Pericarditis caused by Mono.. how long does it usually take to recover ?
Posted , 5 users are following.
So 2 months ago I started having crazy symptoms. Anxiety (brain fog), Panic attacks, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).. I couldn't eat and lost weight. I had body aches and pains. The whole time, doctors had NO IDEA what was wrong with me. I went to about 7-8 doctors desperate for help. One doctor even tried to give me Xanax. Finally about a month in I went to a cardiologist and they did an ECHO and noticed I had some fluid around the heart, it's called Pericarditis. He assumed this was caused by some type of vicious virus. A few weeks later he did blood work and found that I had or have (not sure if I still have it) MONO- my Epstein Barr was high. I have been taking Aleve and Colchicine (colcrys) for almost a month now. And as I was slowly being weened off of both medications, my symptoms of the Pericarditis started coming back (rapid heartbeat, heart pounding, dull chest pain, shortness of breath- all usually worse when lying down). Now my cardiologist has me back on 2 Aleve, twice a day and Colchicine Once a Day. Aside from this issue most of my crazy symptoms have gone away, I mean there are still off days where I get super tired, have crazy pressure head aches.. but that is pretty much it. There were also a few days during this that I got weird tingling in my face which was so crazy but passed thank God. So anyways, I was just wondering if anyone has ever experienced getting Pericarditis from Mono, and about how long it took them to recover from it?? I've read on some websites acute pericarditis goes away quickly so I'm just confused as to why this is so persistent. My cardio said it likes to reoccur after getting it.. but I feel like I have always been an all around healthy person. This virus really sucks! But I guess it just takes patience and for me it was a lot of praying.
P.S. Sorry this is so long ! It's been a crazy couple of months.
0 likes, 14 replies
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted
Since I had mono I've had all those symptoms too and I'm kinda freaked out now. Is it dangerous? My doc never takes me seriously when I tell him about the chest discomfort
Skippy9194 Backtome
Posted
If you have had mono, I would take your chest discomfort seriously and go straight to a good cardiologist. It may not be that, but it's always good to check ! My doctors didn't tell me to go to a cardiologist, my mom did. So we have to listen to our bodies and be our own advocates. My Pericarditis also wasn't picked up on through EKG or listening to my heart.. it was only found through ECHO. It was very slight but causes alot of discomfort.
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted
I had an EKG and chest xray last year. I'm gonna try to get referred to a cardiologist coz I've been worried about my heart since all this started but I'm only 28 so my doctor keeps saying it's reflux or anxiety. But id rather get it checked to be safe
Skippy9194 Backtome
Posted
I am young too and they told me the same crap with Anxiety and reflux. Some doctors have become so useless. Hopefully pericarditis isn't what you have, but let this be a step in ruling it out. Your heart is important, check that first and then you can go to gastro if everything looks okay. In the meantime just try to stay relaxed, positive, and patient. If you have any other questions or just need some support during this, I'm here!
Skippy9194
Posted
Oh also! My pericarditis never shows up in x-rays either bc it's so slight. When you go to cardiologist, try to push for an echocardiogram if they don't.
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted
Thank you. And to answer your original question the symptoms are probably persisting because the virus is still in your body. I'm seeing a naturopath and having acupuncture to try and kill it. Not sure what else to do at this point. I've also changed my diet (gave up all processed food) and I'm taking supplements. Seems to be helping my energy levels and IBS
Skippy9194 Backtome
Posted
Wow. Let me know how that goes. How long have you been dealing with this ?
Same here, I've been trying to eat as healthy as possible, take vitamin c, and drink this stuff called Green Vibrance (I just started that).. do you recommend any supplements ?
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted
Almost a year now 😣 I'm having more good than bad days lately though so hopefully that's a good sign.
Right now I'm just taking a pro-biotic, turmeric and omega,3,6,9 with vitamin D. That's what the naturopath recommended. I was also taking milk thistle but she told me to stop taking it.. not sure why.
Green tea is good too. I must get one. Is there any you would recommend? The one I have can make the IBS worse so I stopped drinking it.
Skippy9194 Backtome
Posted
That's great your having more good than bad days.. keep staying positive !! Hmm be careful with green tea because it can have alot of caffeine.. the drink I have is called Green vibrance by a brand called vibrant health.. it has a lot of probiotics in it and helps with general nutrition, circulation, immunity, and digestion. It has a tiny bit of caffeine but not much -( I've been trying to stay away from caffeine since it can cause heart palpitations and anxiety)..I would ask your naturopath about the drink if you're interested in it, you may not really need it if you're already taking alot of good supplements you mentioned though! Sounds like your headed on a good path, keep me posted! .. also, is I've heard tumeric is really good for inflammation, I'm wondering if I should try taking it, did the naturopath say what it's good for?
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted
I think turmeric is good for the immune system, inflammation and bones/joints 👍ya I'll look into the drink thanks
Ya I avoid caffeine too. Sometimes I have one coffee a day but I know it doesn't agree with me 🙈
Mono_too Skippy9194
Posted
Hi Skippy,
?I had heart palpations for the first six-seven months or so, had EKG and blood work, no echo. I really think doctors just don't know much about the virus
and they really need to take it seriously.
MonoJake Skippy9194
Posted
Skippy9194 MonoJake
Posted
I felt that way on/off for a few weeks in the beginning and it luckily passed. I felt crazy anxiety for no reason, and definitely couldn't think straight, I had to take a leave of absence from school. I felt so distant from myself- thought I was going insane. I was also super emotional ! 5 months sounds horrible
I'm so sorry about that. When I was dealing with that I started seeing a psychotherapist to help cope with everything. It helped a little bit. I would definitely stay on top of this. You need a good primary doctor who is going to support you and help you get better. Also cardiologist is important. I would say neurologist if your primary won't help you ? Not to scare you but just to make sure your brain is healthy maybe ?
Backtome Skippy9194
Posted