Should I contact my Doc?

  I am an insulin dependent, female, 41 year old diabetic.  I have been diabetic for 12 years.  I been having some bouts of shortness of breath and my doctor ordered a stress test and thallium scan.  The stress test showed a problem but the doctor said the thallium scan was fine.  My doctor said my heart sounds strong.  The problem is I still experience shortness of breath and my blood pressure ranges from 143/85 to as high as 170/110.  Is it possible for a thallium scan to be a false negative - could I still have a problem that didn't show up?  Also, with my blood pressure going up, should I call my doctor now or wait until my next appointment in May?
  I really appreciate your help.   I find the information I get from your sight useful in being a better patient and it helps me to better understand what is going on with me.
  Thanks,
  Barbara

[CCF CARDIO MD APS]

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Dear Barbara,
Yes the thallium can "miss" things as it is designed to look just for one
particular problem: decreased blood supply to areas of the heart AND it doesn't
even pick that up 100% of the time.  In other words Barbara, your symptoms are
what you should pay attention to, not just the test results.  
Diabetics often have atypical signs and symptoms of heart disease and this makes
it more difficult to diagnose. As well, "false-positive" thalliums are more likely
in women than men!  And that is not the only test available to evalute you.
Definitely call you doctor and see him as soon as possible, and if that is
not a possibility, go to an emergency room or find a cardiologist who can
evaluate your significant cardiac risk factors and your recent problems.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for
general purposes only. Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies.
Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
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.