Sudden onset pain and PVC's

[Ozboy83]

Hi, I am a 24 yr old male 6 ft 210 lb and have been a competitve athlete since i was a child, about 4 months ago i started getting lightheadedness and almost a hot flush feeling it started after i had  night out Drinking, then mid week I woke up with my heart racing repeated dizziness spells and what felt again like hot flushes. Then for the next few days I felt horrible, lightheaded with bouts of sweating and nausea especially when I tried to go to sleep I would get these feelings. I visited the doctor who did blood work ups and EKG Echo and XRAY. Couldn’t find anything wrong with me, so put it down to a viral infection. After a couple of weeks I returned to playing rugby, had no issues and felt fine. 1 week later I ended up in the ER with an on/off pain deep in my left chest. I was diagnosed with Periocarditis, put on ibuprofen 1600 mg a day for 2 weeks. The moment I went off the ibuprofen the pain came back, I was put on Steroidal anti inflames and voltaren 100 mg a day. Once again the pain came back but I rode out the last of the voltaren. Once that was done the pain comes back and has developed into a wide spread pain throughout my left chest with bouts of the original pain. Coming and going, cardiologist suggested pleurisy but pain isn’t only when I breathe. Since the original diagnosis of periocarditis, I have been having PVC’s more and more frequently  the cardiologost says my pain isn’t cardio related, and my PVC’s are benign. I take ubupro when the pain is bad enough.

But after all these strange symptoms how can no one know whats causing all this? How can all these things just start in a 24 year old athlete and nothing be really wrong?
I’ve been reading about people who have thousands a day and the ten or so I get scare me enough, I have a ‘benign’ abnormality in my valve causing some regurgitation that was found on my echo. And now I’m getting strange bouts of vertigo when I sleep, and lightheadedness just about all day.

Am I going to develop more and more PVC’s like I am currently?

Is it possible that whatever is causing the pain in my left chest has somehow just made me more sensitive to existing PVC’s?

My main fear is that the pain is being ignored in my chest and the symptoms are being looked at individually and not as a combination.

I’m too scared to go back to sport right now, can I exercise safely?

the pain is definately agrivated if i have a few drinks, so now i'm too scared to even have a couple beers, what does it mean when the pain is worsened the day  after having a couple drinks?

I don’t know if there are any answers out there, but I have found a lot of answers reading these posts so just hope someone out there has experienced something like me and can help me understand.

[RugbyGuy83]

Gareth,

I'm your age, and I play rugby as well.  I have almost the EXACT same condition as you.  This may seem weird, but give me a shout or send me a text if you ever want to talk about this problem 403-200-2666.

Mike

[Ozboy83]

The Cardio seemed to think it wasn't periocarditis but an injury possibly sustained during rugby, but if so i felt no problem at the match and well it all seems a little bit co incidental with the strange symptoms previous to the chest pain. oh i forgot to mention the shortness of breath i felt when laying down which has receeded recently.

Well thanks on the PVC's i hope they don't get any worse, and its just whatever is going on in my chest thats made me feel them alot more. or just anxiety over all these 'unexplained symptoms'

I've yet to meet a doctor thats encouraged a return to Rugby under any circumstances haha

Thanks for the reply connie, its amazing up until finding these forums i was completely unsure about just how serious the PVC's and chest pain was.

cheers
Gareth

[Momto3]

I can't really comment on the pericarditis, but hopefully, your doctor has that well managed and you are on your way to a complete recovery.

As for the PVCs, it's very possible that you've always had them but never noticed them.  A lot of people notice them more when they're not busy or active.  The fact that you are not in your normal exercise routine may have you more focused on what's going on.  PVCs in a structurally normal heart are kind of like have heart hiccups.  They're annoying and weird, but they're are benign.  

I used to have tens of thousand of them every day, but I had a couple of procedures and I don't have nearly as many now.  Try not to dwell on the PVCs.  Sounds like you have trivial or mild valve regurgitation and as long as you've been checked you're good to go on that end. Did the doctor suggest any followup?

The new symptoms could be from the pericarditis, anxiety or another cause. Talk with your doctor for peace of mind.  You want to be sure the pericarditis is cleared up. Here's to a healthy report!  Unfortunately, anxiety can cause the same symptoms and that's when it can get frustrating.  Try not to pay attention to the PVCs and talk with the doctor about safe medications for the chest discomfort. What did the doctor say about returning to Rugby?

Not sure about why the alcohol is aggravating your discomfort, but just take a break and see if you don't feel better.

Take care
Connie