Myocarditis

Heart health and blood vessels
1

I'm a 20 year old male that has recently been diagnosed with myocarditis. A few weeks ago I started to get a dull chest pain at night and a dull aching sensation in my right arm. I ignored it for the first night as I go to gym and thought I may have pulled a muscle or it was just indigestion. The following night I had the same sensation and called 111 for advice which then called me an ambulance. The ambulance came and done an ECG which wasn't normal, I was taken to hospital where's I had further ECG and bloods and I was diagnosed with myocarditis. I was sent home and around a week after my diagnosis I received really fast heart palpitations whilst sitting at home out of no where, I was taken back to hospital but was told this was normal symptom or myocarditis, I have weird little turns every other day and it is horrible, I get short breathed and my heart has slight palpitations.

I'm just posting this post to talk to someone that has had or currently has myocarditis for some re assurance and advice

Thanks

Charles

2

I presume the hosptal has done an echo cardiogram, during your work-up to show them exactly what damage you do have.

My husband has dialated cardiomopathy, left ventricle all blown out, cause unknown, but probabaly a virus, his was so bad at the time 6 years ago that they did not think he could survive.

First get any weight issues under control, with medical help, do not go on any crazy diets, do not use food replacement sachets.

If you have a fluid issue, you must keep to what the hospital has advised you re fluid intake, it does help.

This is not a hospital recommendation, but I belive it had some postive effect, and worked, oranges, oranges, not juice the real fruit, husband craved them when he got home, from the hospital, we even got to the point where I didn;t include the fluid in his daily 1 1/2 litres of fluid, look up Vit C, and heart issues on the net, there are some theories out there saying it does help, he just loves Navel Oranges.

2nd - get yourself an Omron, blood pressure monitor, that also gives you what your heart beat rate is, about 100AUD, and when you feel off, take your readings and keep a exercise book of results.

3rd - daily weight in the morning when you first get up, add the results to your booklet, and if it changes more than say 2kilos overnight get to the hospital.

Get fit, walking, do not get too breathless, its all to do with pacing yourself, husband from not being able to walk across room in the hospital 6 yrs ago, to walking 6-7kms by 18 months.

When he got home he started walking from the easy chair up the hall way to the front door, couple of times a day, for a week, then I put a chair out the front at the letterbox in front of our house, for a couple of weeks walked to that chair, then to the neighbours letter box, and so on, as the distance increased, he drpped to doint the walking once a day, adding one letter box about every 3 - 4 days, I did the same after double hip replacement, works very well as a test to see how far you are going.

Take your medications, report to Dr's any changes in how your feel, having that little booklet all dated and timed, almost like a nurses chart, they photocopied my booklet a number of times, and seemed very impressed with my efforts.

3

Hi Lyn,

I appreciate the reply and your story. Yes I had an echo cardiogram as well as a stress MRI. All the doctors mentioned to me is that my heart is inflamed and the suspect that the left back of my heart is not working at a full function. However, I have to have repeat scans in roughly 3 weeks to see if I have any permanent damage.

Your husband symptoms seem to be a lot more severe than mine. Before I got admitted to hospital, I was a healthy and going to the gym 5 times a week. I had a perfect diet, never really drank and do not smoke. Then all of a sudden I am in hospital where they said my troponin levels where around 3,950. It all came a big shock to me as I thought I was a very healthy person.

After the diagnosis 80% of the time I have felt perfectly normal. The only complications I have is just sudden and sometimes hard heart palpitations out of absolutely no where. I sometimes get short breathed and tires but that doesn't trouble me to much. The palpitations scare me if I'm honest. The recovery so far has been a mental challenge as well as a physical one.

I emphasise with your husband as I know what he is going through to an extent.

Thank you for your advice it has helped a lot.