Dressler's... Hope it's gone soon

[Michelle D]

Okay, so there isn't much info out there about dressler's and I'm going to be cutting down on my prednisone tomorrow and all I can find is what seems like worst case senario stuff. Tell me that some of you have had this and it went away in a reasonable amount of time. Please. My cardiologist told me perhaps 8 weeks, but j keep reading about people that have it for months and months. This dressler's if it is what I have and not just acute pericarditis is hindering my recovery. The prednisone is keeping my blood pressure up so I don't feel like moving otherwise my whole body buzzes and my knees!!! I can barely get up from a seated position (28 years old btw). I was on 600 mg of motrin 4 times a day and that didn't work at all that's why I'm on the prednisone. The recovery from just having the surgery itself without the complications and medications was cake compared to dealing with sotalol and prednisone at the same time.

Okay I'm not here for pity, I'm done pitying myself I just need someone to tell me that they had dressler's and it only lasted a few weeks. I'd like to trust my cardiologist, she is awesome but too optimistic. The same day she told me not to worry about developing a-fib I ended up in the ICU with it. The pulmonary doctor at the hospital didn't give me much information and neither did the cardiologist at the hospital. They just told me it's inflammation take these pills and follow-up in two weeks.

I'd like to have some hope that I'll be better soon or at least by the end of the year.

 

[kfay]

Michelle, I had Dressler's after my first surgery when I was 17, which was many, many years ago. Quite honestly, I didn't even remember I had had it until I re-read my surgical report two years ago before my last surgery. I do remember having a fever and chest pain. I also remember being put on Pred. I can't remember it being something that hung on for a long time, but of course, it was a long time ago.

Just know I survived it and you will too. It will get better, just give it time.

Kim

 

[ottagal]

Hi Michelle,
Here is my experience: I ended up with post-percardiotomy inflammatory syndrome (also known as Dressler's and also told it was pericarditis) right after my discharge from hospital on day 8. I was re-admitted (had some other issues too) and was on the prednisone for 6 days in hospital. After my discharge (second time around), I can honestly say I started to feel better. So, all in all it was probably took about 3 weeks in total to get rid of this. I was told that I had a very strong inflammatory reaction to the surgery.

So, I am really hoping this is your experience too and the Dressler's is short lived!!! :wink2:

P.S. I was put on a very low dose of prednisone for that time period.

 

[pat45750]

Hi Michelle

I just wanted to say that I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. It seems you are getting so many bumps in the road. Hopefully, it will get easier for you soon. I am sorry to hear about your additional problems. I am slowly feeling better. Stoping the 1/2 atenolol in the morning has helped me not feel so dizzy. I know we are all different and I am wishing the best for you.

Pat

 

[Michelle D]

Keep them coming. I'm really really hoping it goes away especially since I don't want to spend much time on prednisone. I did some research and it seems the reason they said I have dressler's is because the pericarditis and plueral effusion. Both of them together along with my symptoms does seem to point to avocet active inflammation response and perhaps an auto-immune issue. I just hope so much that I'm not stuck with this for long, I don't like medications that can cause permanent damage. I wanted this surgery to fix me so I could move on with my life, I wanted it over with. I remember after spending weeks getting tested from everything from MS to lupus to lymes disease etc and the relief of being clear of those things thinking "I'll have surgery and then I'll be better, no more problems." I stayed quite positive during my wait, and the night of surgery I felt calm and couldn't believe I was going to be healed. It is disappointing that it has added new problems. Anyways if anyone else had dressler's and it went away in a reasonable amount of time please share. I am glad to hear there are two of you.

 

[Lynlw]

Justin had alot of problems with pericardial inflamation/fluid for his 2nd surgery 20 years ago. It went on for a long time and had the fluid tapped many times..
But if it helps since they knew he had a history of it, his other surgeries it was caught very early and so they'd put him on Motrin and steroids. They worked great and after the first set of prendisone pills when he was done taperring off them, he was fine, and it never came back.
I knew of a few people who had it after surgery, that continued to have problems, but the vast majority of them was a one time thing.

 

[Kathy McCain]

Michelle, It seems I have chronic pericarditis, from the surgery. I had all different time lines as to when it would get better. For my PERSONAL experience though, mine comes and goes. Illness can trigger it. My gallbladder surgery triggered it. I am in the MINORITY, but it does happen and there are others on the forum, I believe, with this problem. I am still on 2 1/2 mg of prednisone, and possibly will be the rest of my life. Everytime I have tried to COMPLETELY STOP taking the pred, the symptoms return. Not as acute, but it is bothersome. My cardios nurse told me when you are under stress, are ill, or have another surgery this can also make it worse. For that my dr told me to up the dose a bit, until I feel better.

Thanks Lyn for that info. My main concern on a re-do for myself is the pericarditis. Hoping the dr's handle my situation similar to your sons. It is also very encouraging to hear that his problem finally resolved itself. He certainly has been through alot for such a young man!

 

[Gemini13]

Kathy--Regarding pericarditis if you have a redo--- For my redo, they removed my pericardium altogether. I don't know how common that is, but then you won't have that problem.

 

[Lynlw]

Michelle, It seems I have chronic pericarditis, from the surgery. I had all different time lines as to when it would get better. For my PERSONAL experience though, mine comes and goes. Illness can trigger it. My gallbladder surgery triggered it. I am in the MINORITY, but it does happen and there are others on the forum, I believe, with this problem. I am still on 2 1/2 mg of prednisone, and possibly will be the rest of my life. Everytime I have tried to COMPLETELY STOP taking the pred, the symptoms return. Not as acute, but it is bothersome. My cardios nurse told me when you are under stress, are ill, or have another surgery this can also make it worse. For that my dr told me to up the dose a bit, until I feel better.

Thanks Lyn for that info. My main concern on a re-do for myself is the pericarditis. Hoping the dr's handle my situation similar to your sons. It is also very encouraging to hear that his problem finally resolved itself. He certainly has been through alot for such a young man!

Glad it helped and he had it BAD when he was a toddler, he was in and out of the hospital weekly getting it drained for 6 months. he caught RSV in the middle of it, which made it a little tougher. Even that time, by the time it was finally gone..it was GONE.
For his other surgeries, as soon as we suspected fluid was building up, since we knew his symptons well, low fever 99-100, a little more pain we would call before the instructions said to. But since they knew Justin's history they would bring him right in, do an echo and if there was fluid, start with Motrin and steroids right away, (didn't do any just motrin to see if that would help)

 

[Michelle D]

When the were just considered effusions they had me on motrin, it helped with the inflammation but not the fluid. I can tell just by taking a deep breathe that I've lost most of the plueral fluid but who knows. I'm just crossing my fingers that as I taper off the prednisone it doesn't come back. They said I don't have enough fluid worth draining. I'm hoping they'll take me off the prednisone now that the inflammation seems controlled and I can just take motrin. The prednisone has been horrible for me, my mood, acne, stomach upset, restless legs, night sweats, nightmares, anxiety, depression etc. I usually get all side effects of all meds I take. I drive my doctors crazy. I don't even read the side effects just to prove to them I'm not making them up. I have my husband read them to himself and I tell him when I have problems. After this surgery and all the medications I've tried I can say my body is very rebellious. I'm really surprised that the ruematologist only got a false positive of lymes out of me.

 

[Kathy McCain]

Michelle, I do not tolerate higher doses of pred. The dr had me go up to 60mg, when I first started taking it. I had to take xanax. It is the only way I could do it. I was still a nervous wreck. Hands shaking, insomnia. I felt like I was loosing my mind. I had to taper a little faster than what the dr prescribed. The lower dose is okay though.

You'll get through it, just hang in there. You know the old saying "this too, will pass".

Take care

 

[Michelle D]

Yes, Kathy Xanax was the only way I couldve made it through the higher doses. I'm down to 20 now and Thursday I have a cardio appt so hopefully I'll be clear of symptoms and I can go down further or off it all together. Have they tried maintaining you on NSAIDs or do they not work for you?

 

[Kathy McCain]

Yes, Kathy Xanax was the only way I couldve made it through the higher doses. I'm down to 20 now and Thursday I have a cardio appt so hopefully I'll be clear of symptoms and I can go down further or off it all together. Have they tried maintaining you on NSAIDs or do they not work for you?

Michelle, the NSAIDs were not really effective for me. They tried just about everything. Pred is the only thing that works.