Pharmacologic Stress Testing

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Pharmacologic stress testing is also called a chemical stress test. This test uses medicine that makes the heart work just as it does when you exercise. It is usually done on those who have heart-related symptoms but cannot do an exercise stress test. The test may show your caregiver how healthy your heart is, or it may find a heart disease. The medicine used will cause the heart to work harder and pump more oxygen-rich blood to the body. Any change in the heart activity, including the rate and rhythm, is seen and recorded.
  
  
• Medicine that works on the blood vessels or muscles of the heart is given during and after the test. This is done through an intravenous (IV) tubing inserted in a vein, usually in the arm. Your heart activity will be recorded using an electrocardiogram (ECG), and watched on a screen. After all of the medicine has been given, ECG tracings are taken again for several minutes. Having a pharmacologic stress test done may diagnose your condition, and prevent other medical problems.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

Healthy lifestyle:

• Eat a healthy diet: Eat a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, low-fat dairy products, beans, lean meat, and fish. Eating healthy food may help you have more energy. Ask your caregiver if you need to be on a special diet.
  
  
• Drinking liquids: Adults should drink about 9 to 13 cups of liquid each day. One cup is 8 ounces. Good choices of liquids for most people include water, juice, and milk. Coffee, soup, and fruit may be counted in your daily liquid amount. Ask your caregiver how much liquid you should drink each day.
  
  
• Start exercising: Talk to your caregiver before you start exercising. Together you can plan the best exercise program for you. It is best to start slowly and do more as you get stronger. Exercise can help make your heart stronger and keep you healthy.
  
  
• Quit smoking: It is never too late to quit smoking. Smoking harms the heart, lungs, and the blood. You are more likely to have a heart attack, lung disease, and cancer if you smoke. You will help yourself and those around you by not smoking. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to stop smoking if you are having trouble quitting.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You feel dizzy and lightheaded.
  
  
• You have nausea (upset stomach) or vomiting (throwing up).
  
  
• You have questions or concerns about your test or medicine.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You have trouble breathing all of a sudden.
  
  
• You have chest pain even after taking medicine.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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