Hi everyone, Does anyone know of any chronic Myocarditis or Pericarditis sufferers that have made a full recovery i.e. been symptom free for a lengthy period of time while being able to exert themselves when exercising? I know that there have been many acute sufferers that have made a full recovery from this therefore do not include them in this question.
Thanks
2 years ago I had myocarditis for 7 months and I’ve made a full recovery - hope this helps
The_bear,
Thanks for sharing this. What medication were you put on and was there anything else you did to help yourself recover aside from the medication?
Only NSAIDs - honestly it was just a waiting game. Once I’d had the cardiac stress test and they confirmed I wasn’t in any danger if I started to be active, I worked up very slowly - the first day was 5 deadlifts with a broom handle and that was it (to give you an idea) and plenty of sleep.
The stress test helped me because the pain was frightening (even though it was very slowly going, each time I did anything it jumped up again and i was waiting for it to lower again) & I needed to know I wasn’t risking a heart attack (because obviously the first advice is don’t do anything at all whilst it’s inflamed)
I have recurrent (chronic) pericarditis with complications - lingering pericardial effusion and some scarring and thickening. I went from around 2005 to 2019 without any recurrence, was quite active and had no problems at all until late March 2019.
I'm much better now and am slowly rebuilding my fitness - I haven't had chest pain or breathlessness in weeks and anticipate 'full recovery' to be achieved by the end of September or middle of October at the latest as long as I'm careful to maintain the efforts that kept me acute-free for so many years.
Sunnie2day,
Thanks for your reply. That was an incredibly long time you had no symptoms for. What medication were you put on and was there anything else you did to help yourself recover aside from the medication? The reason I ask both of you this is because I've had mines since December 2016 but not recovered yet and been trying lots of different things. I hope you fully recover again and it stays away for good this time. I hope The_Bear's is away for good too.
The first acute episode went undiagnosed so wasn't treated until two years later I was on an ER (I was in the USA at the time, I'm back in Britain now since 2010) table with a tube being inserted by a large group of extremely worried ER medics (emergency pericardiocentesis and trust me it's not an experience I ever want to repeat!).
Treatment consisted of antibiotics (fluid showed bacteria) to clear the infection, then follow-up diuretics to encourage the residual effusion to drain off naturally. Once it became clear (from another two episodes of relapsing pericarditis) the condition was chronic (called recurrent here in the UK) they did try me on colchicine but I didn't tolerate it well at all (name the horrible side effect and I demonstrated it!) so they put me on aspirin and of all things, pseudoephedrine to act as anti-inflammatory and diuretic.
Two reasons they did that - one, prescription meds are horrifically expensive in the US and although I had excellent insurance, it wasn't excellent enough to cover the meds costs. And two, the 'cheap' over-the-counter meds worked better in my case than the eye-wateringly expensive prescription meds.
As long as I took the maintenance dose (300mg aspirin, 60mg pseudoephedrine, once a day - DO NOT TRY THIS WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR MEDICAL TEAM - what works for me might be disastrous for you!) and had prophylactic antibiotics before anything more invasive than a simple filling, I was fine. My recent acute episode (March, am now in recovery mode) was down to having root canal treatment without prophylactic antibiotics - something my dentist is quite remorseful about now, and has written the order for a full course (amoxicillian 500mg three times a day before invasive procedures) after consulting with my cardiologist.
Now all I take every morning is a 300mg tab of aspirin, and a 1.25mg beta blocker - the UK medics are still trying to decide if I should/can go back on the pseudoephedrine maintenance dose (not sure it my daily Bisoprolol will be interfered with).
I also walk every morning and afternoon (woot, I'm built back up to 2 miles!), use free weights, resistance bands, and a 'half-bike' pedal thingie - itching to get back on the rowing machine but that's a ways down the path yet.
I avoid mould, high heat and humidity (no jacuzzi or saunas, or even 'long hot showers' for me, and no lying out in the sun poolside on holiday, either, darnit!), I restrict my salt intake to no more than 4g per day, and I remain alert to the first signs of recurrence (achy feeling in centre of left breast that if ignored radiates up to my shoulder and down my left arm). I listen to my body - if I'm unusually tired and slightly breathless for no reason (or cross, I notice I'm unusually cross when the pericarditis is trying to rear its pointed little head), I'm straight to the GP for a check.
Hi, I had myocarditis and pericarditis back in October 2017. Im taking Bisoprolol and Amlodipine. I try to eat healthily and Im attending cardio rehab. Things are definitely improving but how long until fully recovered I just don’t know. I have a notion that I will never be 100% but that 80% of my previous good health will be my new 100% and Im working towards accepting this. If that makes sense?! I feel Im 80% now towards that new 100% (so 80% of 80%)!!!
I hope you are steadily improving.
Hi, I have chronic pericarditis but have had no let up for 12 months.
However I can only take colchicine once per day due to the effects on my liver and kidneys. My cardiologist, rheumatologist, GP and Nephrologist are all saying they do not think I will make a full recovery as it is idiopathic.
I understand if they find a cause often with the right treatment for the underlying cause it can be controlled better.
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Went to private hospital 
