Adenosine Cardio Study

I have to get a cardiac clearance before Dr. Juarez will submit my info to Aetna, so I met with a cardiologist last Thursday. Everything was normal and fine, but the cardiologist wanted me to undergo an "Adenosine Cardio Study" (i.e. a stress test) to make sure all is okay. Instead of walking on treadmill, they give me adenosine via an IV and take pictuers of my heart under stress. I was a bit scared at first. I mean using drugs to induce stress is a bit scary! But cardiologist reassured me that a cardiologist, nurse and tech would be watching me carefully and they don't raise heart rate to an extreme level or anything. He couldn't do it in his office because my weight exceeded the weight limit of his table there. I think 250 was the limit or something. So I go today to St. Lukes nuclear medicine and it took from 6am - 1:30pm to get it all done. First they explain the procedure, then they administer the adenosine (the hardest part of day), then I have to wait 45 mins then they put me on a sliding x-ray table where I lie still for 20 mins while machine takes pictures of my heart. 20 mins went by fast. Then I got dressed and was told to go eat a meal and come back in 2 hours. So I do that - St. Luke's cafeteria has good food!. I go back, they repeat the sliding x-ray table that takes pics of my heart for 20 mins then I go home. The part where they administer the adenosine is scary. They warn you that you'll feel rapid heart beat, tightness of chest, nausea, flushed, sweats, etc., but it's scary when it happens. You think, omg! Am I dying? But they are watching me close and I'm hooked up to an EKG thing PLUS they take my blood pressure every 30 seconds. Even though I felt like I was on the brink of a heart attack, my blood pressure kept going down and down and down. It's a 5 minute procedure, and as soon as the 5 mins is done, all the effects STOP. I felt great and normal and fine afterwards. Cardiologist and staff were VERY reassuring, caring and positive. I was in good hands. Now, I just need to wait for results. They said radiologist would look over the film this afternoon then dictate it, then the transcriptionists working graveyard at hospital transcribe it and my cardiologist should find out tomorrow the results. So I'll be calling my cardiologist tomorrow to tell him to fax the clearance (hopefully all is okay) fax it to Cindy at Dr. Juarez's office ASAP so that way she can send my stuff to Aetna! I'm so excited. I just hope my tests come out normal.

Trisha, Glad you got thru the test and will cross my fingers for you that you get results quickly so you can proceed for surgery. I've actually have had the surgery done twice over the last few years. The first time it was a great deal of chest pressure and pain (but over very quickly as you experienced) and then the time before surgery (to get my cardiac clearance) it didn't hurt at all and just slight pressure. I didn't have any other symptoms but a little shortness of breath. Like you I was told to go eat a meal (told it was to be high fat) and come back for xrays .. then they had me come back in the morning took xrays and then had me eat a fatty meal again and took more. The 2nd day of xrays was an extra test required by UCLA by not by all surgeons. Mary

Trish, I had to have this type of stress test too. It is a bit scary. I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. My results were normal and I was cleared for surgery. My date is 1/13. Randi