EKG and echocardiogram - any useful info for runners? (Read 914 times)

If you passed out, you need to have that explained. You suspected hyponatremia, but I was not convinced. It may well have been. A baseline ECG is cheap, but is low yield in terms of things that may make you pass out. An echo is more expensive and can show certain things that can cause you to pass out. A holter monitor watches your ECG rhythm for 24-48+ hours and can reveal additional information. To get all these tests will cost you ~$1000 or more. My recommendation: go see your doc. Explain that you passed out and are worried that this could have been caused by hyponatremia, a heart condition or dehydration (the most likely villains). Make sure your doc takes these seriously. Your doc can then EXAMINE you and be a bit more selective with the right testing. It may be reasonable to get a referral to a sports med doc or a cardiologist. And YES, it MAY hurt to get a test that is not necessary. No test is perfect and occasionally tests show things that are "abnormal" even through they do not represent any disease. Once you have the info, you need to follow it up with more definitive, more expensive and more dangerous tests. A blip on an ECG may lead to a cardiac catheterization which has as among its risks causing renal failure, heart attack and death. If you never got the ECG, you would never have gotten the follow up cardiac cath...

I had a friend do the full battery on me when I started having fluttering at night. He did the EKG, ECG, ultrasound and stress EKG. It was actually kind of fun doing the stress test--even in dress pants and dress shoes, they had to jack the speed and incline WAAAY up to get any kind of load on my heart. It's fun to be fit! They're used to the 400 lb. midwesterners who have smoked since age 13 and eaten biscuits and gravy every day of their lives. They get their max heart rate sitting reading a magazine... Anyway, it's nice to have the data and know things are ok in that area. I don't feel so enthused about my impending post-50 colonoscopy. TC

I don't feel so enthused about my impending post-50 colonoscopy. TC

You'll be half asleep, feel little to no discomfort and able to see inside yourself - I found the procedure itself quite interesting. But I'm weird. First ultrasound I had I ended up talking most of the time to the doctor about how technology has changed and how the thing actually works. My husband was the one who asked if the baby was okay. Arla - I'm not a doctor but I'd agree - go do the tests. Coworker passed out for no reason . Doctor insisted she did the tests and actually found out she has the heart rate and fitness of an athlete - Heart rate only 50. She never exercises beyond walking her dog, but is slim and watches what in terms of processed food she eats. It did however stop her smoking after almost 20 years - she was down to five or six a day but this pushed her over the edge into a non-smoking life. Anyway, she found the whole thing bothersome, didn't want to pay the co-pays, but ended up with complete piece of mind her heart was fine.

Trent - you go ahead and rant all you want, it IS appreciated! SusanElizabethK - I'm a little odd like you , I find the whole thing fascinating, even if it's going to be a bit of a time suck. One of the courses I teach is undergraduate-level human physiology, but I'm no physician (I'm not even a mammal, much less a human physiologist by training), so I'm looking forward to gaining knowledge to spice up my lectures. BTW, my physician is a runner, all I can say is these guys are SO worth seeking out, what a pleasure to get encouragement instead of being told you'll wreck your knees (that was the last guy's attitude). Arla

Do what your doctor says. I was in E.R. once, chest bared to the world, sticky pads everywhere, cardiologist all around me saying my heart was in funk when they rolled in the crash cart. Scared the shit of me. Just do whatever docs says. Somebody has to pay for Doc's vacation home in Aruba, my as well be us. (Better safe than sorry) MTA: Dam I wish I could do my stress test over again. I really could PR this time.

Somebody has to pay for Doc's vacation home in Aruba, my as well be us.

Uh yeah. Something like that.

Right. And the Doc gets none of it either.