Re: stress test results again....

Posted By mol on June 06, 1999 at 11:38:44
i appreciate your information, but the reasons would not apply to me. i'm definately not overweight and a padded bandaid would work for me. the results read "probably normal" and note "anterior lateral st depression on resting ecg" . this was all about a year ago and i'm beginning to notice increased shortness of breath and fatigue. the thallium was done due to left arm and shoulder pain, and states no ischemia seen..does thallium always detect ischemia on women? i have frequent pvc's and paroxmal svt, and after a run of pvc's i'm noticing tightening in my chest and neck, not pain but a feeling of pressure. i dont want any testing that wouldn't prove useful (i have this thing about going to dr's and needles) but i would like your opinion on whether any other testing would be in order. thanks in advance..you guys are great for helping put our minds at ease, especially for people like myself who would rather not visit the doc unless its really necessary. i have asked my doc to help me understand, and he wasn't a fountain of information, he's an internist. i have not seen a cardio dr. thanks again!

[CCF CARDIO MD DLB]

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on June 06, 1999 at 11:55:47
Dear mol
I feel that you should see a cardiologist. While an internist is capable of ordering stress tests, I think that especially in situations where there is conflicting information, a cardiologists evaluation is much more useful. You have symptoms which may or may not be related to ischemia and a stress test that is not completely normal. You need a cardiologist to evaluate all this data and decide upon whether a cardiac catheterization is necessary to clarify the situation.
The thallium stress test is a good test to detect ischemia in women, but it is not 100% accurate in either men or women.
I hope this has been useful. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck.
Information provided here is of a general nature.  Specific diagnoses and treatments can only be made by your doctor.  If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at Desk F15.

[mol__0]

Posted By mol on June 06, 1999 at 23:13:39
me again...the test was read by a cardiologist, does that make any difference? i don't know what scares me more, not knowing whats up for sure or going through this cath. procedure. i'm really scared of that idea, but i guess if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question, huh? thanks again

  

[CCF CARDIO MD DLB]

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on June 08, 1999 at 10:30:47
Dear mol
I assumed the test was read by a cardiologist. However, any test is best interpreted within a clinical context. For example, if you were an anxious 25 year old with chest pains whose internist ordered a stress test just to make you happy, a borderline abnormal test would be of little significance. If you were a 60 year old whose sister died of a heart attack at 61, a catheterization would definitely be indicated, even with a borderline abnormal test. A cardiologist is in a better position to make these decisions when looking at both the test result and the patient.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.











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