Lourage
09-09-2008, 04:58 PM
What can i expect in a few days when i get my echocardiogram, if you have gotten one? Both me and my cardiologist think there is nothing wrong with my heart, and that my BP spikes is anxiety related ( my ekg came out normal, as did chest x-ray/blood work) but what i'm most nervous about is not the actual test, not fear that anything is wrong. IT's the laying there for who knows how long with the nurse right over me, not being able to move lol. I know i'm going to be anxious as anything, especially since i KNOW i'm not going to be able to just get up and walk away if i start to feel a panic attack come on :( Plus i know MY BP will probably spike up during the whole thing, so my heart will probably be going crazy on the echo! I need to make sure i don't look at the monitor, or i'll probably flip out lol.
So how did it go when you guys had one done? keep in mind it's not a stress one. How long did it take?
So how did it go when you guys had one done? keep in mind it's not a stress one. How long did it take?
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Lindaru
09-09-2008, 05:38 PM
My first one showed preventricular tachycardia because I was anxious. They let me sit up for a while (with the electrodes still attached and kind of talked me into calming down).
They did a second one and while it still showed sinus tachycardia (I have an artificial heart valve since childhood), they figured that was normal and it was not alarming for me.
As for my blood pressure, it remained high. We have a home testing monitor and I had to track my morning blood pressures for a few days. They were all in the 110 to 120 over 60 to 80 range, so heart problems and blood pressure problems were ruled out.
See if they can elevate your head slightly while they are doing the test (took five to ten minutes for me to get it . . . the lengthiest part was getting the little suction cups hooked up and taken off). I found that you feel less vulnerable if you are not laying completely flat.
Best of luck! I will be with you in thought.
Lindaru ;)
They did a second one and while it still showed sinus tachycardia (I have an artificial heart valve since childhood), they figured that was normal and it was not alarming for me.
As for my blood pressure, it remained high. We have a home testing monitor and I had to track my morning blood pressures for a few days. They were all in the 110 to 120 over 60 to 80 range, so heart problems and blood pressure problems were ruled out.
See if they can elevate your head slightly while they are doing the test (took five to ten minutes for me to get it . . . the lengthiest part was getting the little suction cups hooked up and taken off). I found that you feel less vulnerable if you are not laying completely flat.
Best of luck! I will be with you in thought.
Lindaru ;)
Lourage
09-09-2008, 05:53 PM
Wait, you show you're not thinking of a EKG? I already had one done and it came out fine, well, my last one did, first one came out as sinus tachycardia.
I'm getting a echocardiogram done, where they do an ultrasound of your heart. Where they put the gel on your chest and use that transducer thing pressed against your chest wall.
oh, i'm sorry! i just read up more on it and see that they attach those electrode things for a echo as well. Really though, it only took ten minutes? I thought it was going to take like an hour :) That shouldn't be that then. Thanks for the reply :)
I'm getting a echocardiogram done, where they do an ultrasound of your heart. Where they put the gel on your chest and use that transducer thing pressed against your chest wall.
oh, i'm sorry! i just read up more on it and see that they attach those electrode things for a echo as well. Really though, it only took ten minutes? I thought it was going to take like an hour :) That shouldn't be that then. Thanks for the reply :)
Looly
09-09-2008, 10:06 PM
Lourage.....please take it from me.....the test is not worth worrying about. I am terrified of tests and doctors and I feared the worst and quite honestly the test was nothing. Absolutely non threatening and does not provoke anxiety. I too have high blood pressure on occassion with racing heart (dr. says anxiety also) and I did not freak out at all through this test. I, on the other hand, worried about the results. After a long week waiting, my results showed that my heart was strong with no abnormalties. So don't get so upset.
Lindaru
09-10-2008, 12:45 AM
I did not have to wait for my results. There was a technician in there watching what my heart was doing as they moved the thing around. They were able to determine that apparently there was no heart murmur (one doctor thought they heard one which is why I had to have it done) and that everything, though fast, was functioning correctly.
Looly is right. It is really nothing to get worried about. It will be over before you know it and hopefully, like me, they can give you the results on the spot.
Lindaru ;)
Looly is right. It is really nothing to get worried about. It will be over before you know it and hopefully, like me, they can give you the results on the spot.
Lindaru ;)
Lourage
09-12-2008, 06:49 PM
Thanks for the replies ladies :) I felt so much better reading this the night before. I had it done yesterday and it was NOTHING! sure my BP went up, but i didn't feel like i was going to have a panic attack at all. At a few times i heard what sounded like my heart beating ( i guess the thing had a mic?) so that kinda bugged me out at first, but you were right! it was FAST! only took around 18 minutes. I also had a renal done and that was even shorter. The technician said everything looked fine, but i'm still meeting with my cardiologist on tuesday. he said if the Bp wasn't heart related he will get me off the lopresor ( beta blocker) and will do something about the anxiety. Funny how the only doctor who will seem to help me with my anxiety is a cardiologist!
Lindaru
09-12-2008, 08:41 PM
You would be surprised how many anxiety patients cardiologists get, but then you probably know that from reading these boards, huh?
So glad to hear everything went so well for you. We knew it would. It will be even easier if you ever have to have another one in the future.
Yes, they do have speakers. I forgot about that until you mentioned it, but yes, I could hear my heart beat in a sort of canned almost under water sort of way when they were doing my test.
Lindaru :)
So glad to hear everything went so well for you. We knew it would. It will be even easier if you ever have to have another one in the future.
Yes, they do have speakers. I forgot about that until you mentioned it, but yes, I could hear my heart beat in a sort of canned almost under water sort of way when they were doing my test.
Lindaru :)
Lourage
09-12-2008, 08:58 PM
Yea. I was good to know how simple it was. I don't know why, but before i went to a cardiologist i thought it was going to be so scary, and not like visiting a normal doctor. I thought there would be all these types of scary looking machines, and just thought it was the end of the world. It's actually calmer at the cardiologist office then my actual PCP offices! that could be cause i'm usually the only 20 something guy at the cardios , everybody else is much older.
The worst part was how long a cardiologist appointment takes to get! It's the month wait that was bad, and not knowing what to expect during the tests.
The worst part was how long a cardiologist appointment takes to get! It's the month wait that was bad, and not knowing what to expect during the tests.