Fricken modern medicine, amazing what they've come up with

[yellowstang]

So I've been going thru a butt load of medical tests for the last 3 months, and today I got a call I need to do a stress test. I'm thinking cool, I jog a little, how long do I need to run on a treadmill? She said no treadmill, no exercise, we now do Nuclear stress tests.
WTF, I can't believe some of the shit they've come up with! I still think I'd prefer a treadmill for 30 minutes, but guess they want to do this, probably to bill more to my insurance.

My luck, what little hair I have left will fall out.


The test can be done while the patient is resting or doing exercise. The radioactive substance that is injected into the patient is called a radionuclide.

The test takes about 3 to 4 hours.

Although the patient is exposed to a small amount of radiation, the test is considered safe.

[dmh165638]

Interesting. I have had two stress test. A nuclear on the treadmill and a nuclear with an injetion to speed up my heart rate. The 2nd was due to a back issue that would not allow me to run on the treadmill. That asked me several times if I was sure I could not do the treadmill because it was the more revealing option.

[lincolnboy]

What does the stress test tell you? I never heard a doing a stress test.

[krazy kris]

I had a stress test done on my brain after I had brain surgery to see if I would make me have a seizure. It sucked! They put you in the dentist chair put this bag on the top of your scalp and take what looks like a dentist pick and start jabbing your skull putting in electrodes. Then they take this huge light and stick it about 6" in front of your face and flash it about a million times. To say I wanted to punch the fuck out of errthing and the doc would be a huge understatement.

[yellowstang]

What does the stress test tell you? I never heard a doing a stress test.

Test how my heart is pumping blood throughout my body. It's a pre-req before some surgery I'll be having, hopefully early next year if tests and good results continue at the current rate.

I had a stress test done on my brain after I had brain surgery to see if I would make me have a seizure. It sucked! They put you in the dentist chair put this bag on the top of your scalp and take what looks like a dentist pick and start jabbing your skull putting in electrodes. Then they take this huge light and stick it about 6" in front of your face and flash it about a million times. To say I wanted to punch the fuck out of errthing and the doc would be a huge understatement.

Ahh, that's why the call you Krazy Kris! Makes sense now.

[Chili]

So I've been going thru a butt load of medical tests for the last 3 months, and today I got a call I need to do a stress test. I'm thinking cool, I jog a little, how long do I need to run on a treadmill? She said no treadmill, no exercise, we now do Nuclear stress tests.
WTF, I can't believe some of the shit they've come up with! I still think I'd prefer a treadmill for 30 minutes, but guess they want to do this, probably to bill more to my insurance.

My luck, what little hair I have left will fall out.


The test can be done while the patient is resting or doing exercise. The radioactive substance that is injected into the patient is called a radionuclide.

The test takes about 3 to 4 hours.

Although the patient is exposed to a small amount of radiation, the test is considered safe.

I did one a few years ago.. Not a big deal but it gives them much better imagery from my understanding. They did split mine up, so I did the resting portion before lunch, then came back and finished in the afternoon. As I recall it did feel pretty strange when they push that stuff while on the treadmill..

They did it on me because my older brother had just died from a massive heart attack at 47, and heart disease runs in my family. I have several second cousins on my dad's side that died of heart attacks in their 40's to early 50's. My maternal grandmother died of one the year I was born, when she was 52.

Fortunately, my tests all came back good and it doesn't seem that I've inherited those genes. Still something they will watch a little more closely, as I', 43 now.. My dad has had a couple of stints (3 if I recall) but is otherwise in reasonable health for his lifestyle, family history, and being in his 70's.

I've lost at least 4 second cousins, a brother, a grandmother, and a couple of great aunts / uncles; all to heart attacks.

[black50]

What does the stress test tell you? I never heard a doing a stress test.

Basically a test to find out how well your heart is doing....If you choose the treadmill version without the nuclear injections then they will run your ass until you about drop dead...The nuclear part just makes it much easier for them to get your heart rate up

[The King]

The one time I had a cardiac stress test earlier this year, the options were treadmill or chemically induced. I chose treadmill.

My reason for having it was a radiologist reported an incidental finding of atherosclerotic calcification of the coronary arteries following a pulmonary low dose CT I get annually. Smoking for thirty years was no doubt a contributor.

[Gasser64]

There will be a day when shit like this is looked at like the old asylum practices.

[Broncojohnny]

If you do the executive physical process at the Cooper Clinic, they stress test you by having you walk on a treadmill at a decent pace, like 3.5 mph and then increasing the incline every two minutes. You keep going until you cry uncle and then they rate you.

[Scott Mc]

Man fuck that, give me the treadmill any day. I hope everything figured out for ya sir.

[RWhite]

My wife had a few nuclear stress tests done when she was having brain surgery for a large tumor. Not a big deal (to her) as I was in the room with her. It kind of freaked me out hearing all the sounds of strange noises. They can zero in on parts of your pumping heart during the procedure. She was in her mid 60's and overweight when he had it done and probably that was a determining factory in performing this instead of the treadmill.

[GeorgeG.]

Basically a test to find out how well your heart is doing....If you choose the treadmill version without the nuclear injections then they will run your ass until you about drop dead...The nuclear part just makes it much easier for them to get your heart rate up

LOL, this is what I recall when I had one done about 10 years ago. I was having some serious heart palpitations to the point it was skipping a beat several times a minute for weeks. It was scary as fuck. The doc wanted to do a stress test and not having done one at the time I thought no biggie. Then they kept increasing the incline, didn't really let me warm up and when I was done, they just stopped! No cool down or nothing. I remember thinking "I'm in here for heart issues and these dumbasses had me running faster and longer than I ever have and then not cool down? I'm fixing to kill over right here!"

Tests came back good and the only thing I can attribute it to is that I was charging the AC unit on a van with one of those cans you get at Vatozone and it didn't seal right so it basically leaked the entire can right there in my face. At some point I thought about that so I went back and read the can and sure enough, it can cause rapid heart beat and/or death.

[4EyedTurd]

If I remember right when I did just the regular treadmill stress test they push you until you hit a certain heart rate and make you hold it. I ended up moving pretty good with a crazy incline before long.

[yellowstang]

Got an email today after scheduling the appt. I will do both, a shot of uranium juice like Spider man had, and a treadmill. Could turn into a super-hero Thursday night after it kicks in!
If things stay on the current pace, I should know everything a week before Xmas.