Suggest Treatment For Fatigue And Pain Caused By Pericarditis

Posted on Thu, 21 Jan 2016

Question: Hello,

My husband was diagnosed with pericarditis on December 7th and is receiving treatment which includes anti-inflammatories (Colchicine once a day) as well as 600mgs of Ibuprofen, 3 times a day. The initial symptoms, extreme pain, etc., have subsided but he's complaining about being tired as well. Is that a normal symptom/side effect of the pericarditis? Thank you, for your time and assistance. P.H.S.

Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Following advice...

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.

First of all tiredness and fatigue are a common finding in patients with pericarditis and as a such you shouldn't worry about. They will disappear after 4-6 weeks of treatment.

Secondly if these symptoms will persist after 4-6 weeks of treatment, it's important to determine the exact cause of pericarditis. Some of the most common causes of pericarditis are:
- Viral infection
- Connective tissue disorders
- Malignancies

If he was my patients I would recommend to do the following examinations:
- cardiac echo
- viral test for coxsackie viruses
- tumoral markers
- Rheumatismal factors and other laboratory test for conective disorders.

Hope this will be of help!
Wish you health!
Dr. Shehu

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar