Discussion
Has anyone else had experience with this? If, so I'd be grateful for your experience.
Back at the end of May I woke up with crushing chest pain that just got worse and worse until I could hardly breath and broke out in a cold sweat. Blue-lighted to hospital with a suspected heart-attack and spent a few days in the cardiac care unit, during which it was discovered that I actually had contracted pericarditis, a viral infection of the heart lining. I was sent home after a week of monitoring with anti-inflammatories and pain killers and strict instructions to take it very easy physically for 6 weeks.
Mid July, I had my follow-up outpatient appt just before going back to work where they gave me a full bill of health but warned that a relapse may be possible. So I'm back to work but feeling very lacking in energy and quite easily out of breath, which I put down to just being especially out of shape after doing nothing for so long.
First week in August and the tight chest and pain on breathing returned, only not as bad as before, so got an ECG done at the GP surgery and back on the anti-inflammatories and pain-killers. I continued these for a month and then tailed them off when the symptoms disappeared.
Now it's returning again
. All of this time I've been unable to do much at all without getting very out of breath. I'm assured by my GP that this is due to the lack of exercise and being no stranger to a cream bun 
but I can't help being a bit concerned. The internet is a dangerous thing but I've read blog posts from people who used to be pretty fit who are now essentially crippled after chronic pericarditis. Apparently the pericardium can become hardened with scar tissue after repeated infection and can constrict the heart, hence the original instruction not to do any exercise during the initial recovery, as this will exercerbate the inflammation.
I'm obviously going to get medical help and plan to stay on the AIs for a good while but would appreciate input from PHers with similar experiences.
Back at the end of May I woke up with crushing chest pain that just got worse and worse until I could hardly breath and broke out in a cold sweat. Blue-lighted to hospital with a suspected heart-attack and spent a few days in the cardiac care unit, during which it was discovered that I actually had contracted pericarditis, a viral infection of the heart lining. I was sent home after a week of monitoring with anti-inflammatories and pain killers and strict instructions to take it very easy physically for 6 weeks.
Mid July, I had my follow-up outpatient appt just before going back to work where they gave me a full bill of health but warned that a relapse may be possible. So I'm back to work but feeling very lacking in energy and quite easily out of breath, which I put down to just being especially out of shape after doing nothing for so long.
First week in August and the tight chest and pain on breathing returned, only not as bad as before, so got an ECG done at the GP surgery and back on the anti-inflammatories and pain-killers. I continued these for a month and then tailed them off when the symptoms disappeared.
Now it's returning again
. All of this time I've been unable to do much at all without getting very out of breath. I'm assured by my GP that this is due to the lack of exercise and being no stranger to a cream bun but I can't help being a bit concerned. The internet is a dangerous thing but I've read blog posts from people who used to be pretty fit who are now essentially crippled after chronic pericarditis. Apparently the pericardium can become hardened with scar tissue after repeated infection and can constrict the heart, hence the original instruction not to do any exercise during the initial recovery, as this will exercerbate the inflammation.I'm obviously going to get medical help and plan to stay on the AIs for a good while but would appreciate input from PHers with similar experiences.
i had this and it took me 6 months to get over it. Basically i had to not work. Gentle exercise, eat properly, take your vitamins. You will feel exhausted, i did. I was told it takes longer to recover from this than a heart attack. If your overweight you need to have a controlled diet etc, etc. The more weight you carry the longer it takes and i was normal weight. Good luck.
Geoff Stilwell said:
i had this and it took me 6 months to get over it. Basically i had to not work. Gentle exercise, eat properly, take your vitamins. You will feel exhausted, i did. I was told it takes longer to recover from this than a heart attack. If your overweight you need to have a controlled diet etc, etc. The more weight you carry the longer it takes and i was normal weight. Good luck.
Geoff, thanks for that, I was getting a bit concerned about how long it was taking. I'm a bit heavy at the moment, partly due to the enforced rest but I'm gradually getting back to normal weight. I'm back at work but I do a desk job anyway these days, so not physically demanding. Hopefully I've seen tha last of this but you never know.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff