I’ve taken all of your advice about swollen legs and amlodipine, spoke to my Dr’s surgery and my Gp wants to see me face to face. I hope he can change my meds or water meds, then I won’t have to cut my jeans at the bottom as they’ve become to tight !!!!
Not sure the world is ready for me in my shorts just yet 😂
Good on you for getting an appointment, and very good on yer for having a sense of humour about something so horrid as worrying you're going to need to cut your jeans - the swelling must be far worse than you've let on in other posts! Do you have open hem joggers, or wide leg pyjama bottoms? Wait - summer heat on the way, do you have any dresses you could wear?
It's not funny, really, when the trouser legs go tight at the ankles. When I'm in an acute pericarditis flare I retain fluid badly enough that my jeans become quite uncomfortable - waist, thighs, calves, and yes, ankles all swell so badly I can't even think about wearing my regular jeans or any trousers - I have a whole wardrobe for acute flares, sad to say.
How soon do you see the GP?
It’s so nice in the best possible way to talk to someone who really knows what it feels like, i can sort of feel the water sloshing about in my feet when I walk, as for ankles...... what ankles !!!!!!
I do have joggers with a zip at the bottom that I leave half open, but not something I can wear for work, even though I have had to cut back on work since having this condition.
A dress would be lovely but need to go shopping for something suitable, it’s either posh pencil dresses for weddings or jeans for digging the garden 🤭🤭
My appointment is Friday afternoon.
How are you now, are you feeling ok at the moment ?
I am a little embarrassed to say I feel better than I have in years (I credit it to the Bisoprolol plus the occasional GTN spray for the 'angina with normal coronaries'). My flare is finally gone completely as well - so now it's just waiting for the pandemic to be over so I can be investigated for microvascular angina but I'm doing so well I don't think I'm anywhere near the top of the appointment priority list.
I sew but ooooh, the thought of needing to go shopping is wonderful - do you have a flexible tape measure to measure the important parts? If yes, shopping online for clothing is easy if you stick to shops you know. Measure yourself at your most swollen, add a few extra inches/cm to ensure wearing ease. Once you know those you can use the shop 'know your fit' or 'size guide' - find your most swollen measurement and buy away to build a wardrobe for those swollen days. It would be lovely if you never need those outfits again but it's good to have some classics (work and evening+'lounging') tucked up in case.
Bonus - wide leg trousers for workdays are on-trend now and the choices are quite good!
There was an English female footballer from the National team who had pericarditis. I’m sorry I do not remember her name but she has returned to the team. I wonder if there is anything in her treatment that could be learned and that would assist you in anyway. Yours hopefully Nick
Hiya, Nick! I've had recurrent pericarditis since the late 1990s after a Dengue Fever Stage2 case. Hopefully the lady footballer won't go on to develop recurrent pericarditis - it really is life-changing and like everything else, most patients are different in how they respond to treatment and few medics in the UK have seen a case of pericarditis that progresses to the point of causing the patient to seek medical attention. There are medicines for it but I can't tolerate those so I just have to soldier through.
If her case was 'bad enough' it's possible her medics took notes and have now added to the 'textbook' on it but again, it's such a rare condition any new info might moulder away quietly without being of special interest to most GPs and cardiologists.
i thought so but worth a try....
bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51....
Thank-you for the link - the only sport I follow is F1 so I completely missed her story. Blimey, football is rough - ankles, knees, leg injuries, she's been through the wars and now she's had pericarditis!
The way she described it as causing her to feel emotionless and without the energy to do so much as get off the sofa is such a good description of what an active case of the condition causes. The only difference between pericarditis and an acute flare of recurrent pericarditis is the acute flares in recurrent pericarditis don't always cause fever so it's doubly hard for a medic to recognise.
She doesn't say if she was seen by a pericardial specialist but I hope she was - it takes that specialised medical attention only a pericardial specialist can provide to ensure a case of pericarditis doesn't progress to 'relapsing' or recurrent pericarditis.
There are only a few of these specialists in the UK but as cases increase (there has been an uptick beginning around 2012 or so) it is hoped more cardiologists and cardio-thoracic specialists train to become pericardial specialists.
The condition can be life-threatening (if the inflammation causes the pericardium to retain so much fluid it squeezes the heart - 'cardiac tamponade' can kill and no amount of defib can bring you back). I wear a MedicAlert bracelet so First Responders know if I'm collapsed in the street it's more likely to be cardiac tamponade than a heart attack.
WOW i never knew about that!wish you a safe and steady life.i wonder and hope that symptoms will be noticed long before an attack....i think an echo would show recurring problems and if finances permit perhaps if this is correct it would be worth privately checking on a regular basis.sometimes there are "blood test indicators" which may or may not work .great as the nhs is it never attempts to claim it provides the highest level of care -it would be unaffordable to the country....
I have annual echos now to monitor the residual pericardial effusion plus I have, after 20+years, an awareness of when it's starting up again. But most importantly, I know how to avoid triggering an acute flare in the first place; I went years without a flare thanks to avoiding mould-heat-humidity, for example. Hoping to go several more years without a flare now this latest one is over, it knocked me for six and there were a few scary moments there when the angina made its unwelcome presence known smack in the middle of the flare.
But I'm fine now, back on track and regaining fitness
Good to hear Sunnie
i understand thats what im trying to do with my hf-do everything possible to avoid a reoccurence...i wish you the very best
Hi Fluffybee, I had swollen ankles whilst taking amlodipine 10mg I spoke to a doctor at my surgery and she changed me onto indapamide 2.5mg and my BP is as good if not better, no swollen ankles (pee a bit more often) got to have a blood test next week to check potassium levels but generally seem good
Hi Bassman65
I hope you don’t mind but I looked back at your posts and see you’ve been through a lot, physically and emotionally, it looks like it was a year ago and just wanted to know how you are now ?
It’s horrible to feel so down, when I was diagnosed with this my Dad was diagnosed with dementia and eventually didn’t know who I was, my step mum died about 4 weeks ago, my actual mum died when I was 14 she was aged 42 from heart disease but things have changed so much they’re not sure how accurate the post Mortem was, also her mum died around the same age which was also heart related again around the same age.
I’ve had another diagnosis which I’m still coming to terms with and now this heart problem on top. What a year !!!!
But little things make me happy and I appreciate, like my dog giving me cuddles first thing in the morning, just us two.
Right I’ve finished now, if you haven’t lost interest and moved on 👀😳😳
Hi fluffybee, it sounds like you are having a tough time also, I have to say I sought bereavement counselling and it was ,for me, brilliant and it’s coming up for 2.5 years since it all started for me and for the last six to twelve months things have been pretty steady without much issues apart from the feet, which I think are in now...hopefully you can get your ankles sorted and start to find a balance in your own life
Bassman 65
Good that you are having blood test for potassium levels. I was put on Indapamide but not told I would need regular blood tests for this. A few months down the line ended up in A&E with Afb episode, blood test showed low levels and had to stay in for a couple of days to be monitored and take potassium tablets. So no more Indapamide. Still have blood test every 6months or so which checks for most things, potassium, iron, sugar, cholesterol etc etc . Cheaper than me cluttering up a bed in ICU/ACU.
Brilliant, pleased it’s all worked out well for you, I’ve fairly recently started these meds and the others about February so getting to know what’s what.
It will be nice to see my ankles again 🤭 I’m sure it’s just tweaking the meds to get things right.
I have a very good Gp and consultant cardiologist so I’m very lucky.
Sorry the above message was for Bassman 🙄
I think its the amolodapine as I'm not on beta blockers as they make the spasms worse I was told
Yes I think it is to, my legs etc had o my got even worse since the increase of the amlodipine
Hi Fluffybee, I also was on Amlodipine around 5 years ago when had very high blood pressure and experienced severe problems with swelling of feet and legs. I also could only walk around 15/20 steps and my calf muscles would lock up so I could no longer walk. Continually had to stop and wait for the muscles to relax so could carry on. After 3 months went back to GP who requested that I persist with them but after trying for 6 months to see if would improve, I had had enough and went back to GP again and was changed on to Ramipril which has been so much better, I got my ankles back again and could walk better. Only recently my Mum had been having problems with the swelling too and when checked she had also been put on Amlodipine so told her to speak to GP and get it changed which she did and two weeks ago started on Lercanidipine and she is also much better. Know of many people that have had the same problems on Amlodipine. I researched this when I was having problems and whilst some people are ok on it many are not. So like most drugs it’s try and see if works for you or not. Both myself 60 now, had MI and 4 stents fitted PPCI In 2017 and subsequent Heart Failure so on all the normal heart meds, still have various problems particularly breathlessness From HF (also have asthma) on even slight exertion but have learnt to adapt. Mum had her first Heart Attack when 45, (didn’t have stents then) had TIAs and second heart attack when 87 at that time tried to fit stent but arteries too small and could not insert. However at 88 another Cardiologist believed he could fit a stent and on this occasion was successful. Mum just had her 89th Birthday and still battling on. So she is my inspiration. Hope this long story helps. Good luck getting sorted out and hope you feel better.
Your mums an inspiration, Thankyou for sharing
Good luck with it. Do let us know what your GP suggests for you. Isn’t this site wonderful? You learn so much from other people. I am still suffering from some of the after effects of the amlodipine. My 2 fingers have not gone down much but my ankles are better than they were but not right. However those dreadful aches are still sort of there but not nearly as bad. On my second week on Lercanidipine and the GP wants me to take it for 3 1/2 weeks before reviewing the situation.
My comments were meant for you Fluffybee. As I said good luck. It is ridiculous that you have been kept on amlodipine for so long when it is having these well known side effects. What is your doc thinking of!!!
Ob fluffybee i really feel for you as I'm still struggling to get horrible amlodipine out my system. My ankles look beautiful again 🤣 but i am still itchy in places and wearing clothes doesn't help! Ever see someone cooking in large t shirt and knickers? That's me hahaha
Best wishes For a speedy recovery !
That makes two of us, I’ve got some really long comfy T-shirt’s but don’t like to bend over to much as my son still lives with at home and that will scar him for life 😂😂
But know what you mean, it’s lovely to get everything off your legs and let them swell freely even though it’s still uncomfortable.
Appointment got Aortic valve and artery replacement arrived
Got my appointment 
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Cardiologist appointment 
