After Stress Test, New Tests Needed or not?

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi, I am new to the forums, so Please forgive me if I am a little awkward in posting. I am a 54 year old female who had what appeared to be heart attack symptoms earlier this month.( first part of April) I had sudden tightness pain as if my chest was being squeezed or feeling of a heavy weight on my chest, hard to breathe, pain in my jaw, nausea and sweating or cold sweats, also fear of impending doom. Lasted for about 10-15 minutes I was in a store away from home and I just wanted to get home asap, back to my husband.

      Anyway, did not go to the E.R. told by my doctor a few days later, had all the classic symptoms and should have gone. Had upcomming foot surgery for fusion, and saw my regular dr. for a presurgical clearance and after hearing about my heart pain episode, she referred me for further testing. She drew my blood for lipid panel, as I have had high blood pressure and high cholesteral for several years, take Lipitor 20 mg day already. My dr. called me that night to give me further orders and the results of my cholesteral. She said my LDL was 184, and she was putting me on several other meds while waiting for a med induced stress test, I can not exercise because of a back problem and bad feet. She prescribed Zetia to add to my list of meds to take as well as Atentol and nitroglycerin for the chest pain.
Also told me no physical exertion.

I had the stress chest a couple of days ago and am waiting for the results. If my tests comes out normal does this rule out any heart disease? I know my Ekg was ok resting, but I don't know the exercise induced or what the nuclear scan showed. I also have hypothroidism and have a family history of heart disease that my dad died of. I am about 25 pds overweight because of the back injury, that I take Methadone for. I get out of breath going upstairs as well. I am afraid of having a heart attack, and never felt this kind of pain before. My dr. is concerned, and my foot surgery is postphoned temporarily while dr.s check things out. What other tests can I expect or does this rule out any problem with the gamma camera that they used, it is brand new! I appreciate your help. Thanks.

                                                                                                                      fluffypurrcat

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi, thank you so much for the wealth of information, I have one question, if the EKG looks normal, does that mean that the nuclear Test can still show areas of decreased Perfusion, that there can still be areas of blockage or decreased artery area? Thanks for the information, it is nice to know what I can expect!            fluffypurrcat

[larrpa00]

The Nuclear Test will show if there is any areas of your coronary arteries that are blocked or have decreased perfusion (blood flow) during periods of rest and with "stress" (exercise).  If there is blockage or decreased perfusion seen they will follow up with a cardiac catherization.  A cardiac cath looks more specificially at your coronary arteries and they will be able to tell to what degree, which coronary artery is blocked or narrowed and if any intervention is needed.  For example, stent or angioplasty (opening of the arteries with a balloon catheter).  
I hope this helps.

[Momto3]

Hi and welcome to the Heart Forum.  Your first post was perfect : )  You will find the people around here are very friendly and helpful.  As you said, it is so much easier to talk with others who udnerstand what you're going through.

I'm so sorry you've got so much going on.  As you are doing, try to tackle one thing at a time.  Hopefully, your doctor will be able to give you some useful information on Tuesday.  Once you have those results, you can talk with your doctor about options and how to move forward.  Hope your results are stellar!

Connie
Community Leader

[fluffypurrcat]

Michelle, hi,by the way, that is my neices name, I allways liked that name. Anyway, thank you also for the comments. I have been very stressed and none of the doctor forums have replied. I find out my results on Tuesday, so I am hoping it will show something just to justify that I was not imaginiang things if that makes sense. I think we know our own bodies better than anyone else, even if we don't know what it is.

  I defintly will not just accept that there is nothing else to do if the stress test does not show anything conclusive, but I think I have a good doctor, and being a woman, she knows that women show atypical symptons that men may not.She did seem very concened, and I dont think she would have prescibed the Nitro if she did not think there was something going on.

I did have another question, don't know if you are familiar with this or not, but it is something I experienced yesterday, and it was kind of nerve wracking, and I think it is related. I have allways had low or low normal blood pressure, in the range of as low as 90/60-110/60 and the high is 120/80. I allso have a very low heart rate, in the 40's-50's. When it reaches 60 that is high for me, I was prescibed Atetenol for blood pressure several years ago, because when I am in pain, either from back or with a migraine, it goes up to 140/85-90, then back down when pain decreases, so I was told to take a half of a tablet when needed.

When I had this heart incidnent, the dr. told me to take one every day, but I tend to not take one because a half of one will drop my pressure to as low as 80/40, and I don't want to go any lower than that. Well yesterday, I had a racing heart, skipped beats, etc, but no pain. I started out with a normal pressure of in the 110/70 range on awakening.
Around 3:00 p.m, I was having some noticeable missed beats, etc feeling a littel strange. My blood pressure with three different readings within an hour were 144/99 pulse 66,  144/113, pulse 43, and 140/111 pulse 52. Also my lips were tingling, and I had a strange burning feeling in my throat, so I took a half of a blood pressure pill and an hour later my pressure was 114/67 pulse 42, and 125/67 pulse 38.  It was the bottom number, the Diastolic that had me concerned, because it was over 100 several times.
Also the blood pressure went up without any pain, and that is new to me.
( I take Methadone for chronic back pain, and have since 2004)

Have you ever experienced any increase in blood pressure like this when having chest pain or heart problems? I will be anxious to see if other people experience something similiar. I am so glad I have the nitro. I have not taken it yet, would have the day after it was prescribed as I had a pain incident that woke me up about 5:00 a.m out of a deep sleep, with pain and tingling in one arm, It scared me enuogh to get up  and take a aspirn and sit up for about a half an hour and wait for the feeling to get better. It did and I went back to bed. It was scary enough to take Nitro, but it had not been picked up from pharmacy yet. The pain was not the same, but not usual and the dr. told me to watch for anything out of the ordinary, and I did.

I will be reading up on and echo test and finding out if there is a cardiologist in the area that I may check out depending on what the dr. says on Tuesday. Hope I make it till then with no more stressing days. Thank you for your response, I really appreciate it.

                                                                  fluffypurrcat

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi, thank you so much for your reply. I had posted in the dr. forum, and still no reply, I think the people who have gone through the problems are in some ways better to answer with their own experience and they can relate to the stress of not knowing what to do or how it feels. I hope your wife is feeling better, has she been able to get any help?

       My husband works at a local Indian Casino as a poker dealer, and strange hours such as tonight from 6;00 p.m-5:00 a.m and I do not drive. I know if I have the symptoms again, I will not hesitate and will call 911. Luckily there is a fire department only about two blocks away, so that is a blessing.

I will find out the results of my stress test on Tuesday, and I know there is something going on, only because I know my own body, and that I have never felt this way before. If the stress test does not show anything conclusive, then I will have to see what else can be done. I am doing some reading, so I know what the other choices are. I will have to read and see what a Heart scan involves. Thank you so much, it means a lot that someone will talk to me and feedback is important.                    fluffypurrcat

[momtofourboys]

I agree stress test doesn't show everything. yes I also agree to see a cardiologist and maybe have an echo.
Please next time go to the ER like pointman said. I know you were scared and wanted your hubby and that since the pain went away it wasn't"anything" I did the same thing before. but will not do it again.
actually if you have these symptoms again call 911 don't drive yourself.
I agree with your doctor to postpone your surgery.
good luck
michelle

[Pointman]

Hi fliffy,  iam not  a DR. But  i do know and others on hrere can tell you same a stess test does not find every thing, I would think  you should se a cardologist,  i would do soem sching around whom to see  asf frinds  nurses ect who is a good cardologist.
Yoir choorster doesnt sound real high,my wife had same symtons as you did and i had her to  er onmore thnao ne occosain se if your i nsurance covers  a hear scan, this sint intrussive. And pleas eif yuo ahve an moresmtons, please go to the ER. better to be safe.I wish you well.

Pointman