Community Chat

[Renata22]

I had the nuclear stress test last month. I have a knee that needs replacing so no way could I walk uphill on the treadmill. I was so scared going in. I had heard bad things. It wasn’t fun but the really uncomfortable part only lasted a minute or less. Couldn’t catch my breath. I got excellent results, thank God.

[BalletBabe]

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@nana59 wrote:

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@jannabelle1 wrote:

My former cardiologist scheduled the stress test. I did horribly - and stopped it right in the middle of it. My heart was going crazy and I felt horrible. My doctor was ticked off at me and berated me - too bad. My PCP referred me to another cardiologist and he diagnosed my extra heartbeat. I have bad memories of that stress test and do not regret refusing to complete it. BTW, I had also gone through the "nuclear" stress test. Enough was enough.

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i had a similar situation with a stress test....told the cardiologist i had 2 arthritic knees that needed to be replaced...he insisted i have the test.....it took the nurses longer to hook me up to the treadmill....than the time i was actually on it.....my knees couldn't take it!  the doctor was annoyed....so i told him he was FIRED......back then i did what i was told....now i make my own decisions......

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@nana59   Good for you.  Sometimes Dr.'s are just plain stupid.  I do like you!!

[Nataliesgramma]

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@Renata22 wrote:
I had the nuclear stress test last month. I have a knee that needs replacing so no way could I walk uphill on the treadmill. I was so scared going in. I had heard bad things. It wasn’t fun but the really uncomfortable part only lasted a minute or less. Couldn’t catch my breath. I got excellent results, thank God.

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I had that too last year due to my arthritis....not a fun test.....

[chrystaltree]

I did that in 2017 before I had my knee replacement surgery.  With my bad knee, they didn't think I would be able to do a stress test but I did!  Overweight with a bad knee, they were by how well I did.  I could have kept going too.  Heart problems run in my family too, ob my mother's side.  She was the first in her family to live beyond the age of 62.  She had the inherited heart condition too but with modern medicine, she lived to be 83.  No one in my generation has it.  

[Eileen in Virginia]

My PCP ordered both in 2017 after I had chest pains when I woke up one morning. No one ever told me there was a target. Unlike what I'd read online about the stress test gradually building from a flat surface to an incline, they took me from flat to about a 60 degree incline very quickly (my entire test only lasted 2 minutes). I don't know what the speed was set on, but the incline was excessive. I later found out that they only ran stress tests once a week and booked them back to back. I had barely made it out to the waiting room and they were calling the next person back to the test room. The test results came back normal and I haven't had a problem since. They wanted me to return a year later, but I refused. My echo was a piece of cake. The tech told me she recommends that her family members go straight to the echo if they ask for her advice. My chest pains were a fluke and I haven't had a recurrence. 

[Trinity11]

I have done them, even a couple of weeks before my first heart attack. I was told at that time my endurance was like someone in their twenties. The nuclear scan showed nothing. So, who knows how reliable they really are.

My doctor told me the "gold standard" is an angiogram.

[ALRATIBA]

I've had several echo cardiograms going all the way back to the 1980s.

It's been several years since my last one which included a stress test - trying to recall exactly when .... probably around 2005 or 2006.

I had a new doctor - and she wanted me to have the tests because it had been 8 years since the last one.

This last one was just a few minutes on the treadmill and then immediately did the echo, and doc compared it to the prior.  Cardio doc said no change from prior.  

[wagirl]

Had both done yesterday--stress test was a chemical one---echo was first than the stress test----can't do the running one as i have neuopathy in my feet.

[deeva]

I had one last year.  Was surprised at how easy it was. 
But I take a brisk walk most days of the week, and don't have any knee or hip problems. 
DH said the same thing when he had his. 

[Kalli]

Interesting info from these posts and I'm thankful for your responses.  I now have a few extra questions when I see my pcp.  

I am not as commited to walking daily.  Many days I do walk, up and down our long driveway for 40 mins. It's a workout if I push myself since it's steep toward the top. But, I have to be honest, we've had a horrendously hot and humid summer with several bouts of heat waves that extend many days in a row.  On those days even if I get up early, it's already very hot and humid so often I cut the walks down to 20 or 25 minutes.  I admit I've been cheating on that.  I need to get back into it with no excuses allowed.