Pericarditis

[Jorji]

Hi. Just been diagnosed with the above after a very scary episode and astay in hospital, but feel a bit lost. Don't know what caused it and wont know for 6 months whether there is any damage to the heart. I find myself hyperventilating now. Thank goodness for the old pregnancy breathing exercises!

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Sorry you’ve been through such a worrying episode, Jorji.

I have also had one stay they named as pericarditis, with v bad pain, hurt on breathing, and slightly better sitting leaning forward.I hope yours wasn’t like that? Horrid. Very anxiety-making. I went on new meds, and got better over a few weeks, but the diagnosis was withdrawn later.

I was pretty much in the dark (perhaps the Drs were too?), but the original diagnosis was made from an echo, showing some inflammation on one side. Why the diagnosis was changed, I don’t know. Sorry, nothing definite. But just thought I’d message in case you were in the same uncertainty.

You do get through it.

Do you want some wise words I was given? If no, don’t read on!

Try and keep calm (I was told) because if you don’t, it only makes exactly the same experience very much harder work.

[Mezle in reply to Kristin1812]

Hope you start to feel better soon Jorghi!

Listen to your body. You know it better than anyone else!

Kristin I too was diagnosed with Pericarditis after hospital admission & echocardiogram 10 weeks ago was treated with drugs. Then 2 weeks ago with symptoms worsening different cardiologist now says it’s not that & having various tests to find exactly what is is. What did yours end up being, did you get a diagnosis & have you recovered? I hope you have too!

[Kristin1812 Heart Star in reply to Mezle]

Hi Mezle. I do hope they get somewhere soon, with your problem. It sounds pretty hard. I find things much worse just not knowing.

You ask where my diagnosis ended up. It got forgotten!! My heart issues are now pretty straightforward. I’d already had lots of stents and 3 heart attack and now I’m settled into a much better life, after lots of meds juggling. I pace things better, exercise regularly, and travel less. One thought it was inflammation from all the ‘messing about with my heart’.

Another told me that my inflammation didn’t reach the extent necessary to be given that diagnosis.

Do let us know how you get on.

[Jorji in reply to Mezle]

Thankyou mezle

[Jorji in reply to Kristin1812]

Thankyou kristen