Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know what happened to me. I had a stent put in in Feb.2004 in the LAD. In August I had a stress test because I was complaining to my doc about chest pains which were in the center of my chest and bad shoulder blade pain with exertion occasionally. I went to ER twice before Oct and everything looked good in the ER. The last time I was in the ER I told my doc something is not right and he said my stress test and nuclear study were good in August and he didn't think the chest pain was related to my heart. He told me to make me feel better he would do another cath so It would ease my mind. Well low and behold the cath showed another blockage (scar tissuse) at the top of the original stent so he had to extend the stent and put another one in.

When I came back from the procedure he told me he was greatly concerned that the stress test did not show abnormal and he was greatly concerned about the results. Let me say, since all this heart stuff started in Feb. 2004. I had two stress tests prior and they were normal. My first doc at my insistance did the first cath and ended up with a stent in Feb and another in Oct 2004 at my insistance. The only abnormality was my EKG portion showed ST waves which my doc said were normal for women and that he banked more on the nuclear study part of the test which showed enough oxygen going to the heart. WEll, so much for normal studies. I'm only relaying this to all of you because if your gut tells you something is wrong insist on a cath. I would get pains going up and down the steps but not everytime I climbed them and sometimes without exertion. They blamed alot on my neck & thoracic injuries from an accident years ago and Fibromyalgia. I have had chest pains for many, many years thinking it was fibro and accident related but the last year I didn't believe it. I'm not saying 20 years of chest, neck and back pains from Fibro were not causing them but the last year they WERE different.

I ended up with LAD blockages and a 60% blockage in the right circumflex which they left alone for now. I have a wonderful concerned doctor and he said the last time to me that he will trust my judgment now and not put everything off as being normal. Sometimes any test is not accurate 100% accurate and in my case I proved them right. He agreed with me and was greatly disappointed the test showed normal. Trust your instincts sometimes it pays off. Doctors are not psycics they rely on test results and as you can see they are not always accurate.

Bravo Catnip!!!! I have had similar experiences with nuclear imaged stress tests. If you do the research, you will find that as high as 40% of the results are false positive and up to 15%, are false negative. This is an AVERAGE. I have had both a false positive and negative. The equipment and the people that interpret the results, are not at, or of the same standards, around the country. One's results could be better or worse than the averages.

The new coronary ct angiograms will replace these stress tests in the near future, hopefully. What is more encouraging to me is, this new imaging technology will replace cardiac catheterizations, performed solely to look for coronary artery blockages. To me, this is a medical breakthrough.

Why are we not hearing of this new imaging technology on the news? There are a lot of competing forces in the medical marketplace. Look at all the stress test factories, lol. Look at all the unecessary cardiac caths done due to a false positive result, from a nuclear stress rest.

The new coronary artery imaging will save billions in medical cost. What does this mean to the corporations than own and operate for profit hospitals? Less money....What does this mean to cath labs and the interventional cardiologists that work there? Fewer procedures.....That's why we are not hearing of this new, ever improving technology.

I am not naive, and know that hospital corporations have to make a profit for sure. Doctors should be paid EXTREMELY well for the great sacrifices that they have made during their lives. All will adapt and adjust, I hope, for the benefit of the heart patients.

Pardon my editorial, but I have a big stake in all of this, and have paid my dues, lol (I have had 3 cardiac caths, and didn't enjoy a one).

Congratulations on saving your own life! You should be very proud :bouncing: The last stress test I had showed big problems. My symptoms went along with the results. I had my 3rd cath, and no significant increase was found in my blockages. Stay well :)

I completely agree with this. I would never let a Dr. brush me off while I felt something was wrong just because a test that is not 100% led them to believe everything was fine. Having said that I think it would be most beneficial for everyone when someone posts about their experiences that they include some history to the post ie., age, risk factors (smoking, blood pressure, etc) family history, exercise habits,etc. For example a male who smoked for 30 years, now the age of 55, with a family history of heart disease pressing the issue of a cath is much more important than than a 25 year old healthy man who has been having chest discomfort for some time without risk factors, etc. who has had a nuclear cardiac study. I only bring this up because their are alot of people who frequent this board who truly are ok that are going to worry themselves to death. Again my only point of this post is that sometimes more information regarding our background is important because a Dr. just doesn't decide someone is ok just based on a test. I see many posts for example that a nuclear study missed a blockage but there is wasn't any other info supplied. There are many factors. Having had a stent before and suffering from chest pain again says to me something is wrong! I agree completely that something like this should be investigated to the fullest.

Catnip your story is almost mirrors mine. As far as I'm concerned the nuclear scan has been useless in my case and I've probably had 6 or 7 of them. My blockage was also in the LAD 75% and then there there was restenosis around the stented area which caused me to need emergency heart bypass surgery. These problems were only revealed with a catherization. Hopefully the next time if there is one for me the coronary ct scan will be availiable.

I also agree with Tony1 on what he posted. You all provide so much valuable information to those of us that experience chest pains and such. The original poster on this gave great advice but I also would like to know more info. I am 40 and a woman and experience chest pain/neck pain/left arm pain every month. I believe it is hormonal since I have no risk factors for heart disease. But I agree with Tony when I read this post it made me a little nervous that maybe I am missing something. Could you maybe share a little more of your background...it would be much appreciated. Thanks so much to all of you!

I've posted my background before. Hope I don't bore anyone talking about myself. I was 41 when my blockage was found. Non-smoker, no high blood pressure, no diabetes, slightly overweight, normal total cholesterol but low HDL and slightly elavated trigs, family history through my father who had a heart attack at age 59. I believe that I experienced symptoms for at least 2 to 3 years before the major event. I would have occasional shortness of breath when walking up stairs, but not every time. I had alot of neck and shoulder discomfort that I related to my job as a hairstylist. I don't have all that discomfort any longer. I think I had narrowing during that 2 to 3 years, but I believe my blockage may have gotten narrower following a surgery 3 months prior to finding my blockage. I don't think I ever shared that before. That information was never confirmed by a doctor. It's just a feeling that I have. About two weeks before my major event I began to notice that I would get short of breath walking across the parking lot and I was very tired and was taking long afternoon naps when I wasn't working. I went undiagnosed 6 weeks after I called 911 for myself because I didn't fit the profile of someone on the verge of a heart attack. I think they finally got tired of seeing me come in to the ER and to my family doctor and they were going to prove to me that my symptoms were not due to heart blockage. I was beginning to have pain at rest and if the blockage had not been found when it was I was told by the cardiologist that I probably would not have survived a heart attack it it had blocked completely. Those of you who have chest pain. If it's not getting progressively worse I doubt that it's anything to be deeply concerned about. I didn't have chest pain on a regular basis. I din't have any symptoms on a real regular basis. If it is heart blockage exertion will usually make it worse and then better when you rest.

Thank you!!!!!! I know I have read your story before but it really helps to hear it again. Sorry you had to type it again. Never being ill ever in my life it just scares me to death every month when these symptoms come on. But I exercise and that doesn't make it any worse so...I just have to get that through my head. Thanks again.