Hi all, I eventually got my results back from the exercise stress test and apart from some ectopics it all went well and they were happy with my readings which is great news...but.
But!! being if all went well then why do I still feel rubbish at times with heart readings of 42 or lower plus low oxygen levels in the 80s at times the last being Friday morning resulting in me being wiped out for an hour sleeping till it passed. The consultant did say if the exercise test shows up some problems he would fit a pacemaker but I'm not sure what his next step will be now considering the results are OK but I'm still symptomatic. Basically I've had many test over years, been fitted with an implant loop recorder, told I have a mild leaking mitral valve, have bradycardia and mild left ventricular hypertrophy been in a&e on a few occasions as everything was up in the air but angiogram results show 0 plaque which again if great news BUT!! Why am I feeling like I do. They said I have a high vagal tone but I was fit and healthy 4 years ago now I have bouts of low hr readings, feel fatigued and I know I'm not my normal self. This might sound crazy but i was hoping the exercise stress test would show something so they could have a plan going forward maybe a pacemaker but now I feel like I'm back to square one and not sure what next. I'm glad I'm ok as far as results go but I'm not ok and feel terrible sometimes which is not stress or anxiety. I wait and see what their next move is.
Hi Taz, It's good news regarding the Stress Test, You are in best hands. I'm a chauffeur and I need a Stress done as I'm a Heart Failure patient with LVEF of 48% back in 2021. I'm really stressed because I have never done the stress test. How long does it last and at what pace & incline please can you give me some insight.
It takes as long as you can manage and can be stopped at any time. YOU are wired p to an ecg machine and they will stop if they see any problems or if you say so.
Hi the exercise test is pretty straightforward you will have the ecg wires on you plus the blood pressure cuff which will all be monitored during the test. You will start off on a steady walk then they will gradually speed it up and raise the incline level too. They will be constantly asking how you are feeling, if you need to rest etc while checking the monitors and taking your blood pressure every few minutes. If at any stage you feel like you've had enough or they aren't happy with the readings then the exercise test will be stopped. Please not it's not a running test just a fast walk on an incline treadmill at a pace that your comfortable with.Good luck
When you wore the loop recorder,did it document episodes of heart rates below 50 while you were experiencing symptoms? (It's felt that with people having fairly frequent symptoms caused by cardiac arrhythmias,these would usually show up within a week of wearing a loop recorder). If it was shown that you did have very slow heart rates that caused symptoms,,wouldn't the consultant have recommended insertion of a permanent pacemaker at that time?
Hi, I've had the loop recorder for about 18 months and I've had many episodes of bradycardia mid 30-40 bpm since it's been fitted. I had 2 episodes in a&e once with bradycardia then other being tachy at 140bpm for 4 days and a BP of 186/123 so I was put on a drip for 4 hours before being discharged in the early morning. I was on bisoprolol but it was stopped 2 years ago due to my low hr and told if it continues then I would need a pacemaker but other cardiologist have different opinions. Apparently as my symptoms come and go lasting days or maybe weeks before they come back this is why I'm not getting a pacemaker but I feel fatigued at times and when it hits it hits me hard. And yes the loop recorder has noted these episodes and all the palpitations/ectopics but they still feel like I don't need one just yet so I plod on.
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