ST Depression?

• By rudownwithjc
• Reply 3376381
• September 14, 2012 at 10:49 pm
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Jeanne,

Sorry I have no knowledge of this but I put out an alert to Yarnkitty as she is my best bet of might knowing anything, but I didn't want you to feel ignored!!!!! We do care and love you and are praying for you!!!!


Lots of Love and prayers,

Cindy

• By purple66
• Reply 3376599 · In reply to 3376381 by rudownwithjc
• September 15, 2012 at 1:13 am
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Cindy,

You are very sweet......thank you so much. I did find info when I googled it, but it was so much medical jargon It truly was as clear as mud LOL. I can always practice patience and wait for the cardiologist's office to call. :)

Best Wishes,

Jeanne

• By yarnkitty
• Reply 3376950
• September 15, 2012 at 8:27 am
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Jeanne, ST depression can be an indicator of "reversible ischemia". That is reduced blood flow to the cardiac tissue that comes and goes rather than ischemia that has already killed the muscle. It's the kind of thing that is happening when people have angina, though you may not always feel it. There can be other causes or electrode problems causing artifact. It requires interpretation to determine that so you'll have to talk to the doctor about it. Sorry I couldn't enlighten much.

• By barbie13
• Reply 3376972
• September 15, 2012 at 8:35 am
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Jeanne,
ST depression is usually indicative of reversible cardiac ischemia meaning that you have a decrease in blood supply to a portion of the heart. In your case it was detected on a Holter which usually shows only one lead. Most likely your docs will recommend a 12 lead EKG so that they can determine if there is evidence of st depression in more than one lead and how much st depression. They may also recommend a stress test if they don't see any st depression on 12 lead EKG.

• By purple66
• Reply 3377747 · In reply to 3376950 by yarnkitty
• September 15, 2012 at 1:33 pm
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yarnkitty,

Thank you so much for the information......you definitely explained it in a way I could understand, unlike what I was googling......LOL To be honest, I never knew exactly what "ischemia" was despite having a diagnosis of non ischemic cardiomyopathy. I comprehend most of what I read in regards to my heart conditions EXCEPT anything having to do with ECG tracings. They all look like a bunch of squiggles to me! I do get the letters assigned to various points of the heartbeat so I visualize what portion is the ST segment and I know what depression means.......and now thanks to you I know what that finding may mean - thank you again.

Best Wishes,

Jeanne

• By purple66
• Reply 3377759 · In reply to 3376972 by barbie13
• September 15, 2012 at 1:37 pm
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barbie13,

Thank you so much for your response........you and yarnkitty have explained it to me in a way I understand and I truly appreciate that. I understand much of what I have read egarding my heart conditions EXCEPT for anything having to do with ECG tracings. I have always found that to be so complicated and it all looks like a bunch of squiggles to me. I do get the system of assigning letters to the various points on a heart beat so I can visualize what the ST segment is and I know what depression means, so now thanks to you two I understand what that may indicate or mean - thanks again.

Best Wishes,

Jeanne

• By TamraB
• Reply 3379112
• September 16, 2012 at 1:35 am
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I had ST depression and then an angiogram ... which showed clear arteries ... so the male cardiologist released my with chest pain as "NON-Cardiac chest pain" ... likely gastro ... after 15 months of hell and probing of various sorts ... I found a top Auckland female cardiologist who said ... HELLO everyone "... you had ST depression, chest pain (compression, stabbing, burning), shortness of breath on exertion, chest pains increase at rest and chest pain relieved with nitro-lingual spray! ... you have text book Coronary Vasospasms and are about to have a heart attack ... especially as you were given Metoprolol, which makes this condition worse!"

So in my case ST depression was a major factor in the "Hello" something is wrong!

Most texts say that Coronary Vasospasms are indicated by ST elevation, but I think the new research is saying it could be either?

So don't give up ... get help immediately!

Smiles
Tamara

• By yarnkitty
• Reply 3379329
• September 16, 2012 at 7:19 am
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Tamra, ST depression is reversible ischemia (ie the tissue is not dead) and ST elevation is prolonged ischemia where the tissue is dying. you can get either depending on how long the blood flow is cut off. Also when you have ST elevation in a lead, there will be reciprocal ST depression in the lead that sees the area from the other direction.

• By purple66
• Reply 3380696 · In reply to 3379112 by TamraB
• September 16, 2012 at 6:23 pm
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Tamara,

Sorry to hear of what you went through.......sounds scary. I have been to the ER twice for what I call "squeezy chest pain" where it feels like an invisible hand has reached into my chest and is squeezing the life out of my heart. When it happens it lasts perhaps 30-40 seconds or so then eases up only to repeat the cycle anywhere from 3-6 times. It also causes extreme back pain straight through from where the squeezing pain is located as well as makes it difficult to breathe. I would rate the pain an 8 on the pain scale. Once my potassium also happened to be critically low and I was transfered by ambulance to the hospital where I had my valve replacement surgery. I was kept for three days till my potassium got back into range but they never did determine what could be causing the squeezing pain. Thank heavens they did determine it was NOT my ascending aortic aneurysm dissecting. The second time I was told it was chest wall pain and was sent home with a script for the muscle relaxer Flexeril. I still continue to get them occasionally and while it is VERY hard not to panic and run to the ER I have ridden them out. I actually have gotten them while on the Flexeril.....

What prompted the holter test (ordered by my primary physician's office nurse practioner) was my complaint of sleeping up to 14 hours/day with such extreme exhaustion I can't hardly stand it as well as a marked increase in dizziness. I get VERY dizzy to where I feel as if I may pass out when I first lay down, sit up, or stand up and recently added whenever I tilt my head or bend over.

I had a left and right sided heart cath in June of 2011 which showed clear arteries. My choleserol panel looks good except for triglycerides.

Thanks for shring your experience with me, I appreciate it. Best wishes to you.

Jeanne

• By MARYCORINNE
• Reply 3381569
• September 17, 2012 at 12:40 am
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Purple, I was hanging out in here and was kinda looking to see if you were still writing and I was very happy to see you are fighting the good fight!! You ask all the right questions and dig if you don't no or understand the information. That is remarkable and truely helpful to those of us who have similar issues.
I learned something new with your discussion here. Thank You and keep going.

Do you like my new profile picture of my grand-dog Tyson? WOOF


Huggs, MC

• By Yatchzee
• Reply 3382397
• September 17, 2012 at 10:47 am
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Purple.........have you been diagnosed with CAS besides your other heart problems? I have the depressed ST or T waves, shoulder blade pains with the crushing heart pains. My T waves are normal when I am not spasming. I don't exactly know how the ST and T 's are connected on the EKG but I know they are somehow. I was in for a regular physical and my doctor thought it was time for an EKG and my T waves were so depressed, they were almost off the chart, she says. At that point she was worried and did a blood draw for Troponin which was negative. So spasms at that time were non-damaging. I could feel the spasms, but had no pain or tightness at that time. I just was back there for my yearly physical and because I was new to medicare, she could do an EKG again, so did one and it was completely normal with no unusual T waves. This appointment was in the afternoon, when I usually don't have spasms. This was my very first EKG that was normal. I think I am more textbook CAS than some of you, though. Joyce

• By purple66
• Reply 3382952 · In reply to 3381569 by MARYCORINNE
• September 17, 2012 at 1:32 pm
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MC,

I do like your new pic.......Tyson is handsome! I think it is just in my character to NEED to know.......some might call it nosy LOL Some of my doctors have not seemed to care too much for it because they like to dish out as little info as possible but my cardiologist and my primary physician are pretty good and informative (most of the time) I am also stubborn, so I won't just quit.....:) thanks for the comment. I have learned alot here as well.

Best Wishes,

Jeanne

• By purple66
• Reply 3382979 · In reply to 3382397 by Yatchzee
• September 17, 2012 at 1:40 pm
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Joyce,

I have been told my arteries are clear. My most recent right and left heart cath was in June of 2011 This is the first time I have ever heard anything about ST segment depression and I have had literally probably hundreds of ECG's in my lifetime. Several times when I have had blood draws in the ER my troponin has been in what they referred to as "the gray area" (.11-.20) and sometimes it has been negative. The most recent hospitalization in April showed a troponin of .18 but they never said a word to me about it (I know that is barely registering on the test - gray area) I only know from getting a copy of my records.

Thanks for sharing your experience .......sorry you have to go through those crushing pains. What, if anything, do they do for you to help it?

Best Wishes,

Jeanne

• By Yatchzee
• Reply 3384076
• September 17, 2012 at 8:54 pm
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I use quick nitro for the crushing heart and shoulder blade pains. I take a CCB every day and also Lisinipril along with Ubiquinol Coq10, fish oil, and vit D. ( I am going to try and get back on my statins if my muscles recover from the weakness/pain I have had and then take the coq10 with the statins ) Joyce

• By TamraB
• Reply 3398532
• September 23, 2012 at 2:03 am
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yarnkitty thanks for the decription of ST elevation and ST depression ... why don't the docs explain it like this ...
Smiles
Tamara

• By purple66
• Reply 3402966 · In reply to 3398532 by TamraB
• September 24, 2012 at 7:04 pm
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TamraB,

I totally agree with you - yarnkitty made it easy for me to understand whereas google made it about clear as mud LOL The women here are so helpful.....

Jeanne