Cardiac MRI

[Avagra]

Had a HA in Oct’22 with stent to circumflex artery but had intermittent chest twinges which resulted in A&E visit. ECG showed T wave inversion and ST elevation.Had an echo and it showed Minor mitral regurgitation,Minor Distolic dysfunction & Minor Left arterial dilation.I had a Holter for 24 hrs and this has come back as normal. I’ve had my ramipril increased to 7.5mg daily and have been symptom free however my cardiologist wants me to have a cardiac MRI to see why ecg has the T and ST waves abnormalities. To finish with a blood test has shown my GFR to be 41 and Creatinine level of 140 and to be tested again. Any comments welcome especially about MRI procedure.

[Digger0]

I had a MRI for my atrial septal defect and it was fine - apart from the fact I put the gown on with the split up the back, instead of the front

[Avagra in reply to Digger0]

Silly Billy 😂👍

[Digger0 in reply to Avagra]

Well, in my defence, I thought the gap was always at the back!

[MountainGoat52]

Hi Avagra,

I can't comment on the MRI as I have no experience of such, but I can comment on the eGFR and creatinine levels.

I expect you know that these are related to your kidney function. The eGFR figure gives an indication of how well the kidneys are functioning. Way back in 2010 I had a fall and damaged my right kidney. My eGFR figure dropped significantly and I was advised that the damage to my kidney was affecting my blood pressure. I didn't know until then that kidneys and BP were related. Anyway, despite the known damage to my kidney, my GP did not bother to request any tests, even though my BP went up and up. Things eventually came to a head in 2017 when I had a heart attack due to a blood clot.

After my HA I was finally put onto a regime of annual blood tests. Since the first in 2018 my eGFR has been consistently in the 49 to 53 mL/min range, improving slowly over time. The way I deal with my particular problem is to keep the kidney flushed through... I like to see my urine run almost clear at some point during the day. I drink quite a lot of water and some diluted cranberry or apple juice. My kidney certainly let's me know if I get dehydrated.

With regards to creatinine, the accepted normal range is 59 to 104 umol/L. I was tested twice in 2011, a whole year after my fall and the figure was 122. I was next tested in 2017 before my HA and the figure was then 133 and even after my HA, stents and a triple bypass in 2018, it remained stubbornly high. Since then it has gradually dropped to 117. Creatinine is also raised by physical activity, so to my mind keeping fit to some extent reduces what this test tells us about the state of our kidneys.

If the retest reveals similar results to those you have, then your medication may be reviewed. I was on Ramipril when the 2011 tests came in and the head of my GP practice phoned me and requested an immediate consultation... I saw him 20 minutes later! He explained that Ramipril was not good for the kidneys and he changed my BP medication to Amlodipine. However, that didn't suit me, so I've been on Losartan since late 2011.

I hope that the MRI goes well and the results are good. Certainly seek an explanation for the elevated eGFR and creatinine.

Best regards,

Gerald

[Avagra in reply to MountainGoat52]

Thank you so much for your very valid response I really appreciate it.Im having another test later in week and have been drinking more water than usual over this last few days so I’ll keep you in the loop. Again many thanks take care xx

[MountainGoat52 in reply to Avagra]

Yes, keep hydrated during this hot weather. It's amazing how much you lose through perspiration, even when it's not as hot as it is at the moment. I drank over 6 pints yesterday.

I hope you get some answers soon.