What does it feel like when you have a stress test for the heart?

Unless you have chest pain, if it's a traditional stress test, you don't feel anything. You take a pulmonary function test to check to see how healthy your lungs are. (They make you blow into a tube) Then they hook you up to an EKG, a b/p cuff and an oxygen saturation monitor and you run on a treadmill until you are tired, or until the test is over, whichever comes first.

If it's a different kind, that I've heard of, but never had, they inject you with something (I can't remember the name) and it speeds up your heart. It's like doing a stress test without running I suppose.

It's not a scary thing, that much I can tell you.

I had a heart attack 2 1/2 years ago. My heart stopped for over 10 minutes. My doctor gave me 3 stress tests the first year and another 2 the next year. I don't like to take them but it tells the doctor exactly what condition your heart is in. If you look fit enough to them they will ask you if you want to run on the treadmill or take some medicine that minic's the treadmill. The treadmill takes around 30 minutes of running to get your heart to beat fast enough for the test. The medicine will scare the hell out of you because your heart is beating so quick. But before you can say help your heart rate drops back down and everything is normal. So I take the medicine. This also helps if you think your having a heart attack they can compare the ekg from the ER at the hospital with the ekg from your test to see if you are having a heart attack. This test is worth the hassle. It could save your life.

It's not a big deal. I had one last year and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. They stick electrodes on your chest and you walk on a treadmill. They elevate the front of the treadmill to make it more 'stressful', and just when you think you're going to die, they say 'Okay, that was fine.'

Stressful. Had several, fainted after one.

Seems everyone forgot the IV catheter they put in your arm.

i had 2 and it wont fun, i cant walk on tredmill so i have to lie in bed and they shoot some dye in your body the dr will tell you when you start feeling strange to let him know so he can shoot another fluid into you to kill the dye, and it does hurt.

Feels like an excellent workout/exercise session.....George