u/ElectricalFlamingo16

Hi all, 22F here. I want to preface this by saying I am not trying to scare anyone or spread doubt, I just want to share my experience in the hopes that it might help someone out. Listen to your doctors first and foremost ofc!

I had been feeling shitty all summer 2025 and after a workout in Oct 2025 I started having sharp chest pains radiating down my arm and it was hard to breathe. I went to the ER, my troponin peaked at ~5000 and I had ST depressions on my EKG. After a couple days they discharged me and put me on colchicine for a myocarditis dx. My MRI was actually clean but my cardiologist figured it might have been too early to see inflammation.

Anyway the months go by and I don’t really feel much better. Colchicine was increased, I started metoprolol but nothing was helping. I was in the ER pretty much every month (usually around my period) with no answers. My trop would sometimes be kinda elevated (peaking at 250) and I had another clean MRI. In May 2026 I was hospitalized for another few days and one of the drs there suggested possible vasospasm or micro vascular disease. However I was discharged with the dx of recurring pericarditis and started on Arcalyst which really increased my symptoms and lowered my WBC (I stopped after 2 weeks). I never forgot what was said about micro vascular disease though and really pushed my cardiologist for a provocative angiogram.

After the provocative angiogram in July 2026 (after about 9 months of misdiagnosis) I was diagnosed with coronary artery vasospasm and a congenital heart defect that had been missed in my first angiogram. There was no myocarditis, I actually had two heart attacks (MINOCA) caused by spasm in the past year that led to the increased troponin.

All this to say, if you feel like your symptoms aren’t getting better or they don’t align with your diagnosis, ask questions. Know your body, push for testing, and remember there’s nothing wrong with a second opinion. Young people and young women especially are at risk of not being listened to—my symptoms were brushed off as anxiety before I wound up in the hospital. Additionally MINOCA like mine usually require more invasive testing to diagnose which is not always the first thing doctors think of or want to prescribe.

Please take care of yourself, do your research, and listen to your body ❤️

22F here, was admitted to hospital in Oct 2025 with troponin peaking at 4700. There was no evidence of inflammation on MRI or echo but I was diagnosed with myocarditis because nothing else really fit. Fast forward a dozen hospital visits, multiple failed meds and another clean MRI, i was still having pain so I went in for an invasive angiogram last week. I was then diagnosed with coronary artery vasospasm and a 28mm myocardial bridge. I suspect that the bridge is contributing to my symptoms which are primarily: small pinching heart pains, heaviness in arms, chest pressure, and dizziness. I would love to hear about any lifestyle advice or suggested testing that someone in a similar situation has to offer. I haven’t been able to find anyone struggling with CAS as young as me. Any suggested questions to ask my doctors would also be much appreciated.

Edit: also had a mostly normal Ziopatch with a couple instances of tachycardia. i have passed out from exercise before and used to get migraines.