Can cardiopulmonary exercise testing cause chest heaviness, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath?

Hello doctor,

Could you please explain my CPET results to me? I have had DOE for over a year, LL PE a year ago, and a pericardial cyst found at that time. I had CPET two weeks ago. At the end of CPET, I was given 100 % oxygen, and I became sedated and unresponsive for approximately 30 minutes, even though I could hear commands and could not respond. Since CPET, I have had heaviness in my chest, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath. D-Dimer done a week ago, was negative, and CTA too was negative. But my chest feels terrible. I have awoken out of sleep feeling like I was suffocating. Since CPET, my chest hurts, and there is pressure. I have SOB on exertion 110 to 125 heart rate on ambulation. Positive signs of temporal arteritis in the right eye, but need to get recent ESR and CRP. Titrating down on Prednisone after being on high doses for several months and 10 mg for two years. The current primary diagnoses I have are RA, Sjogren’s, adhesive arachnoiditis, steroid-induced diabetes, Cushing syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, polyneuropathy, esophagitis, Hashimoto’s, iron anemia, MTHFR positive and homocysteine was high. I currently take Gabapentin 3600 mg daily, Eliquis 5 mg BID, Prednisone 9.5 mg in AM, Adderall 15 mg in AM, Dexilant 60 mg in AM, Pepcid 40 mg at bedtime, Tylenol 1000 mg BID, potassium and magnesium supplements, Xanaflex 4 mg at bedtime, Metaloxone 800 mg at bedtime and methylated B12 and folate. Please help.

Hi doctor,

Thanks for the reply. I apologize if this sounds a little obtuse, but how does a CT thorax differ from a CT angiogram?

Hi doctor,

Thanks again.

I understand. But may I clarify, would a CT chest without contrast in high resolution be the same thing as a CT thorax, then? Could there be a significant difference in five months? I wonder sometimes about the varying assessment skills of radiologists. My reports of the V/Q scan stated the following: "There is a mild heterogeneous distribution of the radiopharmaceutical in the pulmonary airways in the equilibrium images. MAA perfusion lung imaging demonstrates that mild heterogeneous distribution of the radiopharmaceutical within the pulmonary vasculature".

Additionally, What do you think about the findings from the PFT report (the flow-volume curve has terminal curvilinearity)? Would that support an ILD or asthma diagnosis?

Hi doctor,

Thank you. Sorry, I fell.

Hi doctor,

Thank you.

I fell.

Hi doctor,

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I fell. I really needed your help today. Hopefully, the above response went through.

Hello doctor,

Thanks. I tried to get my answer off to you this morning before it was too late for you. Can you see my query?