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Can I trust a normal cardiolite stress test?
Hi, 56 y.o. female, chronic but well controlled asthma, strong family history of early onset heart disease and stroke. Bad cholesterol numbers, but otherwise very healthy weight, non-smoker, and have given up drinking in favor of sleep.
Increasingly, over past year, I have had episodes of severe exercise intolerance, and periods of odd fatigue and vague discomfort in my chest.
4 weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch and had a strange feeling, so leaned forward to sit up, when I was gripped by a colicky (as in like a spasm) chest pain that kept getting worse. Left side, under breast, radiating to my back, could not catch my breath, could not stand up straight, even sitting down increased the pressure. I thought it might be esophageal spasm, so drank some water. Thinking it was strange heartburn, I tried taking a Tums.
After 20 minutes of dithering around, finally agreed to be driven to ER as I was becoming nauseous, and pain was beginning to radiate into my jaw and arm (we are closer to the hospital than the country ambulance service is to us). As I stepped out of the car, and at just over 30 minutes, the pain dissipated and was gone! poof! I just felt tired.
Normal EKG, blood work and chest x-ray at hospital. Given history of exercise intolerance, and a past tick bite, Dr. thought possibly untreated Lyme. I completed the antibiotics.
Agreed to a nuclear stress test, just to be sure. Results came back normal this week. However, I still have a vague discomfort in my chest, and still get winded and weak when I try to garden, etc. I am inclined to chalk up the winded tired feeling to a new rendition of my chronic asthma even though my pulse ox is great, and no wheezing. I want to see about adjusting my meds (currently Advair 250/50 and rarely used albuterol)
But before I go there, and ignore an elephant, I just want to be sure I can trust the stress test results, and rule out any cardiac basis for my symptoms. Thanks for your insights.
Increasingly, over past year, I have had episodes of severe exercise intolerance, and periods of odd fatigue and vague discomfort in my chest.
4 weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch and had a strange feeling, so leaned forward to sit up, when I was gripped by a colicky (as in like a spasm) chest pain that kept getting worse. Left side, under breast, radiating to my back, could not catch my breath, could not stand up straight, even sitting down increased the pressure. I thought it might be esophageal spasm, so drank some water. Thinking it was strange heartburn, I tried taking a Tums.
After 20 minutes of dithering around, finally agreed to be driven to ER as I was becoming nauseous, and pain was beginning to radiate into my jaw and arm (we are closer to the hospital than the country ambulance service is to us). As I stepped out of the car, and at just over 30 minutes, the pain dissipated and was gone! poof! I just felt tired.
Normal EKG, blood work and chest x-ray at hospital. Given history of exercise intolerance, and a past tick bite, Dr. thought possibly untreated Lyme. I completed the antibiotics.
Agreed to a nuclear stress test, just to be sure. Results came back normal this week. However, I still have a vague discomfort in my chest, and still get winded and weak when I try to garden, etc. I am inclined to chalk up the winded tired feeling to a new rendition of my chronic asthma even though my pulse ox is great, and no wheezing. I want to see about adjusting my meds (currently Advair 250/50 and rarely used albuterol)
But before I go there, and ignore an elephant, I just want to be sure I can trust the stress test results, and rule out any cardiac basis for my symptoms. Thanks for your insights.
I would like to delete this question and the duplicate I posted in the Angina forum. Do you know how this can be done? Thank you.
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