Is a chemical stress test considered an MRI?

[Dale Cooper]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

Dale, I have had several thallium stress tests. It consists of lying flat while a machine circles around you snapping images. Your head is exposed as the machine covers your torso. You will be given an injection of a radioactive substance. You will then be asked to walk a treadmill while a technician increases the speed and incline of the treadmill and a physician monitors your heart and BP. When you're finished, you'll once again go back to the machine that takes the pictures and then you're done.

I have had the test in three different facilities and none of them had a machine where my head was enclosed. Good luck.

That sounds exactly what I've seen looking at videos. You lay flat with your head exposed, your hands crossed behind your head. There are 2 separate camera sessions, each about 20 minutes. The entire ordeal takes about 3 hours, but most of that time is spent waiting for your body to absorb or deabsorb the substance.

The cameras and look huge that scared me. After my MRI experience, I am reluctant to go near a hospital imaging facility.

I am NOT medically inclined so didn't know what questions I might have until I came home from a routine appt and looked up the test on the internet. I will ask plenty of questions Monday when I confirm my Tuesday appointment. Now that I have a better idea what the devil the thing might be, I'll know more about what to ask.

Again, thanks so much for replies.

[old_cold]

Not everyone having a chemical stress test will be put on a treadmill. Because he cannot do a treadmill test is precisely why my husband has the chemical test.
It simulates the 'stress' the body undergoes when walking the treadmill.

[Dale Cooper]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Not everyone having a chemical stress test will be put on a treadmill. Because he cannot do a treadmill test is precisely why my husband has the chemical test.
It simulates the 'stress' the body undergoes when walking the treadmill.

Yeah, that pretty much what my doctor said when he first suggested I do a treadmill stress test. I told him I didn't know if I could because I so easily get out of breath. He immediately said, "then we'll do a chemical stress test." And he said no more. I think it should be required that they ask if you want to see an in-house video, the equipment, something to prepare you for what you've blindly agreed to.

I miss the days when doctors took time with patients and encouraged talk. The lack thereof is one reason I don't bother with doctors much these days. My experience with the MRI when I was lied to gave me reason to change doctors. I have no use for doctors who won't look at the patient when they're talking and don't give clues to what they're talking about. It's pretty hard to know what questions to ask if you don't know what the process is. Thank God for YouTube, lol.