chemical stress test

I am to have chemical stress test on Thursday, has anyone had this, and how was it?

TT

6 Comments

hi thomast

by jessie - 2008-06-03 10:06:18

i had it a month after my placement. i remember it was aboput 4 hours total as you had to lie on a table and then assume a position with hands over head for a while so it must have been 6 weeks after. they injected me and it felt like an elephant sitting on my chest. the hands over the head was for about 20 minutes each side but felt like longer. i had no blockages which i could not believe but i didn't . hope all goes well with you. there is no pain to the test. i was just uncomfortable in the chest are area for awhile but it subsided when the dye started coming out. jessie

stress test

by kaka - 2008-06-04 03:06:20

I agree with Coryi711. It really is no a big deal. They told me I would have a instant headache, I did),nausea(I did) MAJOR hot flash, (I did), racing heart(I did ),everything lasted about 4 minutes....they gave me the antidote and it was over.....Just relax it will be fine.

Good Luck,
Kathy

not much stress

by Yorker - 2008-06-04 04:06:05

I agree with the others that it's no big deal, just a little time consuming in that you have to wait around for the imaging. While it's no picinic, it's not that bad.
My cardio told me before they injected the "speed" that the 1/2 life of the drug is 8 seconds, so I would feel normal(?) again very quickly after they stopped the flow, which I did. It made it a little easier going in knowing that I had a least a little bit of control - if they had to stop for some reason, it wouldn't take long for the effect to wear off - I had visions of sitting there with my heart racing for quite awhile after it had to be while the drug wore off.
Take it easy and relax, you'll do fine

Donna

I had it done , before AICD implant

by coryi711 - 2008-06-04 12:06:39

I had a really bad inguinal hernia sticking thru my groin muscles (3rd time same side). So I could not do the physical stress test. First thing they did to me was install the iv tube and had it ready for later, then I went in and laid on table & laystill for like 5-10 mins. while the camera whirls around taking pictures without contrast and you hear abunch of humming and clicking..Then I went into another rooom with 2 nurses and my cardiologist. And they inserted the "speed" in the IV, she said "your going to feel warm and your going to feel like you want to wet yourself but you won't" she was right I felt warm all over and I was sure I wet myself but I didn't ( weird how your body can feel stuff) then the "speed" effect of the IV kicked in, when my heart went over 180 bpm and still climbing and I just laid there the doc said I should have been complaining that i could feel my heart racing but i didn't feel anything. He had nurse give me antidote anyway...
Anyway, I didn't feel anything bad, you will have 3 sets of pictures, resting w/o contrast, stressed with contrast, and relaxed with contrast. It takes about 4 hours or so. Bring head phones and puzzle books. And drink alot fluids AFTER you get home flush the radiation out..I don't remember getting a headache from that test. But I did have a cat scan w/ & w/o contrast of my skull last year and I got a headache that nite about 2am in the morning, it was the worst headache I have ever had...

I have had a chemical stress test

by Swedeheart - 2008-06-04 12:06:54

Hello,

I was given a chemical stress test when I first started having "heart trouble" when they were trying to determine what was going wrong. I also had my chem stress test the same day they did about every other test they could fit in a 24 hour period. I had been poked and prodded and felt pretty crummy.

The test, however, wasn't very long. They put me in a room, along with 3 other medical personnel to watch me and run the test... they injected the chemicals. I can't remember if I had to wait a little bit (15 min maybe???) before the test began. The test took about 5 or 6 minutes. As the chemical ran through my body they tested different things. It felt weird, but wasn't painful. I did feel some pressure on my chest at one point, but it didn't last too long. The nurse administering the test was great to count down how much time I had left. That really helped me know what was going on and give me a reference point.

I also had another chemical test that was an imaging test where I, like Jessie above, had to have my arms overhead and lie still for 20 min or so why the imaging machine did its thing. It was pretty easy... I probably napped ~ they gave me a nice warm blanket... :)

My only downside to the tests was that I had them both on the same day along with a bunch of others and later I had a horrid headache from the various chemicals.

Later I had the treadmill test and that seemed much harder to me compared to the chem test.

Good luck!
Swedeheart

stress test

by branch57 - 2008-07-18 12:07:49

I had the stress test and developed a headache. The doctor kept me going even when I complained. I did not like it (racing heart) but it was over before you knew it.
Don't worry...visualize something good while the procedure is being done.

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