Hi Anyone had/have Pericarditis?

lee3978

Just recently diagnosed a few weeks ago with a trip to the hospital and a few days stay. How long did it take you to get back to normal? Obstacles?
Thanks

unlikelyathlete

I did, many years ago. They put me on heavy doses of Motrin for two weeks and I also had to rest during that time (in the middle of training for my first half-marathon, I was going stir-crazy by the end!!) Normal actually took at least a month, and I was able to run the half-marathon, but I had to take baby steps and not push it for a while after. You will get back to normal, but the most important thing is to listen to your body as it recovers and not push too hard. If you do, you will end up aggravating it and needing to rest again and again. Take it slowly.

lee3978

Thank you for responding. So you didn't have to go to the hospital? I've been on ibprofun since I went in the 25th of Nov. I had 13oz of fluid removed from the lung and still have some around the heart. I just cancelled the half I had planned jan. 18th. No way I can run that. The doctor put me on colcrys for 3 months. Trying not to push hard just came out of nowhere. Still don't know where my infection came from.

unlikelyathlete

Sounds like you have had a much worse case than I did. I went to the ER for one night because I was having stabbing pain in my chest any time I tried to breathe- I had no fluid on my lungs. Did you have pericarditis and something else (the infection?) Pericarditis is just swelling of the sac around your heart-the lung fluid may be something else altogether.
Good for you for going ahead and cancelling your half. Take care of you first! No fitness or weight loss goal is as important as your heart and lungs. Good luck!

lee3978

The diagnosis is Pericarditis Effusion. The infection caused it but they don't know the cause of the viral infection. Still waiting on more tests to come back. They said it just attacked the heart with fluid and the lungs. I guess once it went around the sac of my heart it overflowed to the left lung. Yeah the stabbing pain was THE WORST. I thought I pulled a muscle for 10 days and had a little bug little did I know...

lee3978

Yeah I had an IV with morphine, antibiotics, oxygen and could barely walk the pain was so bad and couldn't breathe. Once they drained my lung I felt so much better! I still have tightness and discomfort near my left collarbone and chest. I started off at regular hospital then was transferred to a heart hospital while visiting in Phoenix.