Horrible Heart Test for Transplant :/

[MonicaJade]

I remember when I was getting all the tests to get on the list, the heart one was the worst! I went to the office to do it, and they called me in. I expected to do the treadmill, which I was happy about because I like treadmills. But after I met the doctor, I was given an IV with “medicine for the test” by a nurse, and told to wait a few minutes alone in a room. The nurse left, and a few minutes later, I started getting sick, so I opened the door and tried to tell someone in the hall I needed to throw up, but they said for me to wait for the nurse. I didn’t understand this, and I was still waiting to do the test on the treadmill. It was right there. A nurse came in with a coke for me and said it would make me feel better. I had a really bad feeling, and told him to get my mom who had stayed in the lobby, because I was getting sick. He did, and she came back to keep me company. I just got worse, I threw up all the coke, and my body was doing all kind of strange stuff. It felt like my whole body convulsed for a few hours, and mom got them to call the doctor, who came in and I asked him if I failed the test, and did this mean I couldn’t get a kidney? He explained that they’d given me a chemical stress test instead of a treadmill test, but he wouldn’t put me through that again because I got so sick. And he would admit me in the hospital until I recovered. When I met him, I remember him saying I would get an IV. It just never clicked that it was instead of the treadmill.

The other nurses knocked on the door and said they had been waiting to do the xray of my heart, and I needed to do it now. My whole body was frozen and I couldn’t move at all, so a few of them actually carried me to the xray room, and I still kept throwing up all through the xray. Then I remember them getting ready to put me in the hospital, but I think I fainted and woke up in the hospital room. I remember going in and out of consciousness, until my body felt completely normal again. They kept me overnight and gave me dialysis the next day. But the good news is, I passed the test (THAT was passing?) and he reccommended me for a kidney. Mom had to go buy me a dress to wear home during dialysis because we were out of town and hadn’t expected to be in the hospital.

I passed all the tests and am on the list now, and have gotten a call as the backup. This was just the most shocking thing I had to do for a kidney. For anyone who doesn’t know, there are two stress tests (that I know of) Treadmill and chemical. If a heart doctor mentions an IV for a stress test, be prepared.

Anyone else have any weird transplant test stories?

[Rerun]

Welcome to the best Medical Care in the World??  I guess put that behind you but use it as education... you ask about everything.  It is your right to know what they are giving you and what it is for.  And you can say STOP and they better damn well stop. 

I hope you get your new kidney soon.  Mine lasted 17 years.  Which is pretty good.  Probably you will be even longer because of the new anti rejection drugs.

Blessings to you.

[MonicaJade]

Welcome to the best Medical Care in the World??  I guess put that behind you but use it as education... you ask about everything.  It is your right to know what they are giving you and what it is for.  And you can say STOP and they better damn well stop. 

I hope you get your new kidney soon.  Mine lasted 17 years.  Which is pretty good.  Probably you will be even longer because of the new anti rejection drugs.

Blessings to you.

Thank you very much. I probably should have asked, but I just never expected anything like that to happen, because I was fully expecting the treadmill. But that deffinately was a lesson and I will ask from now on.

Glad to hear you had such a good transplant..

[MooseMom]

I'm so sorry to hear that your doctors didn't better prepare you for what to expect.

The reason they gave you the chemical test was because your heart rate couldn't get high enough using just the treadmill.  So, the chemical makes your heart beat faster, putting more stress on it, which is why they call it a "stress test".  They want to make sure your heart is healthy enough to survive surgery.

Using the chemical test is not at all unusual, but having such a reaction to it is.  It sounds like you had a bad reaction to it.  I had that same test several times but didn't have a reaction like you did.  I'm glad you got through it in the end, and I'm pleased that your docs have decided that you're healthy enough for a tx!!

[hazydaisy]

Hi There

I am little confused as to why they do these heart tests post transplant.  Why only for a transplant operation, why dont they do them for other surgeries as all surgery carry risks?   

[iolaire]

I had similar stress tests for transplant evaluations.  Both times (INOVA Fairfax, VA and George Washington University Hospital DC) the doctors clearly explained what the nurses were doing and that if there was any problems they would stop the test.  Each time after a good explanation they made me sign a document that I understood the risk.  The doctor (and nurses) staid in the room well the test was being administered - at least for the part where the chemicals do the stressing of the heart.

At INOVA the test was not increasing my heart rate as it should and instead was lowering it. The whole process was calm and the doctor ordered some other medicine administered to counteract that effect and quickly the test was over.  After they leveled out my heart rate they told me what happened and the whole process was done in a calm fashion.  I don't think I knew there was a serious problem until after the dealt with the issue.

You whole experience sounds odd to me, I would not expect the nurse to leave the room etc.  And not to do further tests on you if you were having an adverse reaction.

Maybe you should keep your mother present during all tests (regardless of your age), just to insure they know they are being watched, and more importantly so you have someone to alter staff and advocate for you if something doesn't seem right?

[SooMK]

When I was making phone calls trying to schedule the tests I would need for my transplant one nurse told me that I'd need to do this IV stress test. I'd never heard of such a thing. She was making a lot of assumptions, most of them wrong. Turned out I took the treadmill stress test and did just fine. I wonder how far this would have gone. Some staff do really well explaining what's coming up but I wonder if that's in the minority. If we don't ask most of the time we won't get a heads up. When my donor was undergoing her testing she was given a test (can't remember which one now) that really frightened her because no one explained what to expect. Rerun is spot on.

[Jean]

I was unlucky enough to have that test and also had a severe reaction, altho not as severe as yours. I panicked and couldnt breathe and begged them to stop the test, but, no, they wouldnt do it. I sincerely hope I never have to have that test again and you dont either.

[PrimeTimer]

Unbelievable what you people are put through! You are all incredible!

Is the stress test performed to see if you'd make it thru transplant surgery or is it for the sake of how well (or not) a new kidney will work in you?

[MooseMom]

PT, it is done to make sure your heart is strong enough to make it through surgery, particularly if you have been on dialysis for a while.  The stress test is usually accompanied by an echocardiogram.

[KarenInWA]

I've been lucky with the 2 stress tests I've taken. Both times I was able to request doing the old-fashioned treadmill. Now I'm transplanted for the 2nd time (because the first kidney was damaged by a biopsy) and so far, so good!

KarenInWA

[MonicaJade]

I had similar stress tests for transplant evaluations.  Both times (INOVA Fairfax, VA and George Washington University Hospital DC) the doctors clearly explained what the nurses were doing and that if there was any problems they would stop the test.  Each time after a good explanation they made me sign a document that I understood the risk.  The doctor (and nurses) staid in the room well the test was being administered - at least for the part where the chemicals do the stressing of the heart.

At INOVA the test was not increasing my heart rate as it should and instead was lowering it. The whole process was calm and the doctor ordered some other medicine administered to counteract that effect and quickly the test was over.  After they leveled out my heart rate they told me what happened and the whole process was done in a calm fashion.  I don't think I knew there was a serious problem until after the dealt with the issue.

You whole experience sounds odd to me, I would not expect the nurse to leave the room etc.  And not to do further tests on you if you were having an adverse reaction.

Maybe you should keep your mother present during all tests (regardless of your age), just to insure they know they are being watched, and more importantly so you have someone to alter staff and advocate for you if something doesn't seem right?

Actually, my momis always with me through all my billions of doctors appointments, and always stays back there. She was even there when we met the doctor. We just decided that day that I should give it a shot by myself. I was over 30, and trying to get on the list, after all. I had done a few other tests without her going back.

[MonicaJade]

I'm so sorry to hear that your doctors didn't better prepare you for what to expect.

The reason they gave you the chemical test was because your heart rate couldn't get high enough using just the treadmill.  So, the chemical makes your heart beat faster, putting more stress on it, which is why they call it a "stress test".  They want to make sure your heart is healthy enough to survive surgery.

Using the chemical test is not at all unusual, but having such a reaction to it is.  It sounds like you had a bad reaction to it.  I had that same test several times but didn't have a reaction like you did.  I'm glad you got through it in the end, and I'm pleased that your docs have decided that you're healthy enough for a tx!!

Thank you. I had never heard of the chemical test before then. I go to the gym, and I was going during that time. But how did they know my heart rate couldn’t go up without trying the treadmill?

I’m glad to hear that was not normal though, and doesn’t do that to everyone who takes the test. x_x

[Cupcake]

I've had the chemical stress test before and am scheduled for one this Monday as part of my transplant eval at Barnes. Yep, they give you all the symptoms of a heart attack then tell you to go sit by yourself some place until it's time for the scans. I'm not looking forward to it! Also since I'll stop my bp meds 24 hrs before, I'm sure I'll be feeling like I'm having the 'big one' for sure. But I'd do anything to get a transplant, so I'm game.

[PrimeTimer]

PT, it is done to make sure your heart is strong enough to make it through surgery, particularly if you have been on dialysis for a while.  The stress test is usually accompanied by an echocardiogram.

Thanks for answering, MM.

[MonicaJade]

I've had the chemical stress test before and am scheduled for one this Monday as part of my transplant eval at Barnes. Yep, they give you all the symptoms of a heart attack then tell you to go sit by yourself some place until it's time for the scans. I'm not looking forward to it! Also since I'll stop my bp meds 24 hrs before, I'm sure I'll be feeling like I'm having the 'big one' for sure. But I'd do anything to get a transplant, so I'm game.

So, did it give me an actual heart attack? O_O  You seem like you had the same thing as I had, including being left alone. So who is the abnormal one? The one who doesn’t have their body shut down while they’re awake, or the one who does? Did they put you in the hospital afterwards? If they knew I needed to be in the hospital, they could have just told us and we would have packed. I’ve had dosens of surgeries. I’ve even had a few emergency hospital stays.

[Cupcake]

No hospitalization, just took my sorry, sweaty, nauseous self home. Apparently I passed.

[Whamo]

   It's a horrible test.  I thought I was going to die on the table with a dozen people watching me.  Then the doctor said I'd passed it.  I couldn't believe it.  The first time I took the test my kidney failed the next week.  The old woman waiting to take the test saw what I went through, the first time I took it, and said no way.  She refused. 

[MonicaJade]

I was just iin the hospital again last week because it hurt when I laid down and breathed. It turned out I had bronchitis. But they were testing everything trying to find what was wrong, and they wanted to do that same test on me again. I told them what happened last time and that my heart doctor said he’d never make me do that test again. It took 2 times of him coming and me refusing it. He wanted to do that and an echo. I took the echo and there was no fluid on my heart.

[Charlie B53]

Not sure I understand correctly.  The medicine that caused your reaction, was this IV or something you drank?

I've had both types of stress test.  The chemical IV a couple of times.  But I don't remember ever having to drink anything.

If you had to drink one of the reactive dyes it is quick possible for you to have had a bad stomach reaction to the dye and gotten sick.

Need to ask more questions of what exactly was given to you and how so you can be sure to avoid that ever again.

[MonicaJade]

It was chemicles in an IV. They give that to people who (they assume) are too weak to use a treadmill. In my case, they didn’t give me a choice.

[iolaire]

It was chemicles in an IV. They give that to people who (they assume) are too weak to use a treadmill. In my case, they didn’t give me a choice.

I received it twice via IV, and I could do a treadmill fine.  I think sometimes they do it because its just more consistent than the treadmill, i.e. it might be harder to maintain the target hart rate on the treadmill so some might just prefer to use the drugs.

[Paul]

I thought the idea was that if you couldn't use the treadmill you were not fit enough to have a transplant.

[Naynay99]

Hey. I think I had that test recently as I was getting tested at tx center before being listed. They called it a chemical stress test; the nurse explained while I was fit to do a traditional treadmill test, this dr wanted this test instead.  Idk why.

She warned me that it could make me nauseous or dizzy or that I could have a reaction to it, before they started it.  It just made me feel weird, a little sick to my stomach, and was over quickly.  The nurse told me to flap my arms or something during/after, saying that  it would help dissipate the drug.  Idk.  She checked on me the whole time and kept asking how I felt.  When it was done and I felt okay she gave me some juice and animal crackers and told me to eat them, as I had to fast before hand. 

It wasn’t pleasant but for me it was a non event.  About the same discomfort as getting a pap smear or dental cleaning.  So I guess i was lucky I didn’t react poorly, and also that they watched me so closely before and after the test. Sorry others didn’t have a similar experience.   

[MonicaJade]

Iotare: That is just what the internet said about it.
Paul: You might be right. But in my experiance, if you can’t do the treadmill, I feel like that other test would just kill you dead. I’m probably wrong of course. And they should always let the patients decide which one to do.
Naynay: Yes, I believe that was it. Glad to hear yours went well.