Have you considered mitochondrial issues may be playing a role in all of this? My husband would get winded/exhausted very quickly too even after starting testosterone. He started using a supplement for mitochondrial support from Life Extension and it made a significant difference in his stamina. He went from only be able to sweep one sidewalk before needing to take a rest to being able to sweep the entire walk.

Just a thought.

Honestly, I wouldn't "ask" for anything. Sure a stress echo would be an appropriate test but you need to go in there with the only focus is sharing your symptoms and asking for them to find the cause. Doctors don't like to be told what tests to run or what patients think is wrong. They want to be the doctor and be in control (we all know how big their egos are---lol)

You need to show them what is happening. I have experienced the same thing as you and literally took my pulmonologist to the stairwell to 'show' him what was happening. It was an eye opener for him. The cardiologist had me step up/down off the foot stool at the end of the exam table...which produced the same thing and he could 'see' what was happening with my heart rate and breathing. He simply hooked up the EKG while I repeated the foot stool thing and sure enough, he could 'see' the Dx of inappropriate tachycardia. He helped him to further Dx my autonomic dysfunction.

You should also document as best you can what things produce what results (what exercise causes what symptom) and write them down. Experiment with things so you know how to describe exactly what is happening. Take your heart rate during these episodes and even your BP (most machines do both). If you have low BP (autonomic drops), then your heart rate will increase when your BP drops (compensatory action) and this combo makes anyone short of breath.

Hi Healthgirl,

I am sorry you have been experiencing some "resistance" from the pulmonologist. I am concerned she did not allow you to demonstrate your breathing issue in front of her. I hope she has ordered a full work-up and will get the full picture on testing this week. Perhaps she was planning on getting the full picture this coming week; it just seems reasonable to allow you to demonstrate while you are right there with her.

Please also pursue the heart testing.
Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (aka "Nuclear Stress Test) was the last heart test I had when I was having shortness of breath, etc.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Condit...52_Article.jsp

This is a "stress test" along with a SPECT or a PET scan.
I cannot be sure what you need for testing. I am just sharing with you.
I had been taken to the ER with shortness of breath and low oxygen saturation measurements (the clip they place on a finger to measure O2 saturation percentage).

It was my 12th visit to the ER that year, after prolonged flu complications.

Whenever an inhaler is prescribed, there is always a chance the type prescribed may not work for any given patient or may exacerbate breathing issues.

My first allergist had taught me to always use a "Peak Flow Meter" @15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours after using a NEW inhaled medication. Taking these readings and comparing them to a pre-med/pre-inhalation "baseline" reading then clearly demonstrates if the inhaled med is helping or not and also shows if you are having a negative reaction to the inhaled med. It's an objective measurement.

I am so glad he had taught me to do this, as I have found 3 commonly prescribed asthma meds/inhalers which were quickly making my readings drop (worse). The Peak Flow Meter can also help you to see when you do/don't need to use your inhaler. (Note: This is not an "incentive spirometer." many people get these two devices confused with one another.)

http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/ast...flow-rate.html

If you were not prescribed a "chamber" for your inhaler, please ask if you need one. Doctors often "forget" to prescribe them and the chambers deliver more medication into the lungs, rather than depositing the inhaled med at the back of your throat.

Inquire as to whether the Pulmonologist or your GP will prescribe a "Peak Flow Meter" for you so you can track readings when you wonder about the status of your breathing and/or whether inhaled meds are helping or not.

Hope something in this post is helpful to you.
Hope you are feeling better.

To our healing!
DejaVu

Over the weekend my breathing has become pretty normal. I did 15 minutes at about a 3.0 on the treadmill yesterday and 20 today. My breathing was good. I am going up and down the stairs and same thing. Yesterday was 68% humidity and I was much better outside than I was for the past 3 weeks.

What does this mean?

Probably not pulmonary hypertension or fluid around my heart right? That can't be intermittent can it?
I am not coughing anymore either.
Does it sound more like bronchitis? With no fever? Asthma? Maybe bizarre autonomic symptoms that fluctuate?

I also think this pulmonary testing is going to be a complete waste especially since this lady is opposed to thinking I should show her what is happening- and it isn't happening right now anyway.

Yes, I think intermittent is a good sign. Something was irritating your lungs... pollen or mold spores.

I hope you continue to improve with this, therefore.

Yes, intermittent improvement is often a good sign.
Wishing you a full recovery.

To Our Healing!
DejaVu

Healthgirl:

I'm glad things are at least a little better for you. I can't imagine how scary this "episode" must be for you. I'm really pulling for your continued improvement.

I just got back from the pulmonary test and I really wish I listened to myself and cancelled. This was one of the worst doctors I have experienced on this journey. Rude, condescending, in a huge rush.

Her diagnosis is asthma/reactive airway disease. She had no interest in seeing how it happens upon exertion and that this problem is new to me along with going from a healthy and active to a nerve damaged/ autoimmune situation.
She talked over me in the 10 minutes of appointment time in a loud sing songy patronizing voice so that I couldn't ask questions- and after experiencing her for the second visit and giving the benefit of doubt, I didn't even want to ask anything.
So glad I have this place to vent

Pfff the arrogance of some specialists... It has no place in healthcare. Where is the sublety? The past months I've been treated likewise; they conclude a diagnosis along their vision according to my story, which I had to rush out during an overhasted interview. They do not listen to what I think I have and rather wave that one away and replace it with what they think makes more sense. I've been researching my condition for the past few months and I actually feel the symptoms, but they know better within a few minutes because they have better understanding of the literature... I've unfortunately proven them they misdiagnosed...

If you can muster up the extra energy and time, write up a review of this doctor so others can avoid this nonsense.

After doc appointments, I get feedback forms in the mail from the hospital or clinic asking me to rate the doctors performance. Before I got sick, I used to just throw those things away. Now I actually started taking the time to fill them out.