failed treadmill stress test

[snorodent]

I am a 36, non smoker non drinker, no history of heart disease in family, non excersizing and 40 pounds over weight, female.  11 months ago I developed a terrible chest cold and coughed for months.  When I went to the Dr. they found I have high blood pressure ( again... I did in my late 20s but it went away with two children) of 160 over 90.  I was put on atenolol.  shortly after that, i started having alarming arm and chest discomfort.  It was random, both at reat and during excersize.  Flash forward to recently, I had an echo that found an slightly enlarged left ventricle.  I have terrible heart palps even on the Bystolic, and now, today, I spiked a high BP reading 160 over 100 only 2 minutes into the treadmill, so he ended the test.  I was sent home, to wait three weeks for a nuclear stress test.  My question is this, why am I home with arm and chest pains?  If I am having arm, neck chest and sometimes even jaw discomfort, plus palps, spiking BP, enlarged Lft. ventricle, leaky valve,  and dizzy spells, why wasn't I admitted?  Why send me home with a blood pressure cuff and tell me to make an appt for a nuclear test in three weeks?  He told me the chance of me having ablockage is low, but Im thinking, im fat, im 36... I think theres a pretty good chance right?  So I am sitting home, arm hurting every time I exhert myself or try to get a good night sleep hoping I dont have a sudden heart attack... should I go to a new cardiologist?  This one seems good, but now Im not sure.  Why his blasie attitude, because Im young?  thank you!!!!

[happylala]

Hi, I am a 26 yr old female, and have the same thing goin on. BUT, I have been with my doc for about 10 months now, so I think,or hope, I have this under control. What pills are you on? I take metoprolol. Now this med can slow a heart rate over time. Soo, maybe thats why you had a slow down? Mine was very fast from time to time and my bp was high as well. The pills help, but I still can feel so tired from doing do little. They say its normal. Whatever that means :)  I had a tilt table test, and failed it. You should try to get one if you can. Just to make sure. If you fail it means that your heart rate, and your bp stop working together. (For the most part) I also get twitching in my limbs , they dont know why. I read that meds can cause it, you just have to find out if the ones you take are the cause. And as far as the 40 pounds.... well I was 35 . :) It didnt matter what I did, I couldnt get the weight off. I dont know if you take birth control pills, but I do, and it doesnt help the fact! But what I found is that if i lift small weights a week before my period, and the week of, I can take off 2-6 pounds! That is great because I cant jog or anything that get my heart rate up. And if ou cant workout, how can you get the weight off !! So I tried the weights, about 3 sets of 15, with 5 pound weights. And I eat SMALL meals now. I dont just eat well, I eat small. It was hard, but when the weight started to come off, it kept me going. Now I have lost almost 30 pounds ,and feel so much better. Its not so hard for me to do the small things anymore. I still have to be careful , so I dont do much. But I swim, and walk. Thats seems to be the best ! Well I hope this helps! Good luck, and get a tilt test!

[ed34]

Im really not sure why you are on a beta blocker. If someone is overweight, then their heart will be required to work a little harder than usual, so restricting this seems odd to me. Not everybody tolerates beta blockers and I would ask your cardiologist if you can come off of them. As soon as someone mentions the words chest discomfort, whooosh, cardiologists automatically put people onto this medication. It makes you feel lethargic, destroys your sex life and basically makes you feel fed up and depressed in the end.
Maybe ask your consultant to consider ace inhibitors rather than beta blockers.
I would concentrate then on reducing weight, through diet to begin with if you are unable to exercise due to fitness limitations. You only have to take a slow walk for 30 minutes each day to exercise as a starting point. As time progresses, you can gradually speed up to a brisk walk. Take the same route each day and at different stages, make a mental note of how you feel. Over a couple of weeks you should notice a huge difference, it should be easier.

[NDM60]

HI
I HAD A TREADMILL STRESS TEST YESTERDAY (ABOUT 10-12 MINS ON TREADMILL  TO LEVEL 4) AND NOW TODAY FEEL PRETTY POORLY CHEST ACHE ETC.  NONE OF WHICH I HAD BEFORE THE TEST. IM 60 YEARS OLD AND WAS  JUST WONDERING IF THIS IS NORMAL AFTER THE EXERTION AND  IF THESE SYMPTOMS WILL DISAPPEAR.   AS I WONT GET THE RESULT OF THE TEST FOR 4-5 WEEKS SHOULD I CONTACT MY GP IF THEY PERSIST.
MANY THANKS  NDM60

[snorodent]

Hi karin,
I was just checking back today to see if there were any responses.  Thanks so much for making me feel a little less "weird".  I have had alot of those tests too, and a couple of them as I said, showed minor heart issues, mostly with my valve and left ventricle, but nothing so out of the ordinary that he says I need invasive care.  I still haven't gone for my angiogram.  Now, my heart rate is TOO LOW.  First it was too fast for months and months, now, Im on a beta blocker, and i can't get it over 52-55 bpm.  How it could go from 70-80 and then drop dramatically ( no change in meds really, same one for a while now..) it is almost impossible to do areobic excersize, I get dizzy and get chest pains in 5 minutes.  This is so frustrating.  I have never heard of a tilt table test, or that thing you were diagnosed with.  I have odd new symptoms now, including a forhead and face twitch, (visable to my family, who gets a kick out of moms twitching fore head!) intense photosensitivity, arm tremors, and blinding head pain.  I do get out and go for long walks and try to do other really active things, but I literally feel like I am going to drop dead most of the time.  Im sleeping well though, as long as I take my beta blocker right as i am falling asleep, otherwise I end up with insomnia.....Its just so frustrating!

,

[karinosa]

So sorry that you are not feeling well, I can totally relate, I'm also a 'young' mom, I'm 41, 3 children and for the last 9 months, also after a bad cold, my blood pressure has been high.  

I also failed the stress test due to my BP going way too high.  I cannot excercise and also just looking at food makes me gain weight!  My heart rate is very high even at rest, I also get headaches 3-4X/week, dizziness, lethargy, chest pressure, tingling down the left arm, jaw pain, overall illness and more!

I have had every cardiac test one can possibly have, 24hr holter, several ECG's, MIBI, Echo, Ultrasound, even went for Angiogram.  All the tests were normal.  My Dr. then proceeded to test every other organ, stomach-kidneys-liver-pancreas-uterus-brain - all normal, blood work I have had it for everything - all normal, no thyroid - no hormonal problems nothing.  The only thing I did have was a very low ferritin level, this was treated with iron pills I'm in an acceptable range now but the symptoms are still there.

I went to a Naturopath who put me on a vitamin treatment and since I have felft better but I still have days where I cannot do much.

I finally went and had the table-tilt-test and the specialist diagnosed me with P.O.T.S, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.  You do not know how relieved I feel!

I cannot tell you that this is what you have, the best thing is to go thru all the testing to make sure your heart is healthy.

There are others here that the high BP, fast heart rate and other symptoms, started after a virus, for some POTS patients it all starts from a viral infection, for me it all fit the bill!

Good luck and let me know if you would like to talk more about this, you can email me thru my user name.

Take care,

Karin

[snorodent]

thank you Ken.  I truely feel I am too young to be feeling like an old lady with a heart condition, but I do.  I want my active life back of chasing my kids around the yard, going for long walks with my husband, and planting huge gardens.  These activities are escaping me, and the weight is staying on no matter how I cut calories.  Now it hurts to excersize.  Only three years ago, before my pregnancy with my son, i was 40 pounds less and able to line dance for 4 hours without getting winded.  I have declined in health since his birth and can't find a reason.  This is just another hurdle on my journey to feeling "normal" again.  I've had my thyroid checked, tested for diabetes...  All thats left is possible heart disease, and getting screened for cancer then Ive covered all the bases.  I am a lively person with a big personality and everyone can see my energy fading away.  

[kenkeith]

If your chest pain is associated with a heart disorder due to insufficient blood flow (ischemia) through coronary arteries, then a nitrate medication should be prescribed, and there should be immediate relief from chest pain, etc. (angina) relief.

About 90%–95% of people with high blood pressure have what is  called essential hypertension or primary hypertension. This means the condition has no identifiable source. Most experts believe essential hypertension is caused by a variety of factors, many of them as yet unknown.

Apparently, your doctor wants to rule out coronary artery occlusions.  You have chest pains at rest and with exertion, and if there are blockages then the diagnosis would be unstable angina.  Usually, this a more advanced ischemic condition, as most angina related heart problems occurs to individuals when they exercise or with exertion and that would be stable angina and easily recognized.

Occluded vessels and valve non-compliance can cause an enlargement of the left venticle, and those conditions should ruled out with a stress test.  Also, overweight can burden the heart to the degree that the left ventricle size will increase.  If the left ventricle is enlarged, that can also cause irregular heartbeats.

[snorodent]

Thank you for your reply.  This cardiologist is rather easy to get appt. with if you are able to be on his time table.  he wants me to monitor my BP twice a day and keep a log.  He is determined, so he says, to find the cause of my high blood pressure and treat it agressively.  I find it almost impossible to excersize with out getting dizzy and feeling weak, but I am able to do regular day to day activities with my kids, houseclean, garden, etc.  All this started after a particularly bad chest infection last Summer.  my O2 levels were monitors and were normal.  Its just this confounded spiking pain in my arm and through my chest area.  Id think it was a herniated disc, if the pains werent followed by a tired feeling immediately afterwards.  I will give him a call tomorrow and tell him how I am feeling.  

[jondsam]

Cardio docs are of the hardest doctors to get appointments and take tests. I remember I had serious chest pains and frequent pvc's and pac's and they scheduled me for a nuclear 3 weeks later.  It is possible there is some blockage, and also very possible you might have a little ischemia going on.  I don't know if they checked your Sp O2 level when you were at the doc, but maybe your oxygen saturation is a little low.  Anyways, if you could find another cardio doc that could fit you in before 3 weeks, which is unlikely I would try a new doctor.  Second opinions are always a good thing.

Good luck