Heart inflammation

[michael]

Hi,

I'm a big fan of this website. I am not on the sample diet anymore but deeply inspired by the website in the way I eat. I've had light chest pains over the last few days and visited a clinic to do a full body check. Turns out the sack protecting the heart is swollen, most likely by virus infection or bacterial infection. Doing Sonograph, ECG and all the rest, they concluded that they did not know what the issue was, instead prescribing me simple painkillers in the form of Ibuprofen.

I should also note that I took antibiotics a couple of months ago, pretty much the first time I took medication in my life. After taking those I had a huge amount of health issues, including constipation, poor sleep, lack of concentration etc. I'm thinking the heart issue must be related to this, can't be a coincidence.

RRM, if you were me, would you take Ibuprofen as the doctor prescribed or just let the body heal itself? Do these pills even have an effect on virus infections or do they just cause the symptom? I hate taking medication, especially knowing how much it messed up my body last time. Then again having heart conditions sounds serious for someone like me, only 27 years old.

Any input would be deeply appreciated. Looking at the box of medication now and hesitating whether I should go ahead-

Michael

[RRM]

RRM, if you were me, would you take Ibuprofen as the doctor prescribed or just let the body heal itself?

As you said, ibuprofen is a painkiller (and anti-inflammatory) and may actually cause fluid retention (and sometimes even heart failure).
So that you will not feel the pain (as much).
But that pain is actually essential, as it is a warning signal.
As such, it is essential that you dont shut down the warning signal.
Keep it there, so that it can warn you when it gets worse.
In other words: no i would not take a pain killer.
Is your pain relieved by sitting up and bending forward and worsened by lying down or taking a deep breath in?
Investigate this twice a day.
Does the pain come and go, or does it last?
Do you have fever?
Excessive sweating?
Are you fully alert? Not lethargic?

Turns out the sack protecting the heart is swollen, most likely by virus infection or bacterial infection.

Thats Pericarditis; an inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding your heart (the pericardium),
usually caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

I took antibiotics a couple of months ago... After taking those I had a huge amount of health issues ... heart issue must be related

Yes, your defense includes a lot of bacteria in your colon.
Antibiotics kill some of these, which may seriously compromise your defense, which may lead to a host of health issues,
including an infection by something that is no longer contained by your defense.
Hence the possibility of pericarditis.
Most often, pericarditis is caused when your defense is compromised (Candida, AIDS, Tuberculosis).
What did you take the antibiotics for?

having heart conditions sounds serious for someone like me, only 27 years old.

Probably there is nothing wrong with your heart.
Its 'just' an inflammation of the sac surrounding your heart.
I would insist on having yourself monitored very closely / regularly.
If you need to exaggerate your pain (or fever) to get that, so be it.

Looking at the box of medication now and hesitating whether I should go ahead-

What other medication did they suggest?
At least you should do the same as with any other infection:
Get more than plenty of sleep so that your defense can take care of the virus / bacteria / fungi. No intense physical activities at all.
Make sure you wear pyjamas / jogging suit / similar, so that your body is warm enough.
It doesnt matter whether you think its warm enough. What matters is whether your body prefers to be a little warmer.
Very often the body needs that higher temp to fight off a virus etc.

[michael]

Thanks RRM, your insight is of huge value. A few weeks have passed, I never took the ibuprofen or any other medication, just got lots of sleep and as little toxins as possible.

Is your pain relieved by sitting up and bending forward and worsened by lying down or taking a deep breath in? Investigate this twice a day. Does the pain come and go, or does it last? Do you have fever? Excessive sweating? Are you fully alert? Not lethargic?

The pain has passed, although I can still feel it slightly sometimes. If I take a really deep breath I can feel it more. There is almost no pain left now, but I reckon I feel slightly more the days I haven't slept well or have other complications such as a cold. No excessive sweating. I am not fully alert and I do feel very tired, not to my senses. I have a tough job, but the body and mind should be able to handle it you would think.

What did you take the antibiotics for?

STD. I felt I had to, pretty much the first time I've taken medicine in my entire life. I think the dose was pretty strong because afterwards I've had a string of health complications. I've been trying to increase my tolerance for sashimi (good restaurants), but each time I eat a piece or two I fall sick the day after. Immune system not particularly good it seems. I should add that I live in one of the most polluted cities in the world and I moved here less than half a year ago. It's amazing how much damage taking antibiotics can do. Tummy is bloated and as soon as I eat something bad I fall sick. I've tried to let the body recuperate without any supplements etc but haven't recovered fully after 3-4 months. Even though I am skeptical, I tried Yakult lactobacillus milk drinks, fermented foods such as miso soup, blue cheese etc. Not sure if they helped to any major extent.

Make sure you wear pyjamas / jogging suit / similar, so that your body is warm enough.

Perhaps a reason why my immune system is not working properly. I have no central heating (forbidden by the gov in the part of China where I live), just relying on a simple AC. Gets pretty cold in the winter maybe down to 15 inside the room, although I wear extra pyjamas.

[RRM]

The pain has passed, although I can still feel it slightly sometimes. ... feel slightly more the days I haven't slept well or have other complications such as a cold.
.... I am not fully alert and I do feel very tired, not to my senses....

It seems that your body can deal with the virus, but needs a lot more rest to deal with it decisively.
You will have to be extremely careful for the next few months; you need to sleep really a lot every day.
No going out at night, no occasional lack of sleep and make always sure to wear clothes that are warm enough.
Maybe a warm hat also? Make sure you never feel cold.
When you do feel cold, put on some extra clothes.
Its too bad that you live in a polluted city... I guess there is nothing you can do about this? (moving?)
Regarding any supplement; your body really needs to recuperate by itself.
Take whatever time it takes. Its your health.
What does you diet consist of?

[michael]

Hi RRM. Yes, I may be moving to a less polluted city at some point, but not in the next year or so. Is there any evidence of the effect of heavy pollution (such as in beijing) vs. say smoking or drinking? Clearly very bad for skin and immune system but should be weighed against the benefits of living over here I guess...

My diet is very un-wai, some inspiration though. For example, this is what I had last sunday: 1l of pasteurised OJ, for lunch baked salmon with potato mash take-away from restaurant, 1 bag of philippine dried mango snack, 100g of chocolate, some raisins, in the evening take-away from cantonese restaurant beef with tomato and egg, some rice on the side. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't eat any wheat products (mostly because I don't like it) and pretty much no milk products (just through chocolate sometimes). MSG is pretty much everywhere in China and I find a lot of the food too salty. It's been 4 months side I took these antibiotics but I'm still very constipated. Belly is a bit bowl-shaped. If I eat less for some time, the constipation will seem less severe but never go away. I used to have a 100% flat stomach. I've been to body massage a few times over the past few months and each time the masseuse says (translated) "your metabolism is not very good, right". I've tried to have raw salmon a few times in small quantities to get myself use to the bacteria in raw fish - I fell sick a few times after doing so. Friends have commented my hands are a bit cold and my legs sometimes doze off if sitting in a small taxi for too long. It has been this way for quite some time though, not just after taking these antibiotics. I am not sure I want to go 100% wai given the sacrifices I would have to make - socially mostly and also given the large amount of business trips I do. I've tried before for weeks to go 100% wai but didn't get it all right I think in terms of energy management, felt a bit spacey and unfocused from time to time. I'm fascinated though and if I settle down I may be more strict with food again. Regarding constipation, what would you do RRM - what is the first/second step you would take?

[RRM]

Is there any evidence of the effect of heavy pollution (such as in beijing) vs. say smoking or drinking?

Yes, as there have been numerous studies about the influence of smoking on lung cancer risk,
there also have been plenty of studies about the effects of environmental pollution.
Just submit "air pollution lung cancer incidence" to the PubMed search engine.
Examples:
Small (<2.5 micron) particulate matter concentration of ambient air and early death in Hungary
Mortality results in SENTIERI Project
Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study.

It's been 4 months side I took these antibiotics but I'm still very constipated.

Antibiotics particularly kill bacteria present in the colon, where they are needed for processing food.
Logicaly, killing these bacteria negatively affects functioning of your colon.

I am not sure I want to go 100% wai given the sacrifices I would have to make - socially mostly and also given the large amount of business trips I do.

How about eating (raw fish-) sushi?

I've tried before for weeks to go 100% wai but didn't get it all right I think in terms of energy management, felt a bit spacey and unfocused from time to time.

Many people experience that in the beginning, because it takes time to learn to do the diet right.

Regarding constipation, what would you do RRM - what is the first/second step you would take?

1. Raw fish sushi instead of all cooked animal food.
2. Drinking all kind of juices instead of eating rice / noodles.