what is a level 3 stress/exercise test?

[alicia]

Just went to Duke today and no surgery is needed for now (thank God) have to go back for level 3 stress test. Dr Bashure said it will take 1/2 a day and they hook you up to alot of monitors. Has anyone had one? Feedback please.

 

[Ross]

Good morning Alicia.

I have done all sorts of searching for a "Level 3 stress test" and have found no reference to it. I would suspect that what your going to have is a thallium or cardiolite stress test. You can read more about that in Lisa45's thread. She had a bad time with it for unknown reasons. Most people do not, so do not become paranoid of it.

Ross

 

[alicia]

Hey Ross, I also cant find info on that test. Dr said I will be there for 1/2 a day and be hooked up to all kinds of monitors and will have some type of tubes inserted. He said this will let them know how my heart is at rest and exercise and lung function. I hope I dont have all the trouble my buddy Lisa had. Hope youre doing well today Ross. See ya

 

[Nancy]

I found this page. It mentions the various "stages" of a stress test and what they mean. Could the doctor have meant a Stage III stress test and called it a level three instead?

http://sclhsc-mt.org/healthinfo/articles/a1206.aspx

 

[alicia]

Nancy, That could have been what he told me, I was so excited to hear that I didnt need surgery that I may not have heard him but I do know he said that the Heart Center in the city I live in does not do them and we have a huge heart center. He said it would take at least 4 hours to complete. Does that help?

 

[Nancy]

Alicia-

I guess that's not it. Stage 3 only takes about 9 minutes to achieve. It must be something which requires some meds. I couldn't find anything either, other than that.

Why not call and inquire.

Good luck.

 

[alicia]

Hey Nancy, Thanks a bunch for checking. The person who does the scheduling was out all this week and will call me next week and I will get all the info and post to board. They said they only schedule 2 a day since it takes so long. Wonder what Im in for but thank God I dont have to have surgery anytime soon! See ya.

 

[sonya489]

I had the stress/thallium and it wasn't bad at all. I did the treamill with the ekg hooked up the only thing was I had cafeine headache thru out the test. Afterward we we heading home and I did vomit but that was the only problem that I had. The people that have to be exercised induced like my mom have a lot of chest pain & breathing problems its a side affect from the induced exercise. If at all possible try to do it without the inducing.

Sonya

 

[alicia]

Sonya, I dont mean to sound dumb but what does that mean about being induced to exercise? Please explain for me. Thanks

 

[sonya489]

Ok, No question is dumb I always ask a lot of questions.

Some people can't do the treadmill so they induce the exercise portion with a drug can't remember the name but it speds the heart up as if you were exercising but you are actually laying down. If at all possible just do the treadmill I was only on it about 20 minutes thats it and time goes by fast I fot a little short of breath at the end but that was it.



Sonya

 

[Gnusgal]

20 minutes!!! Wow, I'm jealous. Last stress test I took I only lasted 6 minutes, 25 seconds. Boy do I feel tired after one of those...

 

[sonya489]

Well it's like this I had seen what my mom went thru with the induced one so I was like the little engine that said" I think I can I think I can" So I did it just to prove I was not going to have to be induced and go thru that!!I was a hufing at the end and when I got off I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest it was beating so fast but hey I did it...................They even ask me if I was ok during it I was like ahh hhhhh I'm fineeee....

Sonya


then I came home and slept for 2 hours!!!

 

[Ross]

The drug for induction is Adenosine/Cardiolite. That is what I had since I couldn't do the treadmill. The Adenosine is supposed to leave your body rapidly. It's life is only about 30 seconds after they stop the injection.

 

[alicia]

I think I will be able to get on treadmill but how long do you go at it? Last time I got on treadmill I went slowly for about 7 minutes and thats all I could do. Its been a few years since I had a stress test and Im stressing out over it. I guess Duke will call tomorrow and schedule test.

 

[sonya489]

I think it was about 20 minutes but it's just a faced paced walk and a couple of times they speed it up and then back down to a fast walk. It was never a jog or a run just a fast walk......


Sonya