Exercise Test

[cheekyhampster]

Hi. I have PMR & GCA, started on 40mg preds in April and now on 20mg. I am getting very breathless and been refered for an exercise test. I am a bit concerned that over exertion of already tired week muscles might have a prolonged negaive result. Has anyone any experience of exercise tests or any general comments please?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

By exercise test do you mean a stress ECG for cardiac function?

If so - what exactly are they thinking about? One of the questions which must be asked of any patient is whether they are physically capable of doing the exercise part of the test. I didn't manage it and they admitted later they shouldn't really have asked me.

What other tests have they done? Have they mentioned heart failure as a reason for the breathlessness? If so, have they done a BNP blood test?

"Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test is a blood test that measures levels of a protein called BPN that is made by your heart and blood vessels. BNP levels are higher than normal when you have heart failure."

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As said above . It seems a bit harsh to make someone take such a test eithout fully exploring their current ability if there are other investigative techniques that might be used.

At 15mg I was very breathless. I had to stop every couple of steps and going up stairs took at least 10mins. Stopping at each step. I was breathless doing nothing at all some days. At 56 I wasn't very happy with it. Had copd and asthma tests. Not that. This kept on until I got below 13mg. It seems to have almost disappeared now unless I am having a very bad day. I did have run and chest pains that seem to have improved too.

I hope you manage to get to.the bottom of the breathlessness you are having without making you feel worse than you do already. 🌻

[MaryA_]

Ah, me too Cheekyhamster, I also had the shortness of breath. Almost called Ambulance twice, but couldn’t drag myself to a phone. I sat for a while n it finally passed. Doctor ordered pulmonary function test along with echo. All was ok. Now that all seem to have passed. Now symptoms are mostly in lower body. Burning in lower extremities like crazy. It’s seem to be just raging throughout our whole bodies. Than found this site n and decided that others have a lot of the same symptoms as I do. Talked with doctor n we decided to let me do the Deadly Slow process of tapering the prednisone. I’m still not symptom free but will live with it for the time being. Keep checking it to this site, it’s sooo helpful!

[cheekyhampster]

Thanks so much for helpful replies. The doctor just called it an exercise test, and told me it was an exercise bike, checking lung and heart. So far had normal ecg and chest xray, and ruled out asthma. Sleep is poor so they have also done a night oxygen monitor, and have an echo booked. They seemed to get worried because my ankles and legs are swollen. Don't think they've done BNP blood test. Just not sure about the exercise test - I'm not one to give up half way through if they are encouraging me to continue, but concerned about the effect it will have afterwards (I'm also a full time carer so can't afford to get any worse!) . Thanks again to all on this site.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to cheekyhampster]

Oh don't worry - I got to the "I can't go on any longer" and had to stop despite encouragement! I could barely walk out of the place! But I don't remember suffering afterwards once I recovered that day. They use a bike here, in the UK it is sometimes a treadmill. Nothing would induce me to get on a treadmill nowadays - I hated them enough when I was fit and well and I'm terrified of falling on one.

But do make them aware that a) you have PMR b) PMR may be enough to stop anyone exercising - it isn't JUST whatever they are looking for that may lower your abilities. It is very relevant.

I had swollen feet and ankles - PMR can do that too - but it wasn't heart, I was under the cardiologist at the time anyway. I had a single session of manual lymph drainage, working on the worse side only, and the result was no swollen feet and ankles on both sides within a couple of days. It really is worth a trial.

[cheekyhampster]

Thanks so much for your reply - it's reassuring to know that I won't be the first to have to stop the test, but I will certainly let them know that I have PMR. Also I will look into the manual lymph drainage. Thanks so much for taking time to reply.