Sistimibi Stress Test

[BIGHEARTED]

Does anyone have any information on a sistimibi stress test with adenosine? I know I will have an injection, but other than that I am in the dark. Will I be on a treadmill? Will they take the pictures after? I had a nuclear stress test five years ago, but I never heard of either sistimibi or adenosine? Any info will be greatly appreciated. I go on Thursday. Leny

 

[BAV Pt's daughter]

ADENOSINE:
An Adenosine Stress Test uses the drug Adenosine to stress your heart. Adenosine causes the body to respond as if it were exercising. It will show the blood flow to the heart using pictures taken with a special camera. During this stress test you will have an IV in your arm so that the nuclear medicine technologist can inject the drug Adenosine and the imaging drug Thallium or Sestimibi into an IV in your arm.


SestaMIBI:
This is the link on this test at Cedars-Sinai hospital: http://www.csmc.edu/8490.html
If you google SestaMIBI, you should find plenty of other resources as well. Usually if you are physically able, you will be on the treadmill. Good luck. Hope this helps!!!

 

[hensylee]

is this the same as persantine test? I'm having the persantine on 11/30 and it involves injection, too.

 

[Ross]

I for one, will never have another one of those again! I had a real bad reaction just after the test. Sat in the waiting room turning blue and couldn't breath. Scared the crap out of the nurses and the Doctor. Others have had bad experiences too, so just be advised, if you feel funny after the test, do not move from the table.

 

[BAV Pt's daughter]

is this the same as persantine test? I'm having the persantine on 11/30 and it involves injection, too.

Persantine is another drug that induces a "stress" environment in your body without the physical work of walking/running on the treadmill. Just a different drug that will induce this stress on the body.

 

[geebee]

I have to say these tests sound dangerous or, at the very least, scary. At least with physical exertion, you have the ability to know when you go too far. With a drug, how is it contolled? Do they just keep giving you more and more until you start reacting?

 

[BAV Pt's daughter]

There are lots of possible side effects of these drugs, and yes they can be dangerous, but here they are given in a controlled manner that is very safe, but as always, emergency drugs on hand. You have an IV in already, so if they need to administer the emergent fast-acting drugs, no problem to get 'em in and working ASAP. Persantine can also affect bleeding times, by the way...
Just be sure to report any adverse effects to your tech or nurse immediately. They can be scary drugs, but for this procedure, things should be fine. (These drugs are even given for stress tests in private clinics away from the hospital.) Hope that helps a little. Maybe Al could give more drug-specific info if someone wants it???

 

[Harrybaby666]

Oh LORDY!!!!!

Oh LORDY!!!!!

I just had a dolbutamine chemical stress test done awhile ago, and let me tell you the feelings from the chemicals were HORRIBLE!! I never want to go through that again...in fact, I pray the next stress test, I will have to do it the regular way.... Don't mean to scare anyone, but I did want to let you know what it can feel like...

Hensy, I pray that you don't feel as bad effects of the chemical like I did...I hope all goes well and you find everything is swell and dandy...Harrybaby

 

[hensylee]

this is scary. They told me I don't need to bring anyone with me and I can drive myself to and fro. The fro bothers me a bit because it's in Pensacola 1 1/2 hrs away and over the big bridges! Whatcha think?

 

[BIGHEARTED]

Ok, now I'm REALLY scared! I have had bad reactions to medications in the past and as someone said - at least with exercise I know I'm feeling bad and need to quit - how do they control the medication? My heart already races and I am almost constantly short of breath now - how much worse will it get with this drug in my system. I go tomorrow and my husband will be driving me, so that is one thing I don't have to worry about. I'm not looking forward to this at all, but thanks for the info. For those who have had it, did you have to go on the treadmill too, or just have the injection? Leny

 

[hensylee]

no treadmill. the drug causes the effects they want. It makes the heart act like it's exercising. My team tells me it's no big deal and I have no reason to disbelieve them - but may change my mind after nOv 30!

 

[BIGHEARTED]

Ann, Yeah - no treadmill. Hopefully I will be able to come here on Friday and tell you that it was a piece of cake and no big deal. Until then, I am a little anxious to say the least! Leny

 

[hensylee]

well, I believe them (not?) and I am now skeptical. I will wait to hear from you. Better to get it from an experienced patient than from someone who's not getting it done, right?

 

[Harrybaby666]

The Way I figure this...

The Way I figure this...

is that even though they know WHAT the drug is supposed to do, they are NOT the ones who are experiencing the horrible effects. Again, I hope yall don't have the same experience I did (or I noticed Ross didn't have a good experience also....) I hope you all get through it with flying colors. Harrybaby

 

[BIGHEARTED]

Today is the day - if they are giving me medication to speed up my heart, I won't need much! It is beating like a drum already. The traffic into Cleveland should do the rest!!! Leny

 

[Ross]

I hate Cleveland!

 

[BIGHEARTED]

It's over

It's over

To Hensylee and all - I had my sestimibi stress test with adenosine yesterday! It was a piece of cake!!! No problems at all. It started with an injection of dye to light up the heart. Fifteen minutes of pictures then off to another lab to get prepped for the adenosine shot. Back down to the testing room for the actual stress test. They gave me the injection and had me walking very, very slowly on a treadmill. They told me the walking minimizes the side effects of the drug. I felt like I was exercizing and got short of breath, but my heart never had the hard beating feeling. Six minutes on the treadmill and it was all over. No side effects at all. Then had to go for 15 minutes of more pictures about an hour later, and finally could eat!!! In all it took about 3 and half hours.

The good news is, there are no blockages. Now the doctor thinks that the fatigue and shortness of breath are from the high amount of Toprol XL that I take (200 mg per day). He cut that down to 100 mg. The only problem is my blood pressure is up pretty high again 148/100 which is way to high for an aneurysm, or anybody for that matter. I will monitor my bp daily for two weeks and send him the results. He gave me perscriptions for two new medications, but I won't fill them for 2 weeks. I guess it takes some time for the Toprol to get out of your system. I'm very glad that all I need is a medication adjustment. I will go back in six months for my annual echo and MRI. Thanks everyone for your info. Leny

 

[hensylee]

Congratulations that they found nothing untoward; I know that helped you tremendously and rested your worries. This is really good news. Thanks for sharing. And let us know how the new meds do.

I have been waiting for your post so I could have a bit of peace and you have helped with that. Thanks so much.

When I have mine, I will post here, too - so later on if someone wants to know, we can refer to this thread.

 

[BIGHEARTED]

One thing they stressed was that the slow walking on the treadmill helped with the side effects. They said the adenosine just dilates the blood vessels in the heart and does not make your heart race. I did get a slight headache, but that may have been from not eating or drinking anything since 6:00 pm the night before, and it was gone as soon as I ate something. Also the dye they used is new - they have only been using it about a month. The technician told me it cuts down the time for the pictures. It used to take 30 to 45 minutes and now is only 15 minutes for each set. It was much better than the last nuclear stress test I had five years ago. The machine was even a little padded and not so hard and uncomfortable. All in all a not too bad experience and I am thrilled with the results. Leny