My doctor wants me to have the treadmill stress Echocardiogram test.....is there

[onecent]

any other test to do to find out what he thinks he can find with the st ress test.

I REFUSE to do the stress test where they inject something into your heart to make it beat rapidly

anyone have recent experience with this??
Thanks

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. If you use the treadmill stress test, when you want to stop, then stop. The patient is in control.

If you have confidence in your doctors and want to otherwise continue, just continue.

[Turbineguy]

2. I've had a couple of these

the last one was 7 years ago. No ill effects thus far. They told me to stop the test if I got in distress.

[HeiressofBickworth]

3. I understand your concern

After having two stress tests over a few years WITH the drug that made my heart race and caused me to black out for a moment, I told my Dr. that I would not be taking the drug again. The next time, I did the test without the drug, just walking on the treadmill (I'm not able to run) and they still got readings sufficient to determine my status. So, discuss it with your Dr. and see if they can do it without the drug.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. They Didn't Inject Anything In Me

It was just a treadmill thing with the EKG hooked up. They did the echogram before and after i did the treadmill.

There were no drugs of any type involved.

Do you have issues with walking? I thought that was the only time they did the chemically induced stress.

I'm not a doctor, but i was not aware the injection to increase heart rate was a normal procedure. They sure didn't do that with me.
GAC

[onecent]

5. I am going to begin with the treadmill, but due to my

poor EKG, and increasing shortness of breath, do not believe I can finish it.

I have heard HORROR stories about the drug induced stress test, and as one person said in one of the posts,
he blacked. out. I will REFUSE the drug induced.

Thanks for your responses...going Friday and scared to death.

Hugs

[onecent]

11. They did not give me the option of the treadmill ONLY the drug induced, and I'm

telling you IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I will just have to die...and die alot happier...That test is insane.

Years before I did the treadmill only stress test, and it's uncomfortable...but nothing NOTHING like the drug induced. I just found the paperwork. It is called Myocardial perfusion imagiing using the SPECT.

The imagine looks at the blood flow from your coronary arteries to your heart muscle. I wasn't afraid of it because my friend said her father drove himself to and from the test. But I assured her after I had that horrible thing that NO ONE drive themselves home.

I also believe there is another test used with a drug which you can drive yourself home.

They found nothing by the way...THEY NEVER DO.......
Hope none of you have to have it...it's yucky

[jambo101]

6. I have an Echocardiogram scheduled

Is this really going to require me to run on a treadmill?

[onecent]

7. No an echo is just a test where they do a type of sonogram

on your heart.

No pain, doesn't hurt...I had one yesterday, but they don't give you the results right away.
Good luck to you jambo

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Had Both At the Same Time

Echo on the heart, then get on the treadmill with all the wires hooked up, then at the end, another echo of the heart understress. Everything was basically done in about 20 minutes.

I made it 11.7 minutes on the treadmill, but i didn't quit because of cardio. The thing was moving too fast for me to synch up my gate. (I've got MS) So i started to fall behind. When my arms couldn't reach the bar anymore i had them hit the stop button.

Fortunately, everything was good and it turned out to be a gastric upset that caused chest pain.

[onecent]

12. The first test was the EKG, the Echo is on the treadmill

I'm to old for a treadmill now.

[efilon]

9. adenosine stress test.

not injected into your heart but through an iv to stimulate your heart rate. I had one several years ago and ended up having a cardiac cath. Stress test looked very bad according to cardio doc. Cath showed no plaque buildup. Recently had a treadmill stress test and it was fine. I was told the treadmill test is more accurate than the adenosine scan and I guess it must be.

[pertilotte]

10. Stress test

The only injection I've had while on the treadmill is the one from Nuclear Medicine (Radium???) There were two injections: the first one just before the MRI, and the second one about 45 minutes later, on the treadmill. No pain or discomfort of any kind.

[onecent]

13. That's the one I THOUGHT I was going to have. The paperwork said PET (Positron

Emission Tomography PET scan...they said relatively painless... and they used radioactive material. Anyway I suppose they hve lots of tests...but I still won't ever have it again. Plus when they know this old lady has insurance they give you the whole load of tests....