Myocardial Perf Nuclear Stress test....yikes.!

[Ihatepalps2]

Help! Im scared! Im 48 yr old female, have had benign palpitations for 15+ yrs, but have NEVER had chest pain/discomfort before. Very overweight-high bp, otherwise healthy. Had the H1N1 flu in mid-November. Was left with terrible cough, treated w/ antibiotics. Noticed few weeks into Dec that when I would walk a distance, that my chest would burn-like when you breathe in cold cold air. Well, its cold-cold here, so I figured that was it. It continued. The cough went away. Saw my reg Dr on 12/21..a month after I had gotten the flu. She did EKG..looked great. Said Pleurisy..and prescribed Ibuprofin. I suffered thru the holidays..totally ruined them-anytime I would walk even from room to room my chest would burn! It goes away when Ive been still for about 2-3 minutes. Very scary feeling. I finally figured it was something else, and went to the local emergency room on 12/28. They did FULL cardiac workup-chest xray..EKG..blood work...and everything again, was perfect. THEY said pleurisy. (my symptoms didnt fit the normal pleurisy symptoms I looked up on the web) they Prescribed Naproxsyn. I took it. The chest "burning" did lessen over this length of time. Now, only happened when I would walk, say, half a block..or..from my car to my desk at work..but..was still happening. Early January, I called the cardiologist I saw for my palps. Described my symptoms, and they referred me to my regular Dr!!! At that point, I figured ok, how can it really be cardiac related if so many different Drs, say otherwise? But..I called my Dr. She told me Pleurisy takes time to get over--and to wait 2 weeks, and come to see her if I still have it. OK> that brings me to today. I had my appt. NOW...she didnt SAY cardiac...and maybe shes doing this because I told her I am terrified-and she wants to make me relax...but...shes scheduled, from what I can see on the papers...a
Myocardial Perf Rest Stress test"...or...she said Nuclear...I have to be injected with stuff...and be scanned before, at rest...and during??? I am claustrophobic...what kind of scanner?? What will they do next if they "see something"... can you give me any hope that maybe they WONT see something? Or...with the weird burning that I have off and on during activity..does that always mean heart? I am so scared, that its stopped me from enjoying LIFE!
Please answer with any info you have on any of this...

[Ihatepalps2]

anybody out there have a nuclear stress test? Ed and I the only ones..Im looking for ANY info...about the test..what you felt after...about the scan...about results...how fast you get them...ANYthing..please...

[Ihatepalps2]

THANK YOU so much for answering me!! So many posts here are put on by people like me..scared...confused...and the posts go unanswered.
Yes, I know what you mean about everything itching the moment they tell you that you cant move! You described it great, though...so im not so worried now. Thanks again!

[ed34]

Ive had 2. They are nothing to worry about. You lay on a bed and a small scanner goes slowly across your chest from one side to the other. You are not put into the donut scanner or anything causing anxiety. It sits close to the chest and lasts around 20 mins for each of the two scans. You have a break inbetween.
The scanner is also very very quiet, no loud clonking noises and to be honest, they ask you not to fall asleep but this is a hard thing to do. As usual with any scan, everything starts to itch and you can't move for 20 mins.

[Ihatepalps2]

has NOBODY here had a nuclear stress test? Nobody can help answer my questions...???