I feel like crap! Pericardial Effusion??

[slakjaw]

on the 7th of this month, out of nowhere I felt like I was being stabbed in the chest. it was so painful it had me on my knees. Thought maybe I was having a heart attack.. A coworker took me to the hospital, they ran some tests and said they didn't think it was a heart attack and to go talk to my family doctor. My family doctor sent me to a a dude who did an echo-cardiogram thing. I got a call from his nurse on Monday of this week. She said the doctor says your heart beat looked "mostly normal" but you have some fluid around your heart and to take 600mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours for the next 30 days.

Anyone here ever had Pericardial Effusion before? What was it like?

I don't get it. I am taking the ibuprofen as directed but my chest still feels tight and I am dizzy/lightheaded almost all the damn time.

[bpu699]

Research Pericarditis. Are you in Canada?

Often you see a cardiologist and get a workup for inflammatory cause/infections/etc...

Good luck!

[recycled sixtie]

If it was me I would get a second opinion. If you are in that much discomfort I would not wait and be apprehensive. I am not a med professional. Go to the emergency of your hospital if you are uncomfortable. The squeaky wheel gets the grease......

[dtw]

For a while I was on 800 mg 2x/day. You will want to take care to follow all the instructions when you are taking that high of a dosage. It do some serious damage to the lining of your stomach.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Rikao4]

BP & pulse ...?
don't muck around with this..

Rika

[Iciclehead]

Originally Posted by bpu699

Research Pericarditis. Are you in Canada?

Often you see a cardiologist and get a workup for inflammatory cause/infections/etc...

Good luck!

No, Slakjaw is definitely not in Canada judging from recent comments in Parf. However, I agree with the sentiment....get your butt to a doctor and find out what is going on as to what is the cause.

Had a friend die of some sort of viral infection a few years back that did nasty things to his heart. As much as Slak and I do not agree, he is much too young for this kind of illness...

Dennis

[slakjaw]

Dude, we don't even disagree on very much. Lol I just like to start crap on parf. It's entertaining and funny to me.

I'm in Minnesota. It's almost Canada. But even more like a small Eastern Europian country.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by bpu699

Research Pericarditis.
Often you see a cardiologist and get a workup for inflammatory cause/infections/etc...

This. Now.
Your symptoms sound similar to what I experienced in my early 20's after a botched wisdom teeth extraction and subsequent abscess.

Continue taking your entire prescription of antibiotics, even after you feel completely 'normal' again.

[bivenator]

Just talked to my doc here at work. The ibuprofen could be appropriate but if no improvement or a worsening occurs then a steroid like prednisone would be the likely choice of treatment. As rika said, don't muck about with it. Good luck.

[slakjaw]

Originally Posted by bivenator

Just talked to my doc here at work. The ibuprofen could be appropriate but if no improvement or a worsening occurs then a steroid like prednisone would be the likely choice of treatment. As rika said, don't muck about with it. Good luck.

Thank you! Was super cool of you to do that man.

[jmaxwell]

About the Ibuprofen - My doc prescribed Duexis for pain, which is 800mg IBU and 26.6 mg famotidine (pepcid), which will combat the IBU's effect on your stomach lining. Of course, it wasnt in the formulary for my insurance company, so after biting the bullet for the first month, I (with my doctor's blessing) switched to 800 mg IBU prescription and over the counter generic famotidene. Seems to work just as well, and I havent noticed stomach problems. Just a thought if you continue with the IBU.

[john70t]

Pericardial Effusion: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
"Large, serious pericardial effusions may cause symptoms including:
Shortness of breath
Palpitations (sensation that the heart is pounding or beating fast)
Light-headedness or passing out
Cool, clammy skin
A pericardial effusion causing these symptoms is a medical emergency and may be life-threatening."

Your engine is 'a knocking loudly, big guy.
Go to a **** doc and buy some oil.

[Rikao4]

don't pull a Targa..
he did go..
but we had to beat him first..
Slak..this can get serious fast..

Rika

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

Drive a couple of hours south and get in at Mayo. One thing for sure, they won't let you leave without knowing what's going on.

edit: Go in through the ER at St Marys if you can't get an appointment. They will see you and they will figure it out.

This, except have someone drive you there. Pedicardium is the sack your heart sits in, if it gets fluid in it, that is a pericardial effusion. You sort of need to have a functioning heart, unless you are Dick Cheney.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by slakjaw

Lol I just like to start crap on parf. It's entertaining and funny to me.

When I saw the OP was slakjaw, I looked up Pericardial Effusion in my Funk and Wagnalls, assuming it was some code word for PARF Troller.

That is nothing be taken lightly, do take care....