This handout is for pericarditis (acute / recurrent / imps). Your care team identified this based on: pleuritic / positional chest pain (acc/aha 2022).
Other reasons your team may use this plan: pericardial friction rub on auscultation (acc/aha 2022); ecg: diffuse st elevation + pr depression (acc/aha 2022); pericardial effusion on echo (acc/aha 2022).
Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.
| Medication | Starting dose | How | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ibuprofen | 600–800 mg PO TID with food | PO | TID | Tapered: 600 TID × 1–2 wk → 400 TID × 1 wk → 200 TID × 1 wk (ACC/AHA 2022) |
| aspirin | 750–1000 mg PO q8h with PPI | PO | q8h | Preferred in post-MI; tapered 1000 TID × 1–2 wk → 500 TID (ACC/AHA 2022) |
| colchicine | 0.5 mg BID (0.5 mg daily if <70 kg or eGFR <60) | PO | BID | COPE / ICAP — Class IA, reduces recurrence; ×3 mo |
| pantoprazole | 40 mg | PO | once daily | GI protection during NSAID course (ACC/AHA 2022) |
Plan: Pericarditis — NSAID + colchicine + tapered IL-1 escalation (2025 ESC IMPS)
Contact your care team if any of the following happen:
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:
Recurrence prevention; cardiology referral for recurrent or constrictive evaluation (ACC/AHA 2022)
Guideline: 2025 ESC Myocarditis/Pericarditis Guideline (IMPS) + 2025 ACC Expert Consensus