elphers
09-30-2008, 08:23 PM
For YEARS now I have felt that I have angina. Lately it has been a lot more seldom, especially at night when I am lying down. I am under a lot of stress dealing with my sick, elderly Mom with dementia. Can this just be stress causing my chest discomfort and achiness? It is a lot of pressure. I had a stress test I believe 1-2 years ago and it was ok. It was a nuclear stress test. But I worry everyday that these symptoms are my heart. Should I call my family physician and ask him if I should have another stress test? I never saw a cardiologist.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Beefsteak
10-09-2008, 01:36 PM
Hi Elphers, You should talk to your doctor. If you had a stress test 1-2 years ago that should show something. Stress tests are not just pass or fail - they usually show whether you are "marginal" or not, and I expect that if your discomfort is angina the stress test would show an indication. You can ask for the detailed cardio's report - I always do in any test. Even an ECG should show something (called ST segment depression) relevent to your condition. (For me the cardio said "I won't waste time on a stress test - we'll go straight to an angiogram". He did that based on my description of the chest discomfort, and my "marginal" stress test 2 years ago.)
If it's not exertion-related it may not be angina - this is why you need a proper checkout. The cardios can look at your physical conditon, smoking, age, medication and symptoms, and get a pretty good idea of what's going on. After all they see hundreds of patients.
You need a proper checkout to stop the worry. The stress test is routine.
Good luck with it, Beefy.
If it's not exertion-related it may not be angina - this is why you need a proper checkout. The cardios can look at your physical conditon, smoking, age, medication and symptoms, and get a pretty good idea of what's going on. After all they see hundreds of patients.
You need a proper checkout to stop the worry. The stress test is routine.
Good luck with it, Beefy.
pstuck
10-09-2008, 05:45 PM
You need to be checked out again. In Sept. 2006 I had a normal stress test and a normal heart cath. In June 2008 I had severe chest pains one night that woke me from a deep sleep lasted 2 hours, ended up with abnormal stress test and a heart cath showed I had a 99% blocked LAD.
It can and does develop in a 2 year period.
It can and does develop in a 2 year period.