What is Dressler's Syndrome ????

[lcwhitney]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry I have been gone so long but I have been a little distracted getting my students ready for the national We the People competiton. We spent a week in Washington D.C. The competiton was tough but we had a great time. We did not win anything but the experience was great for them, they actually got to see congress in action and compete against teams from the other 49 states. We came in 30th out of 50. Unfortunately as soon as we returned I had to be hospitalized for an elevated temp, chest pain, cough fatigue and tachycardia. My pretend cardiologist here says that I have Dressler's syndrome and that is where the pain and fever are coming from. I cannot find a reference to Dressler's syndrome in any medical text that I have looked in. Has anyone ever heard this term before? If you have I would appreciate your thoughts.


Lettitia

 

[ShezaGirlie]

One reference..

One reference..

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000166.htm

 

[lcwhitney]

Thank you, At least now I know that Dressler's syndrome is not some form of insanity. I was beginning to think that it was.

Lettitia

 

[Mark Wagner]

Dresslers Syndrome and Steroid/Coumadin

Dresslers Syndrome and Steroid/Coumadin

I was diagnosed with Dresslers Syndrome after my surgery. They fought it off by putting me on steroids, and it did the trick. Now I was told I would not have a reaction with coumadin and the steroid I was on. I'm here to tell you I did, and ended up at the hospital in the intensive care unit for 3 days, and then 2 additional days stay on top of that. Not from the Dresslers, but because my blood was so thin. I was bleeding internally, and from every hole but my eyes and ears. No joke, I'm serious. I may be just one in a million who have had reaction like that, but watch your coumadin if you are ever put on a steroid.

 

[lcwhitney]

Mark,
I don't know who told you that steroids do not affect how your coumadin works but, they were wrong. The book that I was given in the hospital aftr I had surgery and was put on coumadin says that steroids can drastically increase you clotting time and can even lead to hemorrhaging. Most anything has an effect on your clotting time. The question is always just how much of an affect.


Lettitia

 

[Mark Wagner]

re:Icwhitney

re:Icwhitney

Amazing. Wallgreens told me their was nothing to show it would cause the thinning. The emergency room, if I recall, put me on the steroids. I followed up with my cardiologist a couple of days later, but he failed to mention the steroids would bother me, but he did say I was diagnosed correctly and put me on a pattern that would increase the dosage, and then start weening me off. It sure took care of the 'dresslers', but what a way to have to do it!

 

[terry40]

Mark is right...

Mark is right...

if you ever been on steroids for any period of time you can see you bruise real easy, a lot worst then on coumadin, they only keep you on steriods for a short period, they mega dose you and then slowly ween you off, But you should be monitor very closely.

Mark, that must have been pretty scarey for you, bleeding like that, we have to watch everything, food, drink, and definately other meds now that we are on coumadin.

Shezagirlie, I have a tabers medical dictionary here at home, but I love that website you posted, thanks, I will use it again, I'm sure.

Terry40

 

[Mark Wagner]

Thanks

Thanks

Thankyou Shezagirlie for the web site. I too have added it to my favorites.

 

[dboutin]

Dressler's Syndrome

Dressler's Syndrome

I had valve replacement surgery on 7/26. Visited the emergency room three times after discharge & was diagnosed (at last) with Dressler's on 8/16. By then, I had 1200 ccs od fluid around the heart & had to have a chest tube inserted. I developed lung fluid within 24 hrs and required a second chest tube. The 2nd hospitalization lasted 9 days twice as long as the surgical admission. Now I am having severe headaches daily. . .they are incapacitating. Wondering if this is a common post Dressler's complaint - or perhaps side effect to BP medication. Also live in fear of a recurrance. Any post Dressler's comments re headaches or progosis would be appreciated.
Thank you

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I was diagnosed with Dressler's Syndrome after surgery, a term the doctors seemed to use interchangeably with Pericarditis with Effusion. I didn't have a problem with headaches afterwards. The inflamed pericarditis did come and go for quite a period of time, leading the surgeon to discuss, but not peform, a complete pericardectomy (sp?). I still experience it occasionally, usually without fluid at this point, and it goes away with non-steroidal pain medication.

 

[Guest]

dressler's syndrome

dressler's syndrome

Just today, my dr used the term in the same sentence with "pleuritis," both terms being suggested as better terms than "pleurisy" for what's ailing me. I was told to take ibuprofen for the pain (it's working) and prednisone for a short time. My valve replacement surgery (the culprit) was 6 weeks ago and this is the third time I've had an episode of this type of pain (hurts to inhale). The first two times it was treated with ibuprofen only and then it ceased.