Can Persantine Stress Test Cause Heart Attack After 48hrs?

I am not sure yet what is officially wrong with my heart aside from an "innocent" heart murmer which was found 5 years ago.

I am disabled with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and I have a large benign brain tumor which so far is causing no neurological deficit. It has only grown 2mm in 4 years; the average rate of growth for my type of tumor is 1/2cm per year. It is located in the area of the brain which controls balance and coordination, not reason or emotion. But, most people in small towns assume all brain tumors render women incompetent and insane. So theres nobody I can talk to where I live. I'm originally from a large city.

I refuse to be an inpatient in a hospital due to having no family,no close friends, no children and no significant other to take care of my 16yr old dying dog, who is all I have. I try to troubleshoot health issues at home on my own. I live in a rural area where good medical care is sparse. Its like pioneer days up here. You pretty much have to take a swig of whiskey, bite on a bullet, and stitch up your wounds all by yourself.

In November I contracted a severe respiratory illness from a neighbor. My neighbor definitely had pneumonia from it and is just now feeling less SOB, after taking yet another course of high dose antibiotics. He ended up with a spot on his lung that is not cancer; his doctor said the spot was caused by the disease he caught in November. So far the exact organism which perpetrated this debilitating illness has not been isolated. It was rampant where I live last fall.

During this illness, I had severe shortness of breath, blue legs,constant dry cough, freight train chills head to toe, high fever, and my heart started pounding and beating very fast. My HR was 200 just standing in the kitchen.

The first 6 weeks, I infrequently coughed up white stringy sputum with rust colored streaks in it, had no bronchial spasms or tightness, but felt a crackling sensation low on each side of my ribs. After the initial onslaught left, subsequent relapses were more like typical bronchitis. These symptoms waxed and waned, and after 3 1/2 months, I was left with an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath upon minimal exertion.

I underwent a full cardiac workup on 2/26. All tests were normal except the stress test which showed extra beats. 48 hours after the test, during which I slept 28 out of those 48 hours, dead to the world, I woke up with a numb left hand and shooting pains down my left arm. I was still SOB. I thought a shower might help. I do not ever sleep on my left side.

By the time I got in the shower my entire chest felt as though a hand was squeezing and twisting my heart and also like a 400lb man was sitting on it. My head felt like an iron headband was squeezing it tighter and tighter. I got too dizzy to stand up or wash my body. My lower legs were blue. My left arm felt like electricity was shooting down it. When I raised my arms up to shampoo my long hair these symptoms greatly increased so I had to bend over at the waist to try to rinse my hair.

I got so weak and SOB I had to turn the water off and kneel in the tub until I could crawl over the side of the tub to sit on the toilet seat. My legs felt heavy; it was difficult to propel my body forward. My chest still felt pressure, my left hand stayed numb and my heart rate was too fast to count plus I had palpatations. I was gasping for air but finally with my head between my knees I was able to breathe better.

I think this all lasted around 10 minutes. I was too weak to grab a towel to dry off. The bathroom had no heat so I was freezing as I air dried on the toilet seat. All I kept thinking was that I had to get in bed. I stood up by degrees. It took about 20 minutes for me to walk 20 feet and crawl in bed.

By then the pressure in my chest was like I'd been punched, like a bad ache. My heart rate soared with each tiny step I took. The pressure in my head went away but my head felt sore. I was not having air hunger but it was still difficult to breathe . I was dizzy, walking hunched over, hanging onto things trying to make it to my bed.

Once I got in bed, I laid on my right side for 3 hours, like I had turned to stone. I felt beyond exhausted. I literally could not move. My heart acted funny again, like it had the night before, prior to all these possible heart attack symptoms.

My heart would stop beating altogether, stay stopped long enough for me to feel dizzy, then it would shake hard all over, harder than a simple palp, then it would do that boom thing then beat very fast until it stopped again. Sometimes it would just beat and wait 5 seconds then beat again. I was not sure it would start up again. My resting HR the night before was 50, and it had been at least 100 for months.

It was not like the simple 3 second palpatation episodes which started during perimenopause 15 years earlier. My heart was literally stopping for intervals which cannot possibly be considered normal. And too, the way it shook, it was more than fluttering, I could feel my whole heart being shaken, as if unseen hands were beneath my ribs mixing an exotic cocktail in a professional shaker. It felt like the entire organ was quivering all at once, not just a part of it. This harsh shaking was uncomfortable, it was not the tickling sensation of normal palps.

I had never felt my heart beat like that before. My heart was fine until I fell prey to that disease in November. 3 other people who got it are also having cardiopulmonary problems, 7 mos later. I am so curious as to what this organism can possibly be. It is the sickest I have ever been in my adult life from a communicable disease. My friend who so kindly gave it to me says the same thing. I suppose we will never know.

I told my doctor all about this shower episode a week later and was put on low dose Calan for the extra beats. It did not slow my heart rate. If anything, after 2/29, I got worse. Minimal exertion caused me to be even shorter of breath. My resting HR averaged 120, standing was 176. I saw my hands and feet turn purple.

I was deconditioned of course, so kept trying to push past the extreme fatigue. I pushed until the room spun and I saw spots in front of my eyes, then I would quickly kneel on the floor to catch my breath. Overall I seemed to have a faster HR and more shortness of breath after 2/29. I fainted twice, luckily landing on my bed.

In May I saw the doctor and was put on Advair and Spiriva and a double dose of Calan. At first I felt better but in a week I had a respiratory infection so had to up the doxycycline I always take. It helped alot so when I saw my doctor June 3 I asked for more antibiotics. I was then sent to the hospital for more pulmonary tests, which unexpectedly showed an enlarged thyroid on the CT scan taken of my lungs. My lungs looked great. Friday I have an US on my thyroid.

I am not sure I ONLY have COPD, not after the way my heart acted after a stress test. The inhalers had too many side effects, including elevated heart rate, so I recently d/c'd tham. I see a pulmonologist on the 25th. My heart rate continues to soar if I do so much as turn over in bed.

My breathing has been fine just taking Claritin and antibiotics. I am unfortunately a smoker, on Chantix, but trying hard to quit. With this big brain tumor, and prior to November having absolutely no negative quality of life issues stemming from my heart and lungs, I had not intended to stop smoking. But now I have no choice but to try.

I had been searching online for hours tonight trying to glean any info I could about the possibility of a persantine injection stress test being a potential cause of a heart attack 48 hours after the procedure. I found this site, and read a few posts which I thought were closer to helping me than anything else I googled.

If someone here takes the time to read this I would deeply appreciate any input you might have. All I want is for my heart to be like it was in October. My heart beats broken now and I do not know why.

There is a pervasive history of heart disease and arrhythymia in my family. Calan should have helped, but so far it has not. I might have a thyroid problem causing the heart to beat too fast but the T3,4 labs were always normal. Oddly, about 6 weeks into the disease, my hair fell out, my nails became brittle and suddenly broke off, and the skin on my feet and hands and entire body became crackingly dry. I have had super oily skin my whole life.I became overly sensitive to cold. I also experienced an increased appetite for protein and lost my desire for sweets. I had a voracious appetite, ate huge quantities of food, was sedentary, yet by May I lost 10 pounds not trying. I do not know if hypothyroidism can turn to hyper overnight, or if with both there can be an elevated heart rate.

My heart beats so hard and fast it wakes me up. I do wonder if I had a for real heart attack on 2/29. My doctor said nothing when I told her everything about the shower incident. It was not a panic attack. I seriously was looking forward to a nice hot shower. I was in a calm frame of mind. But waking up with a numb left hand and shooting pains down my left arm that felt like electrical impulses, plus chest heaviness, dizziness, and the inability to move, that was physical, not mental. I really thought she would order an EKG. I haven't had one since the stress test. If I had one now, would it show whether or not I had a heart attack?

I am new to this board but the few posts I read were very sincere and kind. I hope someone on here can help me. Heart disease in women is so different than in men. Women have to stick together.

Thank you
Roxme

By brokenheartmama
Posted June 19, 2008 at 10:25 am
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Dear Roxme, I read your whole post and WOW you have alot going on and not alot of answers. I can only relate to what seems like a heart attack and have no idea if a stress test 48 hours later could have caused it. But you have a right to get the answers so if these heart sisters don't have them, I'm sure they can tell you where to go to find out. My prayers are with you and let me know how you are, Hugs from Tn. "K"

By lkay
Posted June 19, 2008 at 2:28 pm
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Welcome Roxme to Womenheart.

You write you just want your heart to return to how it was in October, but you know that you now have a new reality and that won't happen. There is so much going on for you I would hope you have an excellent PCP to work with, despite living in a rural area.

Just a thought - do you have a teenager or someone else in your neighborhood who you could ask to be the emergency contact person for your dog? I know you don't want to leave your home and the dog unattended, but you should not suffer through another ordeal like the one you described. Knowing the behavior and instinct of animals, I would bet the whole thing was also unhealthy and stressful for your four-legged companion.

I'm sure you will get lots of replies on this post, so I will go with leaving you
best wishes to be well,
Laura

By roxme
Posted June 19, 2008 at 4:10 pm
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Thank you so much for writing. You are right, I will never be the same as I was in October regardless of the final diagnosis.

There are no neighbors who would watch my dog either. She is not ready to be put down yet and watching her decline has been heartbreaking. But yes it was very stressful on her when I slept all those hours. She is totally housebroken but had no choice but to relieve herself indoors when I was unable to let her out. It was the 1st and only time in 16 years I neglected her. I could only imagine her horror at having to finally let loose inside. She must have been in agony trying to hold it but not once did she try to wake me up, she knew how sick I was. She is blind and deaf.

I appreciate hearing from people on here. I cannot recall how I stumbled across this site but it is awesome. I wish I knew more so that I might be able to help someone but I am new to heart problems. I need to learn how to navigate this site a little better too.Anyway thanks for listening it means alot to me.
roxme

By gracie62
Posted June 19, 2008 at 6:42 pm
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Roxme:
I am sorry you have so many issues going on. I can shed a little light on a possibility for part of your problem. You said that you have an enlarged thyroid gland, but your thyroid tests are all normal. Please ask your doctor for a thyroid antibody test. My now 15 year old developed Hashimoto's thyroiditis at age 11. She was diagnosed after I noticed her neck was enlarged. She had a goiter caused by an enlarged thyroid gland. We have thyroid issues in our family. In Hashimoto's your body's immune system attacks your thyroid and slowly kills it off, causing the enlargement. Some symptoms are hair loss, dry and brittle nailes, etc. You can look it up on the Mayo Clinic web site - they have great articles there. Her thyroid tests have never been abnormal, but her antibodies are through the roof. What caught my attention was your hair loss, dry nails, enlarged thyroid and racing heart beat sometimes. About a year after being diagnosed with Hasimoto's, my daughter developed an abnormal heart beat out of the blue. A 24 hour Holter Monitor showed her heart was racing from time to time for no apparent reason, but enough to cause concern. She was placed on a beta blocker for about a year. It went away just as suddenly as it had appeared and she was able to discontinue the beta blocker. She will take a single thyroid pill every day for the rest of her, a small price to pay for good health. You may also want to ask your doctor about a Holter Monitor so that they can see what your heart is doing when you are going about your daily routine. They put it on you at the doctor's office and it records your heart rate for 24 hours and they download the information. They have some that are 24 hour all the way up to 30 day monitors.

I understand your not wanting to be away from your pet. They are so precious and dear to us. However, you might call a local vet and tell them of your situation. Maybe they can find a family willing to foster your sweetheart if you need to be hospitalized. You can't let all the issues you have go on too much longer. Best of luck to you and let us know how you are doing -
Dianna

By lkay
Posted June 19, 2008 at 6:44 pm
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So maybe is there an animal rescue group or humane society organization that you could talk to about emergency plans for your dog? I understand your devotion but you are talking about your life here as well. If you're gone you say there is no one to take care of her, so you don't want to take that chance of being permanently gone because you couldn't put your health first. Perhaps this is something you can also discuss with your local emergency response team - find out how they handle such emergencies with pets that are left alone. I would be there is a plan.

Good luck with figuring out this part of the problem,
Laura

By tlmagraw2
Posted June 20, 2008 at 5:41 am
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Roxme,

Can hypothyroidism become hyperthyroidism? You bet.

I feel your pain with the high heart rate......my baseline was 200 (sitting in a chair watching TV) before I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease. I, too, had normal T3/T4, but a TSH that was falling quickly (when I was the most ill, my TSH was reported as less than 0.03--the lowest value that could be measured). I 131 therapy ablated the thyroid, making me hypo and requiring Synthroid as a replacement. A recent weight loss (intentional and slow) caused me to become hyper due to changes in my body surface area--the way Synthroid dosages are determined.

Teri

By lkay
Posted June 20, 2008 at 4:14 pm
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Hi Roxme,
I was just thinking of you and wondered if you had the time to check out the emergency plan for your pet? I keep thinking there has to be something out there to do for her in case you need to leave your home for the hospital.

Take care,
Laura

By roxme
Posted June 20, 2008 at 5:05 pm
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Hi Laura I just returned from the hospital from a thyroid ultrasound so have not done anything about my dog yet. I already made a will with instructions to euthanize her in the event of my death, she is extremely attached to me. Next week I make a 140 mile round trip to a pulmanologist and I finally found someone to help me with laundry and things around the house, but my caseworker has not contacted me about setting her up tp get paid. I notified him Monday. Last night I slept weird again for way too many hours and my heart rate is faster again. My vision is back to normal now since I stopped the inhalers so I am happy to see straight once again. I'm not sure of anything yet. I appreciate you thinking of me thank you and everyone else for writing, you are helping me more than you know.
Roxme

By lkay
Posted June 20, 2008 at 5:20 pm
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You must live in the middle of nowhere Michigan - I'm betting in that beautiful area of the upper peninsula. I'm glad you are tending to your health. Just keep taking care of one thing at a time and we'll hope for your continued improvement.

Be well,
Laura

By roxme
Posted June 22, 2008 at 3:29 am
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Well, I do not live in the UP, I live in Northern Lower MI, about in the middle, and it is beautiful if you like pine trees. There are 2 big lakes near me that bring in tourists but this summer not as many. I personally do not do much outdoors like I used to. As long as I have a TV, computer and my dog I am content these days. My appt is in Traverse City, which has the closest small med center to where I live.

I was very intrigued by these thyroid comments. I went from 148lbs to 156 in a few days, eating the same things. I lost that same weight overnight without trying, 2 months ago. I want to just sleep all the time now.

Yesterday the thyroid ultrasound went fast, which I assume is normal, and the results will not be in until after the pulmonologist appt. As Gracie suggested, I will ask to be tested for the antibodies if nothing shows up on the US. Although I read about Graves disease and Hashimotos, nothing said there could be the variations which might apply to me which I learned about on here, thanks to Teri and Gracie. I needed to know these things for sure. I had no idea a rapid heart rate could accompany low thyroid too. Its funny how when my heart goes into overdrive I sleep so much, I just cannot fight it.

I am happy to report I have not smoked at all today. So far the rapid heartbeat is the same and really my lungs are the same too. I was surprised I did it. I keep reaching for cigarettes that are no longer here. Chantix does have side effects but the cravings are not that bad. So hopefully not smoking will be helpful in finding a true diagnosis.

My PCP has always been very receptive to my input. I trust her decisions. But being on 14 meds at once really sobered me to where quitting smoking was mandatory. If I can live without those inhalers it will be wonderful. I think Calan is a beta blocker but if my hear rate is still fast on it I don't see why I should take it. Whatever Calan is, my doctor said it was to slow my heart rate but off and on it is still over 170 just standing up.

When I read the thyroid postings here and how the heart rate can fluctuate so rapidly, that made me feel somewhat validated. My heart beats too fast for reasons I cannot pinpoint. Then all of a sudden it slows down to a resting of 76 which is my normal rate. I never really was told if taking Calan would slow my heart rate to where I would actually sense it beating slower. The only thing I noticed after starting on Calan was that my heart rate would decrease a little quicker. It has side effects I don't like.

Never having had a thyroid US before, I do not know if the soreness I feel today in my neck is normal. Prior to the US I felt nothing at all. My neck looked the same size to me. I was never told if the entire thyroid was enlarged or just part of it. But it definitely hurts all over today where it was touched. It aches like when you have sore lymph nodes.

I wore a Holter monitor when I had that cardiac workup around 2/21-26 but never heard the results. I had an echo test, 3 EKGs and the stress test and everything was supposedly great except for the extra beats in the stress test. I still wonder what happened to my heart after that. I needed the cardio tests after that stress test more than ever. I'm planning to ask the pulmonologist about that. I was not sure if I had an EKG if it could show I had a heart attack or not since its been 4 months.

Well thats all the news for now. I go to TC Wednesday. Thanks again to everyone who wrote to me. I still need to look around the site some more. I just keep sleeping so darn much lol.
Roxane

By kayway
Posted September 13, 2008 at 1:25 pm
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I read your post, and find that you have so much in common with what my husband goes through. He has persistant A-fib for years, beta blockers do not work, he's been cardioverted several times, then his cardiologist put a pacemaker in him. That helped for a brief time, but now he has persistant atrial flutter and is now pacemaker dependent. That is him in picture, he is only 34, we have 4 kids, with all the tests and all our efforts, afib/aflutter is impossible to control and very misunderstood, even by cardiologists.
We live in northern Michigan also, about an hour from TC, and most of his doctors are there.
His last visit he had a CT of lungs to check for clots since being in a/flutter for 6 months (according to results of his pacemaker check) doc wanted to make sure no clots formed. They found none, but found an enlarged Thyroid and a spot on his lung. This was all discovered only a day after he found out from SSDI that he was turned down for disability. So he has to try again.
This has been such a trying time, and has been hard for the children. They have only known struggle most of their lives, since my husbands problems started when he was only 27, within a year after I had our 4th baby. Life was great up until that moment, and has slowly fallen apart since.
I hope you can find a better doctor that is more willing to schedule needed tests, they like to give people the runaround, that is forsure. We finally found a good PCP in Wellston, after going through 2 previous, that closed up and moved.
EKG won't show an old heart attack, but checking certain enzymes in the blood will or MRI, is hard to have tests done though when you have other conditions because of exposure to iodine and radiation. My husband has several herniated discs, some in neck, and nothing can be done, even MRI because of his pacemaker his a/fib.
I wish you the best of luck, and hope you can find a better doctor.
We are considering if things don't get better with him, to see a specialist in Cleveland, is the best heart hospital in the nation. My mother in law went there to fix a problem the TC hospital created when performing open heart surgery.
I will pray for you, and best of luck
Kathleen and Fred of Irons

By roxme
Posted September 14, 2008 at 3:36 pm
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I just thought there would not be anymore comments, and I have pretty much given up on trying to find doctors to help me. It is so stressful. I decided either my body heals itself or it won't. My thyroid US showed a bunch of nodules so my PCP ordered a technicium scan which is not the scan that shows actual thyroid function. A cold nodule showed up which she figured was cancer so I had a biopsy but it was fine but I figured as much. I have had every symptom of hyperthyroidism however since blood levels of all thyroid hormones are always normal nobody thinks I have a thyroid problem causing my rapid heart rate. I can lose 5 pounds in 3 days unless I eat more than I ever have in my life. And i am a fat person who has gained weight just smelling food since I stopped being a ballet dancer. Anyway Tuesday in TC I have an appt with an endocronologist with a foreign name and I really dont see the sense in going. When thyroid labs are consistently normal no doctor will ever believe thyroid nodules are causing rapid heart rate. I switched from a worthless calcium channel blocker to beta blockers which work but I feel spacy and constipated, Thank you for writing. Life in this isolated area is so hard in winter I will hibernate for 7 months as usual. My dog is still alive. Once she is gone I hope and pray I can move somewhere else. Until then anyone else living up here has my deepest sympathy.
Roxme

By Ecksunbeam
Posted September 14, 2008 at 4:21 pm
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Dear Roxme,

Well, I'm sure glad to hear that both you and your dog are still with us.

Yes, I suspect that it is very isolated where you live, particularly in the winter. But I am a woman who lives alone in Wixom, MI, and I can tell you quite honestly it does not matter whether you are living in the middle of nowhere, or surrounded by hundreds of people, when you are a woman who lives alone, during the middle of winter, it's isolating no matter where you are living if it's in Michigan. But I cannot imagine how you have endured some of the symptoms you have had while living alone in the middle of nowhere. They must sometimes be very frightening. Did anyone ever figure out the cause of your legs turning blue, or the horrible episode in the bathroom?

HeartSister Kathi is very well educated about thyroid issues in relationship to the heart, CFS/Fibromyalgia, and integrative medical practices. She posted an excellent web site today, "Heart articles and more from Dr. Teitlebaum," that you might want to carefully study. There's plenty to chew on for a while here, but you might just stumble across something of wonderful benefit to you.

With winter upon us once again, why not drop in at this site a little more often? I find that just having my WomenHeart site to come to helps greatly in keeping some semblance of contact with humanity. But it starts with you reaching out a hand.

BTW--I think you should go to the endocrinologist and then very carefully study the test results for yourself. They can be invaluable to you. If you don't trust that traditional MD's can help you, then try to figure out what herbal or alternative remedies might benefit you.

And if you are a former ballet dancer, then you will probably love Tai Chi.

May the Blessings Be!

Sherrie

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