Wellness

[lovesrecess]

The chemical stress test is being done more often now than the treadmill, or active stress test. EKG is not invasive or painful. The necessity of having those tests would be known only to your friend or her dr. She can look up each test online and it will give her very specific info for pain, needles, etc if those are things she is concerned about.

[hckynut]

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@lovesrecess wrote:
The chemical stress test is being done more often now than the treadmill, or active stress test. EKG is not invasive or painful. The necessity of having those tests would be known only to your friend or her dr. She can look up each test online and it will give her very specific info for pain, needles, etc if those are things she is concerned about.

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@lovesrecess 

This test is given more often, to most, for different reasons. Many other wise healthy individuals do not want to physically work. They prefer letting nuclear chemicals do the work for them. Others are in such bad physical condition they cannot even meet the "age rated" heart rate level to give even a semi-conclusive reading.

That is why I mention that I always insisted on a Maximal Heart Rate Stress Test. I decide when I am finished, not some "average inconclusive age based test. 

I have had 2 "Chemical Heart Tests". Both were because I was too physically weak to do even the "age based" stress test. The 2nd one left me so weak I had to spend an addition 3 days in the hospital. 

There is no way, given the choice, I will ever have this "chemical test" done again. It could be my body reacting to my having multiple Nuclear Tests done. Several for my 2 different episodes of Pulmonary Embolism, and 2 Total Body Nuclear Scans, along with CAT and/or MRI Scans.

Reading "online" how procedures are done, depending on the source, often do not come close to what is actually done, at least in many of the tests/procedures I have personally experienced. You've heard the term "too much info" does more to detour many from having them.

Do these "chemically induced" Heart Stress Tests give more information? I can only relate my personal experiences and what my Cardiologist told me about them. He said, no they did/do not, his preference is always the Physically Induced Heart Stress Test.

Thank you for your input.

hckynut

[hckynut]

Hi @tsavorite 

In your "kinda funny" story about this topic!  This "runner/sports coach" was having symptoms, he chose to ignore them. Him relating to your husband, to me anyways, what he felt were symptoms, he either didn't hear or what I said above.

If he did have an actual heart attack, he did damage his heart muscle. Heart attacks damage heart muscle, to what degree? That depends on the amount of blockage, and/or the length of time to receive help.  There is what is called "The Golden Hour", which means in many medical cases, getting intervention in that amount of time can and does spell the difference in life or death!

The bottom of my heart has little function because both of my heart attacks were from the exact same artery. Time was on my side, especially in my #2 heart attack. From the instant I knew, to the time that artery was cleared, was 52 minutes. Having a 12 Lead EKG made a HUGE difference as opposed to the older 6 Lead EKG. 

In spite of this I feel my physical conditioning is on par with when I  was 50 years old, some 30 years ago. I am glad that "runner/coach" was able to return to his active life style. Hopefully he learned to pay more attention to his body talking to him, it could serve him well.

Keep up your good work and be well.

hckynut(john)