Pericarditis. | Arthritis Information

Blarg. So I told my RD that I have been having chest pain, heaviness in my chest, especailly when I lie down to sleep. Now I have had chest pain from pleurisy, costo, and GERD before and chalked it up to one of these things. It comes and goes and it's not so serious that I think it's a heart attack. I mean, I have had 10 heart attacks in the last month if that is it.

Anyway, so I was emailing my RD about this itching, and mentioned that while many gastro problems have been getting better now that I am off of Aleve and Plaq, this heartburn type feeling has been getting worse.

He thinks it may be pleurisy. :( I read where that is a side effect of Humira. Right when I was dx I had all these chest issues that were not lung issues (I've never even had bronchitis) and I bet this may have been part of it.

Ugh. we'll see. Appointment is in 2 weeks, and he told me to see him before that if necessary, but he is 2 hours away. I had thought at the end of last week, hey, it's better, but I just did another Humira shot and feel it again...

I really wouldn't feel comfortable waiting. If it gets really bad, try urgent care. Pleurisy is nothing to fool around with. I get crazy costo-you can actually see the inflammation. My RD has always stressed that if it feels even slightly different, get it checked out right then and there. He is concerned that I will overlook a more serious condition...um...like pleurisy :)I have a lot of inflammation in my chest wall when my meds aren't adjusted correctly. Does it hurt when you press on your breast bones?Yes, it has for a long time. But I've had a couple of nights where my pain isn't bad unless I lie on my left side, and it was bad enough that I had to sleep on my right side. Which usually is painful because of RA but my shoulder and elbow have been doing much better on Humira, so that's good!

Yeah. It was fine the last few days, but now it's back. I'll use tonight as a gauge to decide what to do. My RD is only in the office 2 days a week, and like I said it's 2 hours away, and I'd have to go back in 2 weeks in any event to go to my endocrinologist. We'll see.

It just feels like my chest is full, but just on that side. Weird. I know pericarditis is supposed to be worse lying down (it is) and better when you lean forward (um...sort of.) It doesn't hurt more when I take a deep breath ,which was true when I had pleurisy.

KatieG2009-03-30 16:50:11And what I am most worried about is having really bad GERD, that that is the cause. My father has had to have his esophogus stretched Katie, I have this issue too. I really understand your worry, my pain does not go away. I won't go into all the hoops I have jumped through with this issue, but my advice is to add a good pulmonologist to your team and go see him for a work up asap. You may head off some problems. I see my guy every 3 months so he can monitor me. It can get serious. Much hugs to you, Katie!

I hope it get better for you soon.

Thanks everyone. RD said this is not an acute emergency, that he was willing to see me this Thursday or next, but that my April 13 appointment would be fine to address the issue. I just know that it will be gone by then and I will feel crazy, but I am over that, and will ask to have the issue fully explained and cleared up. Glad I had the chance to email, can imagine I may have backed down at the appointment if the pain wasn't ongoing.

I can see a hollow in my wrist that has been gone for over a year, or the start of it, so the Humira is working! Hands still a little achey though. And the itching hasn't stopped. Almost done with medicine to get Arava out of system, will be upset if itching is still there after that...

Hope you feel better. Chest pain is always worrisome

oh Katie..

I hope this is minor!!

best to you!

Katie, please talk with your RD about seeing a cardiologist for some baseline cardiac workup. RA individuals are prime candidates for cardiac complications and issues. It's best to have your heart checked out before a major issue crops up. Pleurisy isn't something to take lightly. It can be mild and it can be life threatening. I'd see the doctor sooner than later. LindyKatie,

I do hope you get an answer to this when you see your doctor. If it got worse you may want to go and see someone sooner. I'm sorry to hear of this. Best of luck...hiking_gal

"It is probably best for me to have a baseline cardiac workup, right?" I will make sure these words come out of my mouth at the appoitnment. I had a weird TIA like episode the summer before my RA hit, the investigation of which, because of the fact that I am young, trim, low BP and cholesterol, etc., focused on MS, not my heart. I ended up at a neurologist and an ENT doctor. When both said "don't see anything" I gave up and decided to schedule with an RD, to see if I could get back to running (needed Vioxx for then undiagnosed foot problem) and workup. That was in October 2007. All my bloodwork came back looking beautiful, despite RD suspecting MTCD based on my physical exam. 2 months later, my wrist swelled up like a balloon. Never got answers as to what happened that summer. It might have been my heart, might have been an inner ear infection (I had strep at the time). But all my bloodwork came back looking good (I went to ER the day after-dumb, right-because that was the only way to get into the neurologist quickly, so I was sort of screened for everything--although only through physical exam and bloodwork. That was the visit where the nurse took my blood, was about to put the stickers on, and asked, "you're Mary Smith, right?" Uh, no. But that's what the stickers said. So that was just a scary experience overall. And I went through the whole "is it psychosomatic" treatment. What a b**ch.)

Sorry to ramble, back to work.

Forgot to add, that my symptoms were pretty consistent with MS, but my MRI came out fine. That was the peak of my feeling like a hypochondriac, no one understood what was going on. I just gave up. Then RA hit. I was actually excited that I had a swollen wrist to show the doctor because I had been dismissed so many times, and my bloodwork (had been) fine, despite having felt awful for months. I had boughts of terrible chest pain in the past. It was followed by chostochronditis. The reason it came to mind was that you said it was worse when you were laying down. May just be more of a muscle disorder brought on by some swelling some where.

Your doctor might be right. If it is a symtom of the meds. But with RA who knows. So many things can happen. I hope it is nothing serious.