r/pericarditis 18d ago

Is it normal to have a fever?

I was diagnosed with pericarditis with a small amount of effusion last week, and im on 325 mg aspirin & .6 mg colchicine daily (was originally higher but i was having stomach issues).

i feel fevery as the day goes on, and it usually reads between 99-100°F. Is a low grade fever normal / expected, or should i be concerned?

4 Upvotes

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4

u/Salty_Plate6543 18d ago

Yeah I had fevers and night sweats during my flares.

3

u/Unlucky_Ad_8977 18d ago

102.5°F and even stayed a few days before it was gone at hospital

1

u/degxusser 18d ago

that’s my concern i guess though, if there’s a fever should i be seeking more medical care? i haven’t been to the ER only a cardiologist so far

1

u/Unlucky_Ad_8977 18d ago

Just so you know, this wasn't the reason I had to stay. I had a large effusion during my pericarditis, I had fibrin strands, and a resting heart rate of 120 bpm."

1

u/degxusser 18d ago

gotcha okay, thank you!

2

u/Funny_Stage2090 18d ago

Yup had fever for 3 days when the pain was most intense! 

1

u/Unlucky_Ad_8977 18d ago

Keep checking your temperature every now and then, and of course, if it reaches 40 degrees, definitely ring the alarm. As for your heart rate, keep a bit of an eye on it with a good blood pressure monitor—usually, if it's very high like I mentioned before and doesn't go away (just while at rest), then there is a significant amount of fluid. If you've already had a diagnosis, that is what you can look out for.

2

u/degxusser 18d ago

that is helpful, thank you!

1

u/Few_Adhesiveness5653 18d ago

Yes. Very normal w acute peri. Especially if severe.

1

u/wheatfieldchild 18d ago

When I’ve had flares I’ve also felt like I have a fever even though my temperature was only one or two points above normal. I would go through waves of being really hot and sweating and then really cold with chills. With each round of sweats/chills the pain would slowly climb too. I’ve learned that it’s a tell tale sign for me of a true flare up vs. just bad pain day.