Shortness of breath only at first

[Jerry B]

When I exercise at length I am fine, with a relaxed
heart beat (although, of course with elevated pulse).

However if I get up and just go up the stairs or move
something like a vacuum cleaner around the house for
just a minute or so I experience hard, rapid heart
beats for a minute or two.

I'm a 54 year-old male.  Had a stent procedure done
last spring after angina episodes during exercise.
No more angina since the stent, which I'm very happy
about.

The only symptom, if this is a "symptom" of something,
is the shortness of breath at the onset of exercise.

Thanks for any responses.

   --- Jerry

[Tricia D.]

I have pulmonary hipertension and also a bicuspid valve (rather than tricuspid valve).  This was recently diagnosed by a cardiologist via an echocardiagram and a TEE.  I also had a stress test whereby my breathing got very heavy after about 20 minutes.  The cardiologist stopped the test because of my breathing, not my heart's performance at 166BPM.  I am a 52 year old female.  I really like to be active.  I find that I do get short of breath during heavy cardiovascular exercise, however, I can somewhat control it by making sure my shoulders are back and my chest is fully open.  However, when the muscles get extremely fatigued, I lose it and hunker down - so to speak - causing my breathing to be shallow.  I was always getting out of breathing vacuming and going upstairs until I learned to concentrate on breathing deep and blowing it out all the way before taking another breath in these situations.  Perhaps when you are exercising, you are paying attention to your body and breathing properly while when just vacuming or going up the stairs, you are not thinking about your posture and your breathing and it gets away from you and you are short of breath.

[TSM]

Have any of you ever noticed if your fingernails are blue during these episodes? Mine are and I was just curious.

[Jerry B]

Carol, maybe you should bring it up again with your doc.
I've been finding lately that often they don't focus on
an element of the conversation/consultation with them
that seems important to me if it's a "side subject" to
what we've been talking about.

For example, I brought up my huffing and puffing thing
with my cardio doc while we were talking about the different
anti-cholesterol meds and herbs out there.  He didn't
really respond with much focus.. just a sort of "..well
how are you feeling now?"  We didn't persue it, even
though, as I look back, I was pretty conserned with the
whole thing of feeling fine during exercise and not so
fine just going up the stairs.

      -------- Jerry

[Carol]

Jerry, I also get very short of breath and and a heavy feeling in my chest when I have a short burst of energy,  and I  also can manage  a full aerobic class and feel fine. I have congenital corrected transposition of the great vessels and I thought that perhaps I was letting my imaginination run away with me.  I did mention this to my cardiogolist but he didn't really make a comment. I thought he thought I was crazy.

[TSM]

I also have the same problem. I am a 37 yr old woman being watched for a possible mitral valve repair due to severe regurgitation. Whenever the doc asks me if i have SOB i say i don't know. I can take a nice long walk without feeling bad but any short burst of activity does me in. EX. I was in the walmart checkout when i realized i forgot some thing in the toy dept- I ran  there and back and i thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest and i was huffing and puffing. I can name at least a half dozen other times just like that. The only med i take is 10mg of Lotensin for the regurgitation. Is this Shortness of Breath or what?

[John]

Jerry I too have the same experience. I've had 5 angioplaslties and 4 stents installed then finally bypass done. That was over 2 years ago but I still have the exact same problem you experience. I can excersize for at least an hour trouble free but if I vacume or carry a box up a regular set of stairs I'm huffing and puffing but with no angina pain. I have had a strees test done recently and of course it went great so the Doctors say not to worry its probably a reacrion to medication. I take Metoprolol, Celexa, Lipitor and a host of vitamins and aspirin daily. I'm not too concerned about it unless I start getting angina with it, I guess I'll just chalk it up to age, I'm a 45 year year old male.

Happy New Year
John

[Jerry B]

Good to know you're doing well, John.

Maybe it's the Lipitor.. I don't take that one
specifically, but one like it.  And that's
the only med.

Gonna see my doc next week.. see if there's
any other concern.  I feel fine, just huff
and puff at those times, as you say.

Take care,

        -------- Jerry

[jan]

Me,too. My heart rate and breathing are fine during exercise, probably best then. But walk down the hall or up stairs, even just getting dressed.  My husband says I huff and puff on his back when I get in bed. I am not extremely short of breath and it doesn't happen all the time. I was only extremely short of breath one time during an episode, I could only get 2 - 3 words out with each breath.  I am 44 yrs. old and only have IST and NCS, mild MVP w/mild mr and mild tr. What is funny, too, is during exercise I rarely perspire, but doing the mail route in the hospital I become hot instantly and perspire (fortunately not noticeably).

[Jerry B]

But why does the shortness of breath not show itself
during vigorous exercise?  I feel fine during a tread
mill or weight training session, sometimes for two
hours at a time.

I only get it from rest to a walk up the stairs or
something like that, as I said.  

I will see my cardio doc, I guess.  I was just thinking
it might be for some reason other than heart.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Given your history of a stent I would be somewhat concerned about this. Sometimes coronary blockages cause shortness of breath and not angina (though if you have had angina before, it is more likely that you would have angina again). I would recommend an evaluation by your cardiologist.