How Did You Deal With Pericarditis?

[MeganMN]

Can any of you that got Pericarditis after procedure tell me your story? What was the pain like? How long did it last? What did you take? Was it complicated by effusion? Not complicated? I am having a difficult time really finding much info. Tell me your story if you are willing. I'm hoping it will help me to hear from others because I am finding it very intense and tough to deal with.

[mjames1]

Experienced chest pain in the recovery room and the day after. Pain worse when taking a deep breath. Ep nurse prescribed a two week course of Colchicine, which is standard treatment. I overdid things and relapsed, so needed another week of Colchicine. Very important to take it easy and not overdue things until the inflammation subsides. Did not have any imaging so not sure if there was effusion.

Jim

[lwm1198]

Two days after my ablation I started having pain with deep breaths and was surprised by the intensity - called my DR on the 4th day and was prescribed colchicine which I took for two weeks with gradual improvement. Felt like an elephant sitting on my chest! I was told they used to proscribe it after all ablations. No one had mentioned the possibility to me...

[MaryCa]

I just had chest pain. Mentioned it to EP day after procedure while he was having a chat with me. Colchicine, I think for a month. I was definitely very fatigued for the first two weeks. Ablation done one year today. Nsr all the way.

[MeganMN in reply to MaryCa]

Thank you for the replies! I saw the doctor today for follow up. I had been taking Metoprolol and stopped it prior to the procedure. I didn't take any prophylactic Colchicine but am now on it for a month with ibuprofen. The doctor doesn't even want to switch up my meds for the atrial tachycardia until the Pericarditis has resolved. He has me on another three day monitor to check because he thinks the Pericarditis has made my rhythm worse. Ugh. The pain is finally asking but nighttime is still tough. I'm not sure what my options are at this point. Another ablation is off the table for now. the meds all mess me up. I may just be living with uncontrolled Atrial Tachycardia .

[MaryCa in reply to MeganMN]

Ah Megan that's a tough place to be. Could you take a rate control as a pill in pocket? Whenever needed rather than every day. My EP took me off all beta blockers because of side effects. The afib did landed for ten hours every three days, heart rate up to 200. I even went off my magnesium taurate a week before my ablation. He had triggered the usual spots when I went into afib rvr on my own, he ablated that extra, they had to cardiovert me out of it. Under general anaesthetic so I didn't know until I heard the nurses talking about it. Is there a bigger hospital you could go to with an EP who does more ablations, very high volume, usually because of the experience they get, they are better. I'm glad I didn't let my first EP do an ablation, he does as few as possible.

[MeganMN in reply to MaryCa]

Thanks for the reply. My Atrial Tachycardia occurs every night, like clockwork, at sometime between 6-8pm and stops by 8 in the morning. We talked about the PIP approach but it isn't really a PIP anymore if I have to take it every night! We tried some different meds just in the evening, but oddly, if I take some of the anti arrhythmics, it makes the tachycardia worse, unless I up the dosage, and then the side effects are unbearable. I have a tough case, I guess. I asked the EP what the end result would be if I just didn't treat it at all, but then it keeps me awake all night. He said it will either get worse or end up in afib, but until then, it isn't really a big deal. It feels terrible though, even if it isn't dangerous. And I'm not convinced it doesn't still present some danger. I have 24% burden of ectopics, which some studies have shown to predict equal stroke risk. Anyway, I digress. I'm not sure what the long term plan is going to be. I am on the waiting list for a top notch specialist in Texas and should get a consult with him in April or May, so we will see what happens with that.