Pericarditis & Pericardiectomy pt. 5

Elvina is not feeling well because of the persistent low-grade fever, shortness of breath and fast heart rate.  Physically she feels worse than before the surgery.  In the re-admission last week, the doctor explained that the shortness of breath and fast heart rate are due to the fluid overload and heart irritation during surgery; with diuretic, the symptoms should improve but we don't see much improvement so far.  So I guess the doctor wants to do a TEE to make sure the heart is in good condition.

The fever has been there since discharge 6 days ago.  We worry about pneumonia as it would have the same symptoms of shortness of breath and fever.  I guess the chest X-ray and blood test would be able to give some hints on that.

Her appetite is good one day and bad another day.  In a good day she would be able to eat half of what she normally ate before surgery.  In a bad day, she eats very little.

I just landed Hong Kong last night, leaving two moms accompanying Elvina in Rochester.  Pray everything will go fine with her.

Ken

Hey NAN and JOHN!

Sorry I have been away so long, I hope you all are doing well, I am at my fifteen month anniversary since my pericardiectomy, and its hard to believe, I had my thyroid checked again; and it continues to be monitered; and I am up to a very high dose, it surprising that so many people with constrictive pericarditis seem to have a link to thyroid problems, I am going to talk to my cardiogist about it next time I see him.  I am going to book my ticket for my follow up at the Cleveland Heart Clinic, altho; I will probably get a lashing, because I should have gone six months ago; but I am really doing well.  I have dropped even more weight....before the pericardiectomy, I was at 159pds, prior to getting sick I was 118 pds for 17 years, I am down to 135 now, so I sitll have a ways to go, but I am five foot nine, and being 44, I am not sure I would look good being that thin again, but, what a wonder it is to NOT have that swelling tummy all the time...no more arrythimia's, unless i forget my thyroid meds...or, extremely stressed, but, not ONE atrial fib since surgery......THANK GOD!

Please let me know how you all are.....this site and all of you certainly saved my life, as you all gave me the courage to go through with the surgery...we are not sure if the damage on the right ventricle from carrying the calcification has improved yet, but, I will find that out when I go to by visit to Cleveland. To anyone that needs this surgery, all I can say is "it saved my life, and my surgeons are sure I would be dead by now", had I waited much longer.  SO as scary as the surgery may sound, the answer is to get it done, AT AN EXPERIENCED CENTER ONLY...haha, I always preach that.  Anyway, let me know how everyone is, I won't be gone so long this time.....Cathy

hi i have been diagnosed with pericarditis and i to experience muscle and joint pains i am taking prednisone and percacet i just started seeing a rumatoligist and will find out more in a few weeks i have had pericarditis for a year now so i am just as confused as you and it seems docs cant answer why it is happening

mike

Aldo said...
I had about given up on determining what is currently wrong with me. My head is still reeling from a very, very strong tratment with steroids (dexamethasone). (Had some psychosis as a reaction to the steroids)

I had a heart attack and stroke 3 years ago. I have had 8 cardiac caths since then and 4 stents. 2 were placed this March.

My latest problems began in May, when I suddenly developed a severe reaction to an ACE inhibitor, that I had been taking for 3 years. I had severe respiratory difficulties and the notorious dry cough. I stopped this medicine for 4 days and got better.

I started having angina, and believe you me, I thought I knew what it was but, I went for another cardiac cath about a month ago. All looked good to my surprise.

about 3 weeks ago, I started having severe muscle and joint pains, in addition to extreme chest muscle/lung pain. Fatigue....

The doc suggested rheumatoid arthritis. Gave me steroids and antibiotics. Said RA could invade the heart and lungs or any other organ.

I just read where radiation to the heart can cause pericarditis. I have had so much radiation due to all of the caths and coronary ct scans, within this past year.

I will see my cardio next week. My BP is not under control. It was medically controlled (beta blockers and ACE) at around 125/75. It has averaged 150/96 for a week or so. I am going to increase the beta blocker today.

I am having bouts of agonizing, spasming chest muscle pain with so much pressure inside of my chest that it feels like it could explode. My lung capacity is reduced greatly at times.

My question; do the muscle aches and joint pain sound familiar to any of you?

I have seen a Rheumatoligist and he has diagnosed me with arthritis of unknown origin, until he looks at new bloodwork. My wbc count was high 2 weeks ago.

I would really appreciate any information that could shed some light on what all this means :) Sorry to be so long.

Rj

P.S.  Funny thing is, with all of this chest pain, I am not worried about another heart attack at all since I was "clear as a bell" on my last cath 1 month ago.

Mike...

Sorry to hear of your pericarditis. Your doctors are correct. If you have active acute pericarditis, you should not aggravate it. Did your blood work come out positive for current active inflammation such as elevated sedimentation rate?

When I had acute active pericarditis attack last year, my doctors could not properly diagnose the condition and I was encouraged to exercise. But I remember feeling a burn while lifting or straining last March but my doctor simply thought it was heartburn and my cardiologist even cleared me for a couple of treadmill stress tests which I passed since it was my pericardium not my actual heart that was causing the pain. In retrospect when I had the actual acute inflammation, I should NOT have exercised because I ended it up causing a tear to my pericardium. The burn I felt was either blood or abnormal fluid which was minimal enough to not be heard or seen but enough to cause damage and physical changes with my pericardium. My CT scan this year is actually clear of any fluid versus last year which revealed a minimal physiological amount. .

So you have muscle and joint pain, but can you describe your chest pain? Has your doctor already tried NSAIDS such as Motrin or Naprosyn? I am on Naprosyn 500mg twice a day which manages the pain but I still feel chest pressure and occasional pericardium rubbing burns or throbbing type pain. Energy drinks and heavy excersion which make the heart beat faster seem to trigger the pain more. I think my condition has progressed past the active stage and is now chronic so my doctors want me to try to live as normal a life as possible. They want me to maintain an active lifestyle to keep my cholesterol in check but it is a catch-22 since that also can aggravate my chronic pericarditis condition.

Pericarditis is confusing and tricky to treat. After getting many opinions from several top specialists, they do not seem to have all the answers either. And since it is not a common condition there will not be much money coming to fund research.

Cathy...

Real nice to hear from you as the board has been quiet from previous regulars. Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer.

I am currently experiencing pain but different from the type when I had the active acute attack. Mine seems to be chronic now and I live with it most of the time wheras last year it was only upon deep inspiration. I am just trying to live normally the best I can and wondering when the other shoe will drop.

I have asked several doctors regarding a link between thyroid disease and a pericardiectomy but they are not aware of one. But it just seems to be more than just a coincidence with what we have here. There just may not be enough follow up studies on this possible link yet.

Let us know what you find out.

John

hey john

my pain is very severe i have to take steroids for the inflamation and also i am taking percacet for that pain

surgery has been an option but the surgeon has backed out twice because of my age and they feel it could pass has surgery been an option for you

in the process i have gained 30 pounds on the steroids and i feel miserable

please let me know what your docs think you should do this is all quite confusing to me

thanks

mike

John99 said...

Mike...

Sorry to hear of your pericarditis. Your doctors are correct. If you have active acute pericarditis, you should not aggravate it. Did your blood work come out positive for current active inflammation such as elevated sedimentation rate?

When I had acute active pericarditis attack last year, my doctors could not properly diagnose the condition and I was encouraged to exercise. But I remember feeling a burn while lifting or straining last March but my doctor simply thought it was heartburn and my cardiologist even cleared me for a couple of treadmill stress tests which I passed since it was my pericardium not my actual heart that was causing the pain. In retrospect when I had the actual acute inflammation, I should NOT have exercised because I ended it up causing a tear to my pericardium. The burn I felt was either blood or abnormal fluid which was minimal enough to not be heard or seen but enough to cause damage and physical changes with my pericardium. My CT scan this year is actually clear of any fluid versus last year which revealed a minimal physiological amount. .

So you have muscle and joint pain, but can you describe your chest pain? Has your doctor already tried NSAIDS such as Motrin or Naprosyn? I am on Naprosyn 500mg twice a day which manages the pain but I still feel chest pressure and occasional pericardium rubbing burns or throbbing type pain. Energy drinks and heavy excersion which make the heart beat faster seem to trigger the pain more. I think my condition has progressed past the active stage and is now chronic so my doctors want me to try to live as normal a life as possible. They want me to maintain an active lifestyle to keep my cholesterol in check but it is a catch-22 since that also can aggravate my chronic pericarditis condition.

Pericarditis is confusing and tricky to treat. After getting many opinions from several top specialists, they do not seem to have all the answers either. And since it is not a common condition there will not be much money coming to fund research.

Cathy...

Real nice to hear from you as the board has been quiet from previous regulars. Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer.

I am currently experiencing pain but different from the type when I had the active acute attack. Mine seems to be chronic now and I live with it most of the time wheras last year it was only upon deep inspiration. I am just trying to live normally the best I can and wondering when the other shoe will drop.

I have asked several doctors regarding a link between thyroid disease and a pericardiectomy but they are not aware of one. But it just seems to be more than just a coincidence with what we have here. There just may not be enough follow up studies on this possible link yet.

Let us know what you find out.

John