New here. Pericarditis? Something else? Any insight?

Hi everyone. I've been reading a lot here and finally decided to join and A) maybe find someone in a similar boat and B) help others in similar situations. I'm 34. A mom of 2, a wife and a teacher (been off since nov 1st with these pains and other medical mysteries). I am thin, non smoker. Was drinking quite a bit May-end of Aug (wine). I was extremely active. Maybe too active? Was doing 60-80 mins of cardio a day (elliptical, running, stairs, etc) 5-6 days a week. Ate well.

In a nutshell. Chest pain started beginning of September. I thought I injured myself (it was dull in central area). Days go by, I was finding it hard to exercise (very short of breath) and even projecting my voice at work (teacher) was causing discomfort. Pain switched on me and became predominately left side sharp behind left Breast into ribs a bit...was worse lying down. Not aggrivated by deep breaths or coughing...so I head to emerg thinking chest infection. They do ECG and chest X-ray and cardiac blood work up. Everything normal except my ECG showed slight ST elevation...diagnosed with Pericarditis. They do a quick bedside ultrasound checking for fluid-none. Rx of high dose Aspirin and a PPI. 4 days later I feel horrible. No energy, short of breath, can't lie down at all pain is so bad, can't get up a flight of stairs...chest pain continues to be left side sharp...non pleuritic in nature and occasionally center tightness. Go back to emerg. More tests. D-dimer comes back positive. Off for a CT scan. Suboptimal study but no obvious blood clots found. No suspicious nodules in my lungs. They are clear apart from a tiny begin calcified granuloma on right lower lobe. Anyways...chest pain and sickness continues for 1.5 months. Eases slightly for 1-2 weeks and is now back.

My symptoms now
-left side chest pain that is sharp. Mainly occurring behind the left Breast and below into the ribs.
-centra tightness...like at he feeling after a run outside in cooler weather.
-sporadic left arm pain
-sometimes some shortness of breath or feeling like I can't get a good deep breath.
-lower back pain
-sporadic teeth pain
-pain in back by shoulder blades.
-when I do anything with my left arm, it aggrivated my chest
-shooting pains in left chest if I lie on my left side.
-pain is aggrivated by wiping off counters, vacuuming, housework, resting elbow on anything or pretty much doing anything with left arm.
-not pleuritic.
-no fever
-it happens just as much at rest as it does walking around the block or going upstairs.
-back in September it did not get worse while exercising.

Work up I've had
-echo - normal
-chest ct - no fluid or anything remarkable about heart.
-2 chest X-rays- normal
-stress test at 80% max HR. Was on for 15 mins and they couldn't get my heart rate up (I'm previously extremely active).
-Holter monitor for 20 hours-still awaiting results.
-10+ ECG's- used to show Pericarditis or early benign repolarization or left ventrical hypertrophy (at the time they told me this was due to being so thin and Echo and/or CT saw nothing of the sort). Recent ECG's show normal sinus rhythm.
-blood tests upon blood tests from cardiac to CBC to inflammatory markers to Lyme. Nothing. Normal.

Anyone with anything similar? I don't know if the pericarditis returned or didn't fully go away...but I don't see how I could have pericarditis with no fluid, no fever, no rub upon physical exam and not pleuritic in nature. Even the cardiologist I followed up with said he doubted it was ever pericarditis and that "it's not cardiac related". Thing is, it sure feels like it is.


I know this is a book I've written here and I appreciate anyone who even reads it top to bottom. Anyone with anything similar? Ideas? Direction I should take? I'm scared...and have other medical things happening.

Post Edited (Bobbi_007) : 12/12/2015 11:06:47 PM (GMT-7)

Hey! Thanks for the response! Why do you say it's "interesting what the cardio said?"

Neurologists say maybe lupus or sarcoidois...or "idiopathic" blah blah blah. Internists says yes to the aforementioned or connective tissue disorder or some systemic viral mess. Other weigh ins have been GI and Anxiety. My GP says "you've been worked up head to toe, if they haven't found it yet, they aren't going to find anything". Every single doctor says it's not my heart....but I really don't know what else would fo this. I've asked about Fibro...as my mother has it. No one seems on board with that idea. I see another cardiologist Friday who did the stress test and Holter. First time I saw him...he said "it's not your heart."

*ive also had an abdo and pelvis ultrasound-normal
MRI of brain and neck-normal
Stool checked for parasites-negative
CBC, differential, platelets, ANA, CRP, ESR, urinalysis, STD's, syphillis, fasting glucose, cortisol, b12...all normal.

Any threads/posts in particular you could direct me to?

I was feeling exhausted before. But I haven't tried to exercise again out of shear fear. Ive done nothing but walk around the block and housework.

The only thing that makes me not think cardiac is the left arm thing. I can't see my heart being aggrivated by be wiping off a kitchen counter or resting my elbow on the car door while driving. But, I dunno...wish I did.

Post Edited (Bobbi_007) : 12/13/2015 1:23:06 AM (GMT-7)

Bobbi, have you tried using the search feature here at Healing Well? It is located at the top, you may want to type in pericarditis with no symptoms & see if there is anything archived on this subject. Keep in mind on those older threads the party that posted probably is no longer active here at HW, but it may be some good reading on this subject.

Take care.

Bobbi, I am going to make a suggestion here. It appears you have been worked up about much as possible looking for heart related issues. I suggest getting in at either a teaching hospital or big university hospital. You have different things going on & I honestly think you are spinning your wheels with the main stream drs you are seeing now. At least at a teaching/university hospital a complete physical can be done to rule things out. We see people come through these forums all the time having medical issues & the drs get stuck but meanwhile the individual is not getting better. Most private insurance covers this. Keep in mind at these type of facilities they have state of the art medical equipment that most drs do not have access too not to mention all of the studies being done in these places. They have much more access to medical related things than our normal drs do. This is how a lot of people get their answers that other miss. kind of like thinking out of the box type of thing. These drs can also work with your drs if something is found other than what they were coming up with. Its sure worth a try. I knew a lady that started taking a supplement trying to lower her cholesterol. After awhile she became extremely ill & it also affected her mental status. She spent a lot of time in & out of hospitals & the drs could not come up with a thing!!!! Her husband took her to the Mayo Clinic, it was the supplement, took her off of it & she never had another problem. The supplement was never questioned because by rights she should not have had the reaction she did to it. This is where I would go next instead of being told maybe this or that.

I hope you can get some answers. You may also want to look up costochondritis not sure I spelled that right. Do a search here at the forum. We have had a lot of people have this condition & see if any of the symptoms fit you.

Take care.

I too have been searching for ya. I thought costo as a possibility. we will keep trying. keep positive mate.

Also, it was never pleuritic and I don't think I had a fever.

Any ideas?

Hi Bobbi, no I don't think you are having cardiac issues but I am not a dr either. Looking at what has been done to date I just don't think so. I know you have concerns because of what an ER dr said but in all honesty I would take his dx with a grain of salt. They don't see people day in & day out like a regular cardiologist does, nor do I feel an ER dr will up to date on all cardiac things. I have been under the care of cardiologist since I was 28 & I am now 62.

You said that you have already done the teaching hospital route. Where did you go & exactly what sort of tests were done & what did they tell you? How long ago was this?

You also bring up gastro issues, have you seen a gastroenterologist?

I know you are having issues with anxiety & you are super stressed over everything. I can understand why as well, but is the anxiety something new that started after all of this mess or there all along. As you know both of these things can cause horrific problems.

Just some random thoughts.

Also. I have no fever. The pain is not pleuritic . Sometimes hurts when I exhaule. Coughing, sneezing, etc does not make it worse.

I have a referral to see a GI. I am not having any lower GI issues. No constipation. 1-2 BMs a day. Look normal.

It is NOT anxiety. I have lived with anxiety my whole life. My anxiety and I are quite right. I'm well versed in my anxiety. My anxiety does not make things easy...obviously there are times I exasperates my symptoms...and I recognize that fully. But honestly, the chest pain is not anxiety. It wakes me up from sleep and is still there after taking Ativan and relaxing.

I really feel like I'm dying. The chest pain is unbearable. Just tried combing my daughters hair...chest hurts so bad. Muscular would not explain the shortness of breath.

Hey. Doctor said it could be Pericarditis. He said the results of my Stress test and Holter Monitor would not explain the chest pain. The only findings were average RHR of 61bmp and down to 44bpm at some point at night while sleeping. 1 PVC. My blood pressure is 100/76. He gave me cholcicine ...told me to take it...and if chest pain doesn't improve by Tuesday to meet him at Emerg for further testing.

None of my tests indicated CAD. But he's worried about the chest pain. He mentioned a cardiac CT but I had one in Sept when they thought this was a PE...so he doesn't want to radiate me. Spoke of a cardiac MRI but that it would most likely be negative.

Said it could be pericarditis but it's atypical because my pain isn't pleuritic and there was absolutely no evidence of inflamation in my blood.

Any ideas? I'm so scared, I can't handle it.

What do you mean you know I have anxiety and stuff so you won't go there?

I meant, that you understand the differences of anxiety and what is going on. sorry, did not know you were checked for postural drop. this is a peer forum, maybe use the $ for genetic testing, or the alike. I am sure plenty of people will tell you anything for the right price. I have fought hard an long about what is going on with me, and I am getting closer to an answer. nearly 40 yrs of waiting. it is about management of our conditions, we only speak for ourselves, and thus I always continue to be proactive, throwing money on the web, well.................putting that out to members is wrong. we won't to help-I firmly believe that members are of this vein. I get your plight, and I am glad that you are trying real hard to find answers, sometimes finding a little bit of quietness within yourself -can be of help.

I fully understand. and not in any way insulted. fear does some awful things, albeit a doc would not send ya home if you were going to drop dead. my heart tried for 2 toe tags, but I am still here. long story. complex double by-pass. try and centre yourself-I burn incense and just relax my mind. stress is the killer, not necessarily ya ticker. it is amazing what stress and anxiety can do. and it is amazing what you can do as well to help. mindfulness is a great practice. try and relax a little, you are working yourself up, that's not good. esp ya head and ticker. I hope others come on, as there are some really knowledgeable members here. keep strong. keep ya money in ya pocket.......new discoveries are always around the corner. many healing thoughts.