Stress Test

[briane]

Thank you in advance for your time.  I think this is a very wonderful and informative forum. I have written before and was interested in knowing exactly what does a stress test ( I don't know the official name, but they took scans of my heart that morning when i did the stress test and also I went back that afternoon and had the scans done again)rule out?  Also mine came out good so how long would those results be applicable if you continue to have symptoms before you might need to have another one done?  Statistically speaking if you have had a stress test,  holter monitor and ultra sound of the heart about a year ago for the stress test and 6 mo. for the others and nothing other than a binign irregular heart beat was found is that enough to feel safe that your symptoms are not caused by your heart?  I continue to be concerned about heart. I have various symptoms, but the main continuing overwhelming ones are in my chest, arm, jaw and tongue.  I continue to be concerned about my heart.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear love,
There are different kinds of stress tests.  The most common is an exercise stress test where someone exercises on a treadmill or bicycle and the heart response is monitored.  Imaging such as nuclear scans (what you probably had) or echocardiogram scans may be added to improve the test detection rate.  As with any "noninvasive" test a stress test is not 100% accurate.  The accuracy of an exercise stress test is about 70% and it increases to about 90% with imaging.  The only test that is 100% is a cardiac cath.  If you are still concerned about your symptoms you may wish to discuss getting a cardiac cath with your doctor.

[briane]

i wanted to mention I have alot of cramping,and tightening and different pains in my chest. I stay home and wait on it to pass or try to deal with it because I've already had my heart checked out, but I often wonder if I am making a mistake.

[roland]

LoveandHappiness...if you want to take about our heart health. Email me anytime at zok_01***@****

[cosmicbabe]

Hi ....I was wondering how old you are?  I am 32 female and experiencing chest pains....I had the cardiolite test, echo , chest exrays, etc....done to me all normal except the cardiolite ..said I might have a mild case of ishcemia....but he said it also gives afalse pos in females because of breast tissue...he gave me nitro...i took it once almost made me get sick and pass out...never took it again...I still get the pains and they are only on my left side and travel to my left arm....it happens anytime even while I am sleeping..I dont know what to do...Did you get a third opinion and what are you are your symptoms...I even went as far as cutting mostly all fat out of my diet eating more healthy....etc ....dont know what to do....
thanks

[briane]

You sound like me.  I feel kind of desperate and I don't know what to do.  I've been going through this for about a year and a half.  How long has yours been going on?  I've been to different Doctors, but only one cardiologist.  Did you get more than one opinion? what did they say?  I was told at one point that I have fybromyalgia (a chronic pain syndrome), but then the specialist said I didn't because I don't have the tender points that you are supposed to have.  I'm determined to find a source of relief because its disabling my life to much.  If you would like to e-mail me my address is ***@****

[cosmicbabe]

Hi LOve, thanks for your quick response....It started about 1 1/2 years ago...went to the hospital initially because i was scared to death..they shrugged it off and said it was costrocondritis....gave me pain killers...they did not take away the pain....i would ONLY get pain on my left side and then it began to travel down my left arm, also my upper part of my back, left side too.  I went to a cardiologist....he said lets do a echo stress....it showed up normal...well then the pain went away...again it started up again this past summer....went to the family doct...he did a chest xray and then echo, ekg also
well this time my chest xray said my heart was TOP NORMAL...and my echo showed slight mitral regurgatation....then he referred me to another heart specialist...that is when they did the cardiolite test with the thallium...it showed slight ischemia...but then he said he wasnt sure becuase of the breast tissue....well I was getting annoyed because I am still getting the pain off and on and it lasts longer than 5 mins sometimes it will last 20 mins etc.  It is very scarry because doctors are not God and they make mistakes .They look at me and see a young 32 female who has never smoked etc...I got some more pain last night....I heard that you could feel totally ok one min and then die of a heart attack the next...that is what sacres me ...if they are wrong about their diagnoses.

[dodgybeats]

I am a 30 year old female with pretty much exactly the same symptoms as you. I have also taken myself to hospital when I have had terrible chest pains - sometimes they could be so bad that I couldn't breath.  I was diagnosed with costochondritis, fibromyalgia and severe irritatation of the intercostal nerves.  You are right in that Drs see a relatively healthy young woman and think heart disease? no way! which can be very frustrating when you are having very real pain! I had a full cardiac workup though because I also get arrythmias and have a family history of heart problems.  The one thing that comforts me is that I have had this pain on and off for about 2-3 years and if it were truly heart disease I would probably have fallen off the twig by now!

[rsexson]

I have to agree with you ladies.
I am 33 and I feel like at least one of the cardiologist didn't take me too seriously.
I have had PVC'S, since my hysterectomy in 94 and I quit smoking in 97. I had a stress test done in 97 because of the PVC's and family history all came out fine.
The pvc's really didn't bother me too bad.
Then in October of last year, one day I had pvc's all day long. So I went to see the doc he did a EKG and ordered a 24 hour halter and echo.
Did that and it just showed pvc's and the echo showed mild regurgitation. They weren't too sure what to do. So they did blood work and it wasnt maybe 3 weeks after the testing that I ended up on the post office floor. After that I started getting dizzy and some pain in my chest and arm.
They ordered a 30 day monitor and did I use it! They got a hold of the doc on the first day and said I was in atial fib, doc did a ekg and sent me home with aspirin with out telling me what was up.
Then about 2 weeks into it they put me in the hospital because I had nausea and pain and dizziness.
They had this big Denver cardiologist see me and with out seeing all the tests and such told me how everyones heart goes a little faster when they walk up the stairs and when they put their arms up over their head. He talked to me like I was a fruit cake and I was waisting his time.
So I waited to see another doc just a week or so ago from Rapid City. He said that the monitor is showing sinus tach and pvc's, pac's and at times sinus brady.
He isn't sure why so he is running some more tests and put me on toprol. He didn't treat me like I was wasting his time. He did say that a women at my age and things like that.
I told him if I was a guy at my age then maybe we should worry right?
All my uncles and my grandfather have died before their 50th birthday because of heart attacks.
The women have lived longer with triple by passes and replacement valves and so on.
I really don't know what's going on, but anyone can choose to see another doctor if they are not treating us well.
I am not too worried about what's going on because I feel like it is not fatal and can be treated. Well, that's my long story :).