I have just returned from 3 days in hospital after being diagnosed with pericarditis I am a 37 year old female and had a minor op to remove a cyst from my armpit 10 days ago. This became infected on Monday and on Wednesday morning I woke up at 6am truly thinking I was having a heart attack the pain in my chest was unbearable like something very heavy was pressing on my chest, I couldnt take full lung fulls of breath as it just hurt too much, the pain was over my full chest going into my back, I was scared to death and called the NHS helpline to describe my symptoms, they called an ambulance.

At the hospital the Doctor did several ECG tests which showed that I had an infection in the fluid surrounding my heart. Scary stuff! The doctor explained all about it and said the pain should go within 24 to 48 hours which it did. It is now saturday night, 60 hours from when I first woke up with the excruitiating pain and it has almost gone (can still feel it when i breath deeply). I have been told to carry on with the anti-biotics I was first perscribed for the infection caused by the cyst removal and to go to my normal GP on Monday morning. I had never even heard of pericarditis before this but am so glad I am aware of it now, it was really scary. I just hope that is the end of it! If anyone reading this has symptoms like mine then dont feel you are wasting anyones time just go to the hospital to get checked.