Pericarditis...questions

[char2mar]

Has anyone out there had pericarditis and if so have you had it more than once? I was just diagnosed with it yet again. On anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. What causes it? Is it a viral or a bacterial infection. Getting it once, are you more likely to get it again? What should I watch out for? Has anyone experienced numbness in their left hand and pain radiating down their left arm while having pericarditis? I had all the cardio work up, and I am not having a heart attact. They even did a CT scan to rule out dissection. Not that either...just pericarditis.


Char

 

[geebee]

Has anyone out there had pericarditis and if so have you had it more than once? I was just diagnosed with it yet again. On anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. What causes it? Is it a viral or a bacterial infection. Getting it once, are you more likely to get it again? What should I watch out for? Has anyone experienced numbness in their left hand and pain radiating down their left arm while having pericarditis? I had all the cardio work up, and I am not having a heart attact. They even did a CT scan to rule out dissection. Not that either...just pericarditis.


Char

Yes, yes, yes and yes. Seriously, tho, I have had pericarditis about 30 times over the past 25 years. It basically went away only after my last OHS when the remaining part of my pericardium was removed. It is not uncommon for it to reoccur especially in patients that have had OHS. However, it is usually a one-time thing so try not to worry too much.

I had all the symptoms you described at least a few times. I have also had neck pain, back pain, upper chest pain, etc. Pericarditis, like a heart attack is referred pain and can occur just about anywhere above the waist. In fact, heart attack is always ruled out when someone presents with the pain associated with pericarditis.

Medrol and percocet were the drugs of choice for my bouts. I was told pericarditis could be caused by just about any type of infection that could cause inflammation. If I had a fever with any of my occurrances, I was given antibiotics as well as the Medrol & percocet.

Sorry you are going through this. I know how painful it can be. Just try to rest and it will get better.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Hi Char:

Sorry to hear you've got pericarditis. Has this been on-going? Does it explain symptoms that you've had for...what, months? Weren't you experiencing arrhythmias or something and shortness of breath and extreme fatigue? Or does it come with a whole new set of symptoms? How do they diagnose pericarditis? Neither you nor Gina sound freaked out about it, how serious is peridarditis? (SOUNDS nasty )

I hope you get some time off work to rest up and I hope you are back to 100% ASAP.

Take care.

 

[char2mar]

Hi Char:

Sorry to hear you've got pericarditis. Has this been on-going? Does it explain symptoms that you've had for...what, months? Weren't you experiencing arrhythmias or something and shortness of breath and extreme fatigue? Or does it come with a whole new set of symptoms? How do they diagnose pericarditis? Neither you nor Gina sound freaked out about it, how serious is peridarditis? (SOUNDS nasty )

I hope you get some time off work to rest up and I hope you are back to 100% ASAP.

Take care.

PJmomrunner:

Most of the time percarditis shows up on an ECG. Also when they listen to the chest sounds they can hear a cardiac rub. (?) Only when you are sitting forward. On the ECG the p wave is elevated ( I think that is what they said). Anyways...the other symptoms I have had in the past could be related to that but I don't think so. The shortness of breath, arrythmias, dizzy spells and chest pain that I have been experiencing for over a year couldn't be all from pericarditis. I had pnenmonia (never could spell that word) a month ago....probably got this recent bout of percaditis from that. I am taking toradol and percocet for the pericarditis this time. It is very painful. When you have constrictive pericarditis its freak out time. I think the other symptoms are from my valve and aorta (?????) and because I experience conduction delays all the time. I have 2nd degree heart block....when and if it turns into 3rd degree block will they do something about it. Then it is pacemaker time. I am not sure if it is related to the valve issue or not. Maybe I have another defect that has yet to be picked up on an echo. Who knows? My ECG shows that I have LVH. Maybe that is why? All I know is that I am getting tired of all of this. I have felt like crap for over a year now and still no definitive answers. Hopefully everything will be all sorted out soon.

Thanks for your concern.

Char

 

[char2mar]

Yes, yes, yes and yes. Seriously, tho, I have had pericarditis about 30 times over the past 25 years. It basically went away only after my last OHS when the remaining part of my pericardium was removed. It is not uncommon for it to reoccur especially in patients that have had OHS. However, it is usually a one-time thing so try not to worry too much.

I had all the symptoms you described at least a few times. I have also had neck pain, back pain, upper chest pain, etc. Pericarditis, like a heart attack is referred pain and can occur just about anywhere above the waist. In fact, heart attack is always ruled out when someone presents with the pain associated with pericarditis.

Medrol and percocet were the drugs of choice for my bouts. I was told pericarditis could be caused by just about any type of infection that could cause inflammation. If I had a fever with any of my occurrances, I was given antibiotics as well as the Medrol & percocet.

Sorry you are going through this. I know how painful it can be. Just try to rest and it will get better.

GeeBee:

Thanks for the info, and your concern. I am takiing it easy. I took the last two days off from work. I am on toradol and percocet. I did have pnenomia last month so perhaps that is why I developed it again. So did you get numbness in your left arm when you had you bouts of pericarditis?? Still trying to figure out that one. I asked my Doctor today to send me for c spine and lumbar xrays. Thought perhaps the numbness in my left arm maybe caused by a pinched nerve or something related to that. She agreed to let me have the xrays....I should find out Tuesday if anything is wrong with my spine. (Two years ago I had a nasty fall while skiing and broke my tail bone in 3 places...could of hurt my neck at the time and perhaps that is why I am experiencing the pain and numbness in my left arm and hand.)

Char

 

[geebee]

Char,

Yes, I did have numbness with a few of my bouts. The doctor said when the percardium rubs, it can irritate nerves that can cause the numbness (also what causes the pain). If the numbness came at the same time as your pericarditis, that is probably what is happening. I also noted that I was in odd positions and posturing with the pain and that can cause pinched nerves as well.

That being said, it never hurts to rule out other possibilities.