Cardiolite Stress test question - Page 3

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Good for you. Depending on the Protocol used, the number of minutes walking can vary by many minutes. Some increase the speed by Miles Per Hour every 1 minute, not a .1 or .3mph. At the same time the elevation can be increased as much as 3% every minute. As you can see from your recent experience, this could cut the time walked significantly, even with just raising the elevation.

Every treadmill stress test I have taken, I was not allowed to hold on to any handrail. If I did, they stopped the test, because that is considered as getting assistance to prolong the amount of time of the test. It is called by some as, "getting a lifeline", to extend the number of minutes, thus not allowed in the Protocol.

In Music we always used the word "Practiced". In sports and exercise we always used/use the word "Trained". All my stress tests were done "AS IS", meaning the physical condition I was "in" at the time the test was to be performed.

I am assuming your test came out with no negative results since you did not mention any. Sounds like you are in pretty good physical conditioning, which I always enjoy hearing or reading about.

Thanks for your personal story of the Treadmill Stress Test.

hckynut

hckynut(john)

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@mousiegirl wrote:
@Bibione wrote:
I recently had the treadmill test.I practiced walking on my treadmill for about 10 days prior to the test.
My test lasted 17 minutes,for me it was easy.At the end the speed was fast and I had to hold on tight to the handles.

@Bibione I forgot and let go of the handles which brought an excited roar from the women running the test, lol.

Just a question....they told you to hold on to the handles during the test? and @mousiegirl you felt ok and let go of the handles??

Guess I am confused as @hckynut posted that you are not to touch handles when doing the test.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@tsavorite wrote:
@mousiegirl wrote:
@Bibione wrote:
I recently had the treadmill test.I practiced walking on my treadmill for about 10 days prior to the test.
My test lasted 17 minutes,for me it was easy.At the end the speed was fast and I had to hold on tight to the handles.

@Bibione I forgot and let go of the handles which brought an excited roar from the women running the test, lol.
Just a question....they told you to hold on to the handles during the test? and @mousiegirl you felt ok and let go of the handles??

Guess I am confused as @hckynut posted that you are not to touch handles when doing the test.

@tsavorite Yes, they told me, but I began talking and forgot, but as soon as I let go, I grabbed the handles again as I felt as if I would fall off as it was going pretty fast then.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@tsavorite

Almost all the Treadmill Stress Tests I have taken, including my most recent one last year, used a Protocol that is not an Age Based Heart Rate. Even the Cardiolite I had done was not a "220 Bests Per Minute, Minus My Age" which is used for many, "up in years" patients that may not be as physically able when taking them as myself.

ETA: My max heart rate using this protocol would have automatically ended the test when my heart rate hit 141 BPM, and that is far short of my Max, which is 160+ BPM. Thus my Maximal Protocol was used.

Many patients are not able to reach the "heart rate/age" test I mentioned above. The overall condition of the patient is factored in, probably on most patients that have a Cardiolite Stress Test.

I asked my Cardiologist to set up my most recent Treadmill Test. I wanted to get his "ok" to make sure my heart is able to handle the Maximum BPM I planned on using for my ice skating and my in-home workouts. He set it up as a "Maximal Treadmill Test", so it was my decision when to stop, unless he noticed a problem with any of my readings during my testing.

With the Protocols used for almost every Treadmill Stress Test I have taken, since 1983, including the ones where The Pulmonary Cart(measures Max Vo2/Oxygen Uptake/you wear a mask/your nose is clipped closed/all you inhaling and exhaling is through a tube in your mouth) was used. You cannot hold onto any handrail(front or sides) or if and when you do, they shut down the treadmill.

Most "regular" Treadmill Stress Tests done for heart diagnostic purposes, I think are done using the Age Factored Heart Rate Protocol. Maybe with those a person is allowed to hold onto the rails. There are also probably many of these patients that have never walked on a Treadmill before. I now have close to 30,000 miles put on my 2 treadmills, so maybe that is why I am able to use the more advanced protocols.

@tsavorite Believe me, I am not trying to confuse you or anyone else posting in this thread. I am doing my best to explain the many different Protocols that are used for Heart, and Lungs(when applicable) Stress Tests. Sorry if I muddied the waters for you or any of the others that read my posts.

hckynut(john)

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@mousiegirl and @hckynut thank you both for the clarifications!

MoJoV · ‎10-01-2010

@mousiegirl I take Flecainide twice a day and havent had an AFIB attack in close to a year. Dr. has scheduled a stress test for next month because my heart rate was slow after wearing a monitor 24 hours. I'm nervous about going because I'm afraid of triggering an AFIB attack.

I'm glad the Flecainide works for you too.

Trees are the lungs of the Earth

MoJoV · ‎10-01-2010

@Mom2Dogs I can understand your husband's trepidation. I'm to have a stress test next month and feel nervous. I had the one with the shot and you walk on the treadmill two years ago. Had no problem with it. I hope he does well. AFIB is a bummer. Flecainide has helped me greatly.

Trees are the lungs of the Earth

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

@MoJoV ...good luck to you. I am going to have him ask the doctor about Flecainide....are you also on a bood thinner?

I heard last year that by the end of 2019 there should be a generic for Eliquis.

MoJoV · ‎10-01-2010

@Mom2Dogs I was on Eliquis. Dr. took me off and said to take 1 full aspirin a day since I haven't had an attack for 10 months. Eliquis is outrageously expensive even with insurance. So far so good.

Trees are the lungs of the Earth

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@Mom2Dogs

I'm going to state something that should be quite obvious to everyone:

Some people, my husband included, have what may seem an unnatural aversion or fear to many, many things or just one thing.

My advice? Give your husband a break! He's already been diagnosed with a heart condition and may be fearful that the treadmill test "may do something to him." Many of us know darn well that generally speaking the male of the species do not communicate well, so just leave him alone. Please don't harp at him or make him understand something he can't understand because he has a fear.

I would suggest he contact his cardiologist and ask for the chemically-induced "treadmill test." Yes, I read the input from a poster who had this, but those were rather unusual circumstances.

It was necessary for me to have one about 4 years ago. However, I had to tell my Arrythmia Cardiologist that I couldn't possibly do a real treadmill test because I have a severely dropped third metatarsal head (bone) in my left foot. He quite understood, so we did the chemical one. It was quite interesting and at one point when a certain chemical was pushed into my IV, my face should have pinked out. Instead, I turned white as a ghost. That's me in winter, too, when folks get all cherry-cheeked, I look like a ghost. The doc and his team doing the test thought that interesting, telling me they'd never seen that before. What was occurring was that the chemical was meant to dilate my blood vessels, but did the opposite.

Please suggest the alternative test to your husband. He'll be quite comfortable on a portable gurney with a thin mattress and there is a team approach, so there isn't just one person with your him.