Pericarditis
Hi gang, just spent the afternoon in emerg. I was diagnosed with a heart murmur 16 years ago and until two years ago had no problems with my heart. 2 years ago I started getting these episodes where my heart would race and I would feel pressure on my chest for just seconds and when at rest only. I mentioned it to the doctor at my annual and she told me to keep an eye on it. This past year the same symptoms continued to happen but now when exercising, predominately when I was warming up. Again I mentioned the change to her at my annual and a halter monitor was ordered as a first step to check things out.
While waiting for the halter monitor I continued to exercise with little to no symptoms, until last week, where I developed a chest tightness during a Monday swim in LP. It went away after a couple of minutes, so I forgot about it. The next day while shopping my chest pain returned, but then went away again and then on Wed, the same, but on Thursday it came and stayed the whole day. I was getting nervous, but come Friday it was gone. On Thursday I also had no appetite and felt dizzy. Sat/Sun/Mon were normal days with no symptoms, but then yesterday half way through my swim practice the tightness was back and is still with me.
So....I called my doctors office and they suggested I head to emerg. So 4 hours in emerg, with 2x ECG, bloodwork and a chest xray suggest no heart issue, but perhaps Pericarditis. This was determined because I feel more pressure when I take a deep breath and the pressure feels greatest when lying down.
I am still order to go through with the Holter Monitor and also another ultrasound of my heart has been ordered to see if my murmur has changed.
All this to say that I have been ordered to take anti inflammatories and not to exercise until the symptoms subside. Has anyone had this condition before?
Comments
Hi Brenda,
I have never heard of this- but glad you are getting it checked out and x2 what Coach Patrick said!
Update - went on a three drug cocktail for 3 months and within days of starting the treatment I felt great. Off the meds, waiting for follow up appointment with Cardiac doc and just at the end of the 3 weeks the symptoms are back. ECG confirms. On one of the three drugs for the next 6 weeks with a cardiac MRI being scheduled. Doc thinks I am in the 5% of patients who might have cronic pericarditis. Hope not, because next step is steriods and that is just gonna be a place I want to go. Been on the one drug for 2 days and still have symptoms. Do not want to go on all three because I swell up and gain weight on all three. Hope this drugs settles things down. Also trying to eat a diet low in inflammatory foods and taking some anti inflammatory naturopathic remedies. Come on sac around heart - settle down.
Thur Mar 7 - just went for bloodwork to check for inflammation in the body, electrolytes and coritsol.