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[Pain during echo]
Author: Pam M (206.172.22.---)
Date: 05-17-02 15:25
Hi, I am due for another echo this Oct. I have had many, many ,many and they always cause me so much pain. I am to the point of tears during this exam. My chest is so tender. Does this happen to anyone else and is there anything they can do to relieve some of the pain.
Also- most of you seem so calm when you talk about getting this procedure done or that. I am a basket case especially when it comes close to an appointment. Fortunately I haven't had to have any special procedures. My enlargement is slight(so they tell me) but my symptoms are quite extreme. I am on atenalol to slow my heart rate. They had to keep increasing it because it wasn't working as well as it had hoped. But then I ended up in the hospital because my blood pressure got so low. Shouldn't they have know that would happen? My mother does not have HCM but she is on the same med. as I am, but she takes it for high blood pressure.
Thanks for any input
Pam
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[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: s. beckley -moderator (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 05-17-02 17:49
Dear Pam,
There are other beta-blockers. What are you taking now? The same thing happened to me with calcium-channel blockers. As for the doctor's knowing, well you would think, but they don't.
We all sound blase about the echo b/c it isn't painful, or shouldn't be. There are a couple times they press down when it is uncomfortable, but other than that, it is not a problem for most of us.
Please talk to your doctor about this. There is no reason for you to be tortured every time. They could give you a topical anesthetic, possibly, or maybe something like a valium (the thing about valium is that you would not remember the pain or not care). The first rule is "Do no harm" so your doctor should be understanding about this and if he/she isn't, then it is time to get a new doctor.
good luck
Sarah
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[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: karen (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 05-18-02 11:21
Hi Pam,
I'm surprised to see that your echo causes you such pain, because it really shouldn't. Believe me, I am not doubting you, but you need to make your doctor aware of this. My husband & daughter have HCM & neither of them experience any physical pain during the echo. They feel pressure, but no pain. You must say something.
As far as this calm thing goes, on the outside I am the picture of tranquillity, but on the inside, believe me, the butterflies are flying. I can't allow myself to be a basketcase. It's not good me or my family. This disease has touched atleast 10 family members and has recently danced into another generation, unfortunately. I had to let go & put it all in God's hands, especially since I have no control over any of it. I have a tremendous amount of faith and try to stay as positive as possible. My heart aches at times, I cry, I'm fearful, but I can't let it consume me. I don't have the energy to spare on it!
This is going to sound very crazy, but you need to go to your happy place during your next echo. A happy place is somewhere that makes you feel good, secure, peaceful & ofcourse...happy. When you feel you are getting out of control & your respirations & heart rate are increasing, close your eyes, take slow deeps breaths, and picture whatever it is that calms you. My happy place is the Jersey shore. I am sitting in my chair on the sand facing the water with book in hand. It takes lots of practice to achieve results.
Take care Pam. My thoughts & prayers are with you. Let me know if 'your happy place' works for you.
Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: Lynn Perry (---.pica.army.mil)
Date: 05-21-02 07:50
Pam:
The first time I had an echo it was very painful, which I couldn't understand because everyone told me there was nothing to it. The only thing I can figure is the person doing it wasn't doing it right and was pushing down too hard??? The couple echo's I have had since that first experiance were pain free. My suggestion would be that if it is the same person (or group) doing the echo everytime you are having pain, find a new source for getting the echo done. Maybe it's the technician or maybe it's the equipment (or a combination of both??).
Just an idea.
Good Luck,
Lynn
Author: Pam M (206.172.22.---)
Date: 05-17-02 15:25
Hi, I am due for another echo this Oct. I have had many, many ,many and they always cause me so much pain. I am to the point of tears during this exam. My chest is so tender. Does this happen to anyone else and is there anything they can do to relieve some of the pain.
Also- most of you seem so calm when you talk about getting this procedure done or that. I am a basket case especially when it comes close to an appointment. Fortunately I haven't had to have any special procedures. My enlargement is slight(so they tell me) but my symptoms are quite extreme. I am on atenalol to slow my heart rate. They had to keep increasing it because it wasn't working as well as it had hoped. But then I ended up in the hospital because my blood pressure got so low. Shouldn't they have know that would happen? My mother does not have HCM but she is on the same med. as I am, but she takes it for high blood pressure.
Thanks for any input
Pam
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: s. beckley -moderator (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 05-17-02 17:49
Dear Pam,
There are other beta-blockers. What are you taking now? The same thing happened to me with calcium-channel blockers. As for the doctor's knowing, well you would think, but they don't.
We all sound blase about the echo b/c it isn't painful, or shouldn't be. There are a couple times they press down when it is uncomfortable, but other than that, it is not a problem for most of us.
Please talk to your doctor about this. There is no reason for you to be tortured every time. They could give you a topical anesthetic, possibly, or maybe something like a valium (the thing about valium is that you would not remember the pain or not care). The first rule is "Do no harm" so your doctor should be understanding about this and if he/she isn't, then it is time to get a new doctor.
good luck
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: karen (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 05-18-02 11:21
Hi Pam,
I'm surprised to see that your echo causes you such pain, because it really shouldn't. Believe me, I am not doubting you, but you need to make your doctor aware of this. My husband & daughter have HCM & neither of them experience any physical pain during the echo. They feel pressure, but no pain. You must say something.
As far as this calm thing goes, on the outside I am the picture of tranquillity, but on the inside, believe me, the butterflies are flying. I can't allow myself to be a basketcase. It's not good me or my family. This disease has touched atleast 10 family members and has recently danced into another generation, unfortunately. I had to let go & put it all in God's hands, especially since I have no control over any of it. I have a tremendous amount of faith and try to stay as positive as possible. My heart aches at times, I cry, I'm fearful, but I can't let it consume me. I don't have the energy to spare on it!
This is going to sound very crazy, but you need to go to your happy place during your next echo. A happy place is somewhere that makes you feel good, secure, peaceful & ofcourse...happy. When you feel you are getting out of control & your respirations & heart rate are increasing, close your eyes, take slow deeps breaths, and picture whatever it is that calms you. My happy place is the Jersey shore. I am sitting in my chair on the sand facing the water with book in hand. It takes lots of practice to achieve results.
Take care Pam. My thoughts & prayers are with you. Let me know if 'your happy place' works for you.
Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Pain during echo]
Author: Lynn Perry (---.pica.army.mil)
Date: 05-21-02 07:50
Pam:
The first time I had an echo it was very painful, which I couldn't understand because everyone told me there was nothing to it. The only thing I can figure is the person doing it wasn't doing it right and was pushing down too hard??? The couple echo's I have had since that first experiance were pain free. My suggestion would be that if it is the same person (or group) doing the echo everytime you are having pain, find a new source for getting the echo done. Maybe it's the technician or maybe it's the equipment (or a combination of both??).
Just an idea.
Good Luck,
Lynn