Medicines to withhold before heart stress test

Prior to having a heart stress test, your doctor will often ask you to not take several medicines you may be on that can affect the stress test result. Such medicines are often used to lower blood pressure or control the heart rate and include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, amiodarone, digoxin, flecainide, sotalol, bisoprolol, carvedilol, verapamil, cardizem, diltiazem. Such medicines can lower your heart rate. The aim of a stress test is to assess how fast your heart rate can beat with physical exertion so we are keen for the heart rate to not be artificially lowered. Please check with the centre you have been referred to a few days prior to your appointment for the complete list of medicines.