27 year old heart problems

I am a 27 year old female.  When I was 22, I took the drugs adderall (adderrall), lexapro and ephedrine/phentermine (diet pills-occasionally).  One night, my heart rate shot up and would not come back down, don’t matter what I tried.  I went to the emergency room and they said it was the drugs I was taking.  When I was 23, I began having syncope episodes and got a pacemaker.  Looking back, I believe the syncope episodes were caused by the adderall (adderrall) and lexapro.  However, I have had chest pains ever since.  I have piercing chest pains around my left bra line, sharp stabbing pain when I take a deep breath that radiates to my neck, left shoulder and left arm.  The longest these chest pains ever last in 15 minutes but usually not more than 5 minutes.  I have had countless EKG’s, echos, etc; and the only thing found is a mitrol valve prolapse.  The chest pains are scary.  Otherwise, I am in great physical shape.  I have at least 3 strenuous work-outs a week, healthy weight, healthy diet, I use my pacemaker less than 1% of the time, no pills-not even advil and no caffeine.  Can you offer any insight?  Thank you!

[Coloradogirl]

I should also add that that the doctor has mentioned pericarditis to me...i don't understand why I would have this!  What is it?

[mrwjd]

Pericarditis is many things, some infectious and some not.  It takes place in the pericardial sac that contains the heart, and involves irritation of the heart and/or sac.  

Probably he is thinking of pericarditis primarily because of the pattern of radiating pain, especially the left shoulder.  If it is pericarditis, and if you have had it all this time, it is unlikely to be infectious (viral or bacterial), but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be treated.  Chronic pericarditis is likely to get more and more painful (usually intermittently) and be more and more difficult to control, which is why doctors recommend that it be treated very aggressively as soon as possible.

This is not something to entrust to a primary care doctor, internist, etc.  It is important that you see a cardiologist as soon as you can, especially since this has been going on for some time and you really don't want a short-term cure that results in the irritation starting up again later, which might make it harder to treat.

Good luck.