SOB, palpitations

[have_a_heart]

It started about 6-10 months ago first with Palpitations, then with SOB, atypical chest pain (atypical because it's near constant and at rest), lightheaded, vertigo, and moderate fatigue.
Actually, I believe my palps to be pauses, and sometimes the pause will be long enough to cause near syncope

I Have Very Recently Noticed Development of Pitting Edema in my Lower Legs/Ankles (i guess mild edema since it's not blatantly obvious at first glance, but it absolutely definitely pits with finger press).

I am a 30 yr male, I've been able to use my wife's stethoscope to detect what I believe to be abnormal heart sounds, associated with certain activity, which no doctor has been able to detect during exam (because it's not there then).

Cardiolite test,electrically normal, but revealed possible anterior hypokinesis with LAD ischemia, but there was soft tissue attenuation due to my 50 lbs overweight. CTA was completely normal.  Echo revealed trace/mild mitral and pulmonary regurgitation, but was reported to me as normal.
EF is 59%
ESR is 0

Chest sounds seem clear/normal during sustained,planned cardio exercise, and also typically at rest.
What I'm getting at is, hard heart contractions..Not a high pulse; just very hard, normal rhythm contractions along with abnormal shortness of breath and head/neck pressure. A typical scenario is that this will happen right after I walk up a flight of stairs, or first standing up.
It feels like my heart works slightly too hard most of the time..

IF you listen over my sternum (and slightly left) at this time you will hear a very distinct sound that sounds just like a very strong murmur, at least to me it does. (The holter recorded one of these occurances - NORMAL SINUS)
If you look at link and click one of the 2 black square (the mitral or aortic Regurgitation ones), that is precisely what I hear during the hard contractions/SOB:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/cardiology/content/dtg/ausc/ausc.html

[Me967]

Hi.  I can relate to the chest pains and hard and heavy heart beats.  I work out every day on my treadmill without a problem but, when I go upstairs I'm feeling that heavy pounding and get out of breath, cutting the grass on a hill, waking up and not being able to bend my ankles with my heart pounding.  I look like a penguin.  LOL.  But very frustrating some days.  My hs CRP is never under 6 and I have high BP and chol. that is under control with meds.  I had an Ecko and a stress test done.  They turned out great.  Thank goodness.  
With my bloodwork I was told that I had low sugar, low iron, low calcium, and low thyroid.  How does your bloodwork look as far as everything else goes?  I still worry about when I get the hard grabbing pains (where it feels like your heart's being grabbed and ripped out) but, try to ignore them.  I have listened with my husbands stethoscope and know for a fact that it sounded like a hard heart beat, pause, and then the headless horseman takes off stumbling down the road, before the lub dub starts again.  LOL.  OK bad example, but, I think you know what I mean.  
The ecko and stress are supposed to pick up any problems though and since they did not.  Then I have to except that there is not a problem there.  Ask your Dr. if it could be anything else causing it.  The body is weird the way it communicates to us.  I hope you find your answers.  Take Care;  Amy

[Cleveland Clinic]

The only way I could be of any help to you at this point would be if I listened to your heart.  I would, therefore, suggest that you see a cardiologist who can put all this together.  It is true that sometimes echo misses things and that's why having a well trained doctor is important because they can recognize these mishaps immediately.  The lower extremity swelling is very non-specific.  It most frequently is not related to heart problems.  When it is related to the heart we are talking advanced systolic or diastolic heart dysfunction, or severe valvular disease, or pulmonary HTN.  I am certain that the echo would not miss those.  As I mentioned to you earlier, if you think you are concerned with the quality or the interpretation of these findings you should get a second opinion.

[maggiemag]

Heart sounds normally sound differently depending on where the stethoscope is placed.  Physicians are trained on how to interpret the different sounds, and a lay person would not be able to do that, sorry.  I think there are 5 different areas that are assessed and they all sound different even in a normal heart.  That difference is probably what  you are hearing.  Oh, and trace/mild regurgitation is considered normal.

[have_a_heart]

Doctor, I was wondering what you thought about the edema in conjunction with all this?
Also, I am 100% sure it is a heart sound... it's a very clear  lud-whoosh lud-whoossh lud-woosh.   There's no mistake about it.    Please comment further

[Cleveland Clinic]

Echocardiography is very sensitive for detecting mitral or aortic valve regurgitation.  Based on that I don't think that this is what you are dealing with here.  Heart sounds can be deceiving and occasionally other intrathoracic sounds such as respiration or bowel sounds can be mistaken for regurgitation.  The echo is certainly more sensitive than the physical exam for detecting severe valvular abnormalities.  As far as your exertional symptoms including palpitations, shortness of breath and chest pain, based on the tests you have provided (normal echo and normal stress test), I don't think that they are related to any cardiac pathology, instead, they are more likely related to deconditioning.  I would recommend that you continue to exercise and try to lose weight.  If you are very concerned about the quality of those tests have them repeated by a more experienced cardiovascular center.      

[have_a_heart]

I said that I had some edema, I also have had sharp chest pains when laying down