Have Pleural-pericarditis. How Long Should I Take Motrin Plus Colchicine?
Thanks for posting your query.
pleuro pericarditis is a serious disease and it's cause may ascertained whenever possible. Putative causes include post-cardiac bypass surgeries, viral infections, uremia, SLE, Tuberculosis, malignancies, and connective tissue disorders.
Of these viral cause is mostly self limiting, all others need treatment.
Blind treatment with Motrin plus and colchicine is okay only till you get final diagnosis. Please get a physical examination by an apt physician. Get CBC, RFT, Chest Xray, ECHO, RA Factor, XXXXXXX dsDNA, ENA, cANCA, pANCA and an ultrasound of abdomen in the required work up.
Then possibly we would be able to diagnose the problem more perfectly and institute the treatment.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have any follow up queries or doubts, you can forward them for me, and I shall be glad to help you.
Please accept my answer in case you do not have further queries.
Wishing you good health.
The xray/chest ct showed pleural effusion, atelectasis, and reduced lung volume.
My lungs have been clear throughout and it has seemed that asthma was not a factor in this illness.
The illness came in two "waves", first two and one half months ago, during which I was hospitalized and given motrin. I did well. About 10 days after being in the hospital, it all came back, seemingly worse. My symptoms were chest and shoulder pain, sinus tachycardia, shortness of breath, and extreme elevations in crp and sed rate. Then I was treated with two separtate "bursts" of prednisone, one week each. I felt better during the prednisone, but each time got sick again after it stopped, with fatigue, shortness of breath, pain in my chest.
I then went on motrin, at my request, because it seemed to work in the hospital. I also asked to be put on colchicine, which I read about on the Cleveland Clinic website. I have been on these medicationc now for 5 days, and believe they are helping. The colchicine perscription is for 15 days. So, my breathing has been good the last 5 days and I am much less short of breath on this medication. I will see the doctors in February 2013.
They have seemed not to have a plan for followup or monitoring me, other than seeing me in 3 months. I don't feel yet that I am on a secure path to recovery and have only felt better for 5 days.
I need some help/reassurance/information around the viral pericarditis.
When should I stop the medication? How will I know when I am better? Should I call in 10 days and ask for the colchicine to be continued? Should the inflammatory markers be re-measured (last measure was crp>300, d-dimer>4000, esr also high)--the doctors don't feel that is necessary. Will the pleural/pericardial effusions go away? One doctor told me they would not, and I don't understand why not--I did not have them before. I just don't understand what might lie ahead! The pulmonologist said that my lung functioning is down 20%, in a restrictive pattern. Will this improve? He said he had no idea.
I am 71. I am not retired. I work. Before all this (two and one half months ago) I was very active, and did my half-hour of vigorous exercise at the gym every day. Sine this started it has been difficult for me to walk because of pain/shortness of breath, but over the past five days, on motrin and colchicine, I am improved.
I want to do all I can to be healthy again! I am not ready to throw in the towel on old age yet! I'm lively! I love my work! I love to travel! Please help! Otherwise I am healthy.
Welcome back to Healthcare Magic Physician's Desk!
Your follow up query has certainly reached me but I was a bit busy.
It is good that the tests are suggestive of a viral etiology and no serious diagnosis is on board. One thing is intriguing, Why should your lung function be down and why should you have restrictive pattern. It can be an Interstitial Lung Disease.
You should get an HRCT Chest as well.
Viral pericarditis is not a chronic disease, the effusion lately dies out with time.
The colchicine is not a good indication for your problem and should be avoided at your age if there is no hard indication.
I would like you to be on Prednisolone and Motrin till your ECHO suggests free of pericardial effusion.
Wish you a great health!