Earlier today I had a nuclear stress test. I am 44 and overweight but the stress test was ordered for follow-up after a long bout with pneumonia . Anyway, the treadmill started going too fast and I got very short of breath. The technician stopped the test but afterwards, I couldn t catch my breath, started coughing hard, and I now have a very sore throat , sore chest (to the touch, not inside) and a deep non-productive cough that hurts a great deal. Is this just par for the course with a stress test?