I’m a cardiac sonographer so when I saw the thread title I immediately thought pericarditis. It can be recurrent, but seems strange that no one would have diagnosed it by now.
I had all the symptoms and it took a while for them to decide that’s what I had. It was weird. I was literally showing them WebMD. I think it’s the sweet spot between common and “rare enough to really be sexy” and a little hard to diagnose (sometimes you can hear it with a stethoscope and sometimes not).
P.S.- The echo was seriously THE MOST PAINFUL procedure I have ever had. I’ll take resetting a fractured finger with no painkillers over echo while having periocarditis ANY day. The combination of laying down in the WORST possible position and having the probe pressed HARD into the area that hurt was… well… that was not an experience I will soon forget. The sonographer was so kind (nicest person the ENTIRE time I was in the hospital) but OMG I never want to have THAT experience again!
Lol! Technically it shouldn’t be a painful procedure, lots of people fall asleep. I’m guessing that along with the pain from the pericarditis you have tiny rib spaces. As students we practiced on each other, I was running half marathons at the time at barely had any body fat so I had a permanent bruise for almost 8 months.
Edited to add that our lab uses contrast so I’ll often give people like you the option. I can push and put you in awkward positions for 20 minutes, or I can start and IV and get much better pictures in half the time.
We must be talking about a different kind of echocardiogram?
I have one every two years. They are keeping track of a contrary mitral valve that is not quite wanting to close properly every time.
The ultrasound lady does poke around some.
It takes some 10-15 minutes.
It is mildly discomfortable if your chest is sore from other.
You get to watch the monitor along with her.
They never asked me to have it with any contrast.
There is contrast with the CT scans.
When that valve gets any worse, the cardiologist will do a cardiac catetherization procedure.
He can go in there and snip-snip-snip (medical term that?) the valve flaps loose.
The cardiologist laughs when he tells me.
I am not looking forward to that.
Gallbladder is gone, He was treated for bad reflux several years ago, H-Pylori, Course of antibiotics for several days, no more issues.
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Just want to say thanks so much to all of you, this has been a trying time for him. You’ve given me some food for thought, I spoke with my SIL yesterday, she also thinks pericarditis, or a neurological issue. Also told me that Zoloft has shown to be very promising for people who suffer with migraines. I’ll be calling the doctor today to see if we can get the ball rolling on a few things. Our healthcare system here is broken, most of the doctors aren’t even board certified. Found that out when I enrolled for insurance a few years ago. Didn’t know you could practice without that. Our GP is great, so at least we have that.
My poor DH hasn’t missed a day of work through all of this. We own our own business, and he just keeps pushing through, even though he doesn’t have to. I just hope we can get him some relief. I’ve experienced chronic pain in the past, and boy can it get to you.
Late to the party but congenital absence of the pericardium, pericardial cyst, and precordial catch syndrome come to mind. Or quite possibly nothing whatsoever to do with the heart. All benign.
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Could it be a hiatal hernia?
