Pericardial Inflammation Question

[Kathy McCain]

Got discharged today but anxiety remains.

What is the difference between pericardial inflammation and pericarditis?

Is Colchine a drug that works to help the inflammation?

 

[Susan BAV]

I'm sorry that I don't have any information for you, Kathy. But I'm glad you are out of the hospital. Maybe there aren't any members online this evening who have any experience with this situation so please don't hesitate to bump this thread up to the top of the roster with another post tomorrow. Hope you are feeling better. Be sure and read the sweet thread that your husband wrote for you before your rehospitalization. Take care. It will get better.

Edit - I found this online and hope it is helpful. I think the med may actually be called colchicine?
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/ccjm/may2007/saltzman.htm

I also found this link: http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/pericarditis/a/pericarditis.htm and it said that, "Chronic pericarditis occurs when the pericardial inflammation does not resolve within a few weeks," and much more, and I hope you find the information helpful.

Hope you feel better soon. I'm sure there are some other members here who, from personal experience, will have some words of encouragement for you soon.

 

[CHDDoug]

Sounds like they are the same thing...

Sounds like they are the same thing...

I just did a little research on it and it appears that they are the same thing. Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium...sac around the heart. If you research it, one of the causes of pericarditis is surgery. In fact, I developed a 'rub' on my 2nd day of post-op...caused by this swelling. They put me on a steroid (prednisone) to help reduce the swelling and the 'rub' has since gone away. Not sure if this helps at all, but maybe a little.

Here's the info that I pulled from the internet...

Pericardium and Pericarditis

What is the pericardium?
The pericardium (pair"e-KAR'de-um) is the thin sac (membrane) that surrounds the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels.

What is pericarditis?

Pericarditis (pair"e-kar-DI'tis) is inflammation of the pericardium. The pericardium has an inner and outer layer with a small amount of lubricating fluid between them. When the pericardium becomes inflamed, the amount of fluid between the two layers increases. This squeezes the heart and restricts its action.

Who gets pericarditis and what does it feel like?

This problem occurs most often in men ages 20 to 50. Chest pain is common, especially pain behind the breastbone. Sometimes this pain spreads to the neck and left shoulder. Pain from pericarditis is different from angina (AN'jih-nah or an-JI'nah). (Angina is chest pain or discomfort due to reduced blood supply to the heart muscle.) Angina feels like pressure, but pericarditis usually is a sharp, piercing pain over the center or left side of the chest. Often this pain gets worse if the person takes a deep breath. Less often the pain is dull. A fever is also common. Often people with pericarditis report feeling sick. Some have pain when they swallow.

What causes pericarditis?

In most cases, why pericarditis occurs is unknown. However, it can result from one or more of these:

a viral, bacterial or fungal infection
heart attack
cancer spreading from a nearby tumor in the lung, breast or the blood
radiation treatment
injury or surgery
Sometimes it accompanies rheumatoid arthritis, lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) (e-rith"eh-mah-TO'sus) and kidney failure.

How is pericarditis treated?

Analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs are given to relieve pain. Antibiotics are also prescribed if the pericarditis is due to a bacterial infection. If excess fluid is seriously affecting the heart's action, a needle may be used to draw it off. In some cases surgery may be required.

 

[Karlynn]

Just wanted to say that I'm glad to see they paroled you. I wish you a smooth recovery from here on out!

 

[netmiff]

Hi Kathy - good to see you posting ! Take it easy, for now your job is just to rest and get better as soon as possible.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

My doctor uses the terms interchangeably. He also used Dressler's Syndrome in the beginning for the same thing. You can have pericarditis with or without fluid buildup. Since you had the window, you probably won't have fluid buildup, which can be more dangerous, but your pericarditis can still be inflamed. Generally, they diagnose it based on the symptoms, although there might be a "rub" or an abnormal EKG (only 50% of people). If you are like most people, give it time and it will go away. I found that Mobic works best when the pain is strong and Aleve works well when it's more moderate. I took Vicodin the first time I had it along with Prednisone, but Mobic works better and faster.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Forgot to answer you last question. I've heard something about Colchicine, a drug that is normally used for gout, but it has more recently been used as a treatment for pericarditis. I talked to my doctor about it last summer, but he hadn't read much on its uses for pericarditis. I didn't press it since Mobic works for me.

 

[WayneGM]

After my pericardial tamponade was resolved, I was prescribed Colchicine as a preventative measure. It is a medicine originally developed for gout but apparently can be used to prevent pericardial inflamation. I was prescribed it since I was obviously one of those susceptable to post-op inflamation which is known to reoccur. The Cardiologist only had me take it for 16 weeks after the pericardial tamponade espisode. To be honest, I was glad to be off of it as there is an unpleasant side effect..."the runs" if you know what I mean.