Mom had breathing issues...

[shouldiworry1323]

Hi all. I had my mother at the ER on Sunday for shortness of breath, she said she felt like she wasn't getting a deep enough breath and it seemed a bit more labored. She is 54 y/o, average weight, no history of hbp, cholesterol just checked and always has been good. Blood pressure actually runs low and average heart rate.
They did a CT of chest, EKG, bloodwork including troponins, all normal. She also said right below her sternum, not on her breastbone, but below it, she had some heaviness feeling. Because of these symptoms, they kept her overnight to continue to monitor EKG and troponin, all were normal.  Her doctor came in the next day, said he was going to order a stress test and echo. She did the medicine stress test because she has a bad back. While waiting around for a few hours for results, the nurse talked to the DR on the phone, and he discharged her with instructions to see him in a week. The question I have is, he prescribed her Lopressor 25 mg twice a day, and she has low blood pressure. She called the next day to make appt and the nurse said he said to take it not for your blood pressure, but to "protect your heart" and he will talk to you next week. That's all she said.
No one ever came in and said anything about results, just said he said she was okay to go home and to follow up. Any idea why he would prescribe Lopressor, not for a blood pressure problem? I know it can be given for angina, but wouldn't someone have told her if the stress test or echo showed some sort of problem, and probably recommended seeing a cardiologist, or better yet, have one see her while she was a patient in the hospital??
ANY advice please, I am so worried for her.

[shouldiworry1323]

I certainly will. There was no cardiologist actually consulted. Just whoever did the stress test. Her regular doctor was the one who ordered the echo and stress test and said he'd get the results. The nurses on the floor called him that evening and he discharged her and said to follow up with him, her regular doctor, in a week. No consult for a cardiologist at all, yet anyways. But that's what bothers me, if she needs a cardiologist for some reason, why wait a week?

[ed34]

Hi, after reading your post I am as confused as you I think. If it isn't the heart, why prescribe a beta blocker? If it is the heart, why just sent her home with no information? Even if they did find something that isn't serious, it would be nice to know for peace of mind. What on Earth are they playing at?
I would be having a few words with that Cardiologist if I was in your shoes, at that next meeting. Can you please let us know what the Cardiologist says?