and what has to be done to fix it. Fingers crossed they find nothing or something very minor, Thank you for your reply

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