Scary situation post workout. Heart condition ?

[SpetzNax]

Hi guys,

I am 37 years old and haven't smoked or drank alcohol since 1st April and I am 5'11 and 187 lbs.

I have started working out after many years. For the past 2-3 weeks, I have just been doing casual exercises, sometimes on a recumbent bike or walking on a treadmill or some weight training without a standard program.

On each of these occasions, whether on a recumbent bike or a treadmill or moderate weight training, after 15-20 minutes I have been belching continuously and having mild difficulty in breathing.

I thought it was my mistake as I used to drink a glass of milk or have some bananas 30 minutes before a workout and while belching I can make out its the undigested milk or bananas.

Today, I decided to do a proper workout seriously without any preworkout food. A full body workout with one exercise for each body part ( 6 body parts * 3 sets) and by the end of the workout I was belching pretty heavily.

I somehow rushed out of the gym and while walking home, I was really disoriented. Difficulty in breathing and complete discomfort, I thought I was going to have a heart attack or just collapse.

I had completed my lunch at 2.30 pm and did the workout at 6.00 pm, there was no preworkout food this time and my weight training was less than 30 minutes.

I somehow reached home and there was a massive burp and then I started feeling ok but the incident has left me in fear.

I will obviously get my heart checked but I am would like your opinion on this.

Is my low cardio efficiency the culprit here ?

Shall I do cardio for 1-2 months, till I build my capability to operate lets say an elliptical bike upto 45 mins - 60 mins and then move to weight training. ?

Thanks for reading,

Spetz

[ilgallo]

could be dehydration, but definitely see your PCP for an exam. milk? milk is for babies. some bananas? one is enough.

[SpetzNax]

Thank you for your reply.

I was however taking sips of water.

I humbly repeat my two questions,

Is my low cardio efficiency the culprit here ?

Shall I do cardio for 1-2 months, till I build my capability to operate lets say an elliptical bike upto 45 mins - 60 mins and then move to weight training. ?

Thanks

Spetz

[shaneinga]

If I had what I thought was a heart scare where it felt like I was about to have a heart attack, I would be in the ER at the minimum getting an EKG done. Then follow up with my Doctor where he/she hopefully would have me seeing a cardiologist for a stress test.

What I wouldn't do is be wasting time posting medical questions on the internet to a bunch of strangers.

Any advice you get here will be at best a guess. Do you really want to guess with a HEART scare?

[SpetzNax]

Thank you for reply.

Brutal but so true.

Its late evening where I live at hence before I visit the doctor tomorrow morning, I thought I could get some answers from people who workout religiously.

I was wondering in case of people like me who have a sedentary job and who want to start working out, is a cardio workout for 1-2 months better than straight away jumping to weight training.

Thanks.

Spetz

[CommitmentRulz]

Scary situation. See a doctor first thing - and let us know what you find out.

[crupiea]

Of course if you are scared you should consult a doctor, no sens taking a chance here. i would suspect some sort of blood sugar/ pancreas type thing is going on. That belch means something. Pacreatitis can result in difficulty breathing and chest pain,similar to a heart attack.

[Garage Rat]

SEE YOU DOCTOR!
Seven years ago i had some similar symptoms felt like i was out of shape after exerting very hard on certain things.
Even walking up stairs made me have the feeling.
Heavy breathing slight chest tightness but would reside after a minute or so.
This continued for a few weeks.
To make a long story short i had that dizzy feeling you described and checked myself into a hospital.
The next day had a treadmill stress test with all kinds of wires attached to my chest.
The doctor asked me if i felt anything strange i said no.
He said your blood pressure just spiked super high.
They got me on surgery an hour later and after a scan with nuclear dye in my system discovered three blockages at 70 and 80 % in arteries on my heart.
I now have three stents and things have been checked on a regular basis and I'm fine.
I didn't have a heart attack but could of down the road if i wouldn't have went to the hospital/doctor.
Bottom line is listen to your body,if it doesn't feel right get it checked.

[tobymax123]

I will be looking for a follow up post SpetzNax, we want to know your diagnosis. Don't be afraid to insist on additional tests to definitively find out what's causing your symptoms.

The continuous belching sounds familiar and scary. My husband (yes a same-sex marriage) was having continuous belching sometimes for 30 minutes or more at a time. Then he started having shortness of breath after minor exertion like walking up stairs. He went to a doctor who was going to prescribe an asthma inhaler, but we insisted on a chest x-ray. Long story short, but he has lung cancer. The primary tumor was at the bottom of his lung putting pressure on his diaphragm, causing the belching. The cancer had caused fluid build-up in the cavity around the lung, causing the shortness of breath. The fluid was drained off to resolve the breathing problems, and after three or four aggressive chemotherapy sessions the belching had ceased. This all just happened in the past 6 months. He still has cancer, but it's greatly reduced in size. He is now getting not-so-aggressive chemo, and the doc is optimistic that they'll be able to get rid of it.

[SpetzNax]

Update:

Went to the doctor, a cardiologist.

Told him everything.

His assistant first took the blood pressure which is 130/90 and the assistant told me its normal for 37 years of age.

Then did a 2d Echo test and the doctor said that the 2d Echo test report is fine.

Will be doing the blood test and stress test and other tests tomorrow morning as the doc wants me to fast for 12 hours before taking the blood report.

Thanks guys

Spetz

[beachguy498]

I suppose they ran an EKG first thing. An echo cardiogram checks blood flow, looks at how the valves work and so on. Indigestion like you describe is a possible heart attack sign, you are wise to get it checked out. I had a massive heart attack almost 7 months ago, survived a widow-maker and had a triple bypass. Today I am doing well, back in the gym and living a lot better.

[mcbourque]

I will be looking for a follow up post SpetzNax, we want to know your diagnosis. Don't be afraid to insist on additional tests to definitively find out what's causing your symptoms.

The continuous belching sounds familiar and scary. My husband (yes a same-sex marriage) was having continuous belching sometimes for 30 minutes or more at a time. Then he started having shortness of breath after minor exertion like walking up stairs. He went to a doctor who was going to prescribe a,n asthma inhaler, but we insisted on a chest x-ray. Long story short, but he has lung cancer. The primary tumor was at the bottom of his lung putting pressure on his diaphragm, causing the belching. The cancer had caused fluid build-up in the cavity around the lung, causing the shortness of breath. The fluid was drained off to resolve the breathing problems, and after three or four aggressive chemotherapy sessions the belching had ceased. This all just happened in the past 6 months. He still has cancer, but it's greatly reduced in size. He is now getting not-so-aggressive chemo, and the doc is optimistic that they'll be able to get rid of it.

Toby, I am so sorry to hear this about your husband. I hope things turn out ok and he can beat this. Sending good vibes and prayers your way for good outcomes.

[SpetzNax]

Update:

Got tested thoroughly, blood test, LIPID Profile, Stress test etc.

I have the reports but the cardiologist is out of town so will show him when he comes back.

Some highlights are :

Stress Test:

Couldn't last more than 3 levels, was on a treadmill for 9 minutes only and max speed of 6.7 km/hr and slope of 16%.Till 96% of target heart rate.

Was totally breathless at this paltry speed and started panicking and requested the test to be stopped ( I am such a loser )

The analysis says : Negative for Provocable Myocardial Ischemia.

Lipid Profile:


Total Cholesterol : 165 (Desirable : < 200)

HDL Cholesterol : 41.6 (Desirable : 40-60 , Good : > 60)

LDL Cholesterol : 109 (Desirable : < 100, Optimal: 100-129)

HS CRP : 4.64 ( High Risk ....More than 3.0 )........This is the only thing that worries me


As one gentleman pointed out above, even got a Chest X-Ray done and it came out normal and no diabetes too.

Got my lungs tested too and I am 37 and my lung age is 75 ( why did I ever start smoking)

Although, I haven't got the doc's opinion yet, I believe my heart is ok , not in the best shape but ok but my lung capacity is down in the dumps.

Just waiting for my doc to come back and will show him the reports and wait for his views.

I wonder how do I go about my exercise now ?

Thanks for reading and support.

Spetz

[13thking]

What happened? What did the doctor say?
And start lifting small weights for a month or so with cardio.. maybe 10 or 15 minutes cardio .. then tour the machines and dumbells 10 reps 3 sets low weight ... then you can increase .. and start working out different groups .. but first check with your doctor and then if everything clears out you can start .. starvation before working out is bad for energy and you will lose muscle .. have a low cal 25g protein shake and a cup of unsweetened coffee 15 mins before starting .. but first check your heart asap

[weiss1967]

Spetznaz, forget cardio performance for now, or you can really kick the bucket. You are going through a big change in your life. Quitting smoking is perhaps the biggest achievement in everybody's life. Your body is still adjusting to it. Depending on how long and how much have you been smoking, your lungs may take a few months to recover. While doing strenuous cardio during this period your heart will be compensating the lack of lungs capacity. Heart is a different kind of muscle and from what you have already said, you may have had a minor heart attack already. These things do not go away.

On top of that, fitness is not a rocket science, but the field is vast, and while each component is simple in itself, there is a lot to know. You seem to try doing everything at once, which is fine, but allow yourself some adaptation period, especially right after quitting smoking.

[SpetzNax]

Thank you for your replies.

Got the opinion from the cardiologist (finally).

Its not the heart but its my lungs apparently.

There is a 'mild' obstructive and restrictive abnormality.

I am now determined to increase my lung capacity and my stamina.

I am planning to buy a treadmill to at least start walking.

Thanks for reading,

Spetz

[CommitmentRulz]

Thank you for your replies.

Got the opinion from the cardiologist (finally).

Its not the heart but its my lungs apparently.

There is a 'mild' obstructive and restrictive abnormality.

I am now determined to increase my lung capacity and my stamina.

I am planning to buy a treadmill to at least start walking.

Thanks for reading,

Spetz

Well, you know what you're working with, and now what you need to work "on". Good luck.

[beachguy498]

I just finished up a 36-session cardiac rehab program. The hospital also mixed in pulmonary rehabs with us. Not telling you what to do, but you could mention it to your doctor. With the cardiac thing, it helped me a lot to get my strength and stamina back. Now my heart rate comes down fast after I exercise. Before it took a while. I did a treadmill stress test 7 weeks after my triple bypass and I did well with it. I went the 4 minutes and they added in 2 additional minutes and I had no problem with it. I just had a new echo cardiogram done last week and that was good.

[SpetzNax]

thank you for your kind words of encouragement.

So beachguy498, you are suggesting that I should start exercising and improved stamina and strength will help me with heart issues, if I have any ?

[beachguy498]

thank you for your kind words of encouragement.

So beachguy498, you are suggesting that I should start exercising and improved stamina and strength will help me with heart issues, if I have any ?

Do you have any restrictions on exercise, who did the lung capacity test? I see a lung specialist once a year due to my asthma, they are best to tell you where you're at and if you need an inhaler of some type. I jumped back into the gym while waiting to see my cardiologist, but took it easy since I had surgical incisions that were still painful. Turns out he says nothing over 40 pounds... I was a bit over that by then. So I did more of what he recommended, now I have no restrictions on anything 7 months after my heart attack.

I would recommend to see a lung doctor if you haven't already or are satisfied that your breathing test was legit and thorough. If they had you breathe into one of those hand-held things (looks like a kid's toy), that was not a legit breathing test. But it does give a general indication of lung power. I went home from the hospital with one of those and it helped me to breathe better.

[SpetzNax]

You are so right, beachguy498

The PFT, that was done was done on a portable hand held device which was connected to a machine and I seriously doubt its legitimacy as I had to breathe repeatedly to get a reading.

I will be seeing a pulmonologist, a lung specialist.

My anxiety has shot through the roof because of this.

[car5car]

Ok, here you go:
1.everybody whose blood pressure is over 120 in the morning is in deep sh.t. (The only exception is salty food evening before) Basically you can drop dead any second. So start checking your blood pressure.
2. Lifting weights or running 3 hours a day is not going to save you from heart attack.
7 years ago I found solution for high blood pressure. there are a few rules to follow.

[beachguy498]

You are so right, beachguy498

The PFT, that was done was done on a portable hand held device which was connected to a machine and I seriously doubt its legitimacy as I had to breathe repeatedly to get a reading.

I will be seeing a pulmonologist, a lung specialist. My anxiety has shot through the roof because of this.

The real-deal test may be similar, but the technicians, this is all they do every day. It takes a while for your lungs to recover from x amount of years of smoking. You may wind up with an inhaler when all is said and done.