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major chest pain during Nuclear Stress Test

I am a 53 yo male without previous diagnosed heart disease. I am an ex smoker of 30 years and ex drinker. My last 5 years have been spent being much healthier but I have developed stenosis in my caratoids and I need surgery for one side now. Prior to the surgery i was told to have a stress test done. Firstly, why did I suffer from severe chest pain ( say 8 out of 10) during a nuclear stress test and is tthe pain experienced indicative of coronary disease that would also require surgeryor stinting?. Secondly, what kind of heart problems can occur during endarterectomy.

I am a Veteran and using the VA hospital and its services. Occasionally when using this service on has to wait a very long time to get answers. Hence, my post here.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.....
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214864 tn?1229715239
Hey my man. The only reason I am worried for you is very obvious....You exerted yourself quite a bit to reach your target heart rate during the stress test, right? You also had very bad chest pain during this exertion, right?

Ok, 2+2 = 4, LOL...No when you have a blockage(s) in your coronary arteries and exert yourself, the lack of blood flow to your heart muscle, due to the blockages, cause angina, or chest pain due to coronary artery disease (CAD). It isn't rocket science at all.

Your heart supplies it's on fresh oxygenated blood to it's own muscles through the coronary arteries. The more you exert yourself, the more blood your heart muscle needs. It's like any muscle.

Nitroglycerin is by prescription and is carried by all CAD patients in case they have a plaque rupture or somehow develop a sudden life threatening blockage. Nitro dilates the arteries and increases blood flow.

There are other times when CAD patients use nitro. Sometimes we have known, documented blockages that are not large enough to stent. They wont stent a blockage unless it is around 70% blocked (rough rule of thumb).

So I have lived on nitro. I have used it to relieve angina many times in a non emergency situation, but then again there is a protocol when treating everyday occurring angina. One tab or spray each 5 minutes and after the third tab or spray and no relief, take 2 adult aspirin and call 911.

Nitro dilates all arteries including your carotid. I was talking about using it to prevent a heart attack.

Angina feels very strange and is usually a very unique feeling for each who have it. For me it is a dull burning pain that starts in my heart and radiates up into my chest and across my left chest area and sometimes down into my left arm. I used to have it in my back.

Severe angina can also come with the feeling of doom. This is usually reserved for those that either have or come close to having a heart attack.

I know the feeling of "soreness" you speak of. Not good and if I were you, I would not push the exercise unless I had nitro with me. As a matter of fact, I would not over exert myself at all. When the heck is someone going to give you the results of your stress test?

What does AMF mean? Adi
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Avatar universal
Heu Jack, Thanks for your time to help me out here. It sounds like you know of the VA hospitals and their sometime lack of expediency.....lol....hey, i did badger the techs to get answers but they wouldnt budge...anyway, I am concerned about the pain i experienced during the nuke stress test. I ahve done research and hear that it isnt a problem on one page and then the next page says it is.....it will probably be a few days b4 i can get through to the doc that ordered the tes. I dont have a primary care doc as she retired and wont be replaced until august.....so the next few days will give me more time to worry...lol....Can I ask why you say that i should be concerned with the pain during the test?....to me, it felt exactly like a heart attack.....i havent had one previously and cant explain the feeling of this pain...other than excrutiating...i regularly do cardio at the gym....thee techs didnt say DONT....so I went to the gym twice since the test.....i can tell you that my heart itiself actualy feels sore....just like a say a sor muscle from doing yard work or something like that.....and about the nitro....what reason do i have for the need of it?.....the caratoid blockage?

thanks again Jack and AMF.....for a little while anyway.....lol
Helpful - 0
214864 tn?1229715239
Hello fellow VET. Anytime you have a blockage in any artery, you are more at risk for having a blockage in your coronary arteries. The chest pain you had during your stress test is scary to me. Have you got the results back yet?

You need to learn to pester the dickens out of the techs that give these tests for information, before you leave the facility, lol.

My advice to you is to get a prescription for fast acting nitroglycerin just in case you have a heart attack. You can get a spray or pill form. This medicine is a vasodilator which immediately opens or expands your coronary arteries thereby supplying more blood to your heart muscle. You already have a need and reason for the prescription for the nitro.

I would take it easy until I got to the bottom of this chest pain. Go slow and steady and do not wear yourself out each day from work.

A blockage can be easily stented. I have 5 stents in my ca's.

You and your doctors will probably know if you have heart problems from the results of the stress test. They may want to proceed with the heart issue before working on the carotid.

Stress tests are known to be a tad flaky. If yours says you are ok, don't believe it. The next step for you should be a non-invasive imaging of your coronary arteries (64 slice coronary artery CT scan or the latest and greatest MRI) or a cardiac catheterization. I have had 9 caths since 2003 :) They are a piece of cake. I hate getting my teeth cleened worse, lol.

Keep aspirin with you at all times and if you even suspect you are having a heart attack (I had one) take 2 aspirin and call 911. The aspirin are life savers. It would be great if you could also get you some nitro.

Hang in there troop :)

Jack
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