Pericarditis symptoms

Carly Pearce sitting in front of a sound board.

Carly Pearce, Grammy-winning country music singer/songwriter, living with recurrent pericarditis 

"I’m short of breath and I'm feeling this stabbing pain right in my chest. It felt not like what I thought chest pain should feel like. It was stabbing. And I experienced that pain for the next couple of weeks with no relief."
Carly

What does a pericarditis episode feel like?

Even though first-time episodes and recurrent pericarditis have different causes, the symptoms are often the same.

The most common symptom is chest pain that feels worse when breathing in or lying down

Back, neck, or shoulder pain

Low-grade fever

Cough

Overall sense of weakness and fatigue

Shortness of breath when lying down

Anxiety

Heart palpitations

Swelling in the abdomen, legs, or feet

Learn about treatments for pericarditis

Potential pericarditis risks

Both first-time episodes and recurrent pericarditis can be associated with potentially serious complications. These risks are greater with recurrent pericarditis, so it's important to take action and speak with your doctor. 

  • Some people may experience pericardial effusion, a buildup of too much fluid in the pericardium (protective lining around the heart)
  • If pericardial effusion worsens, cardiac tamponade may occur, which means the fluid buildup is putting pressure on the heart and preventing it from pumping properly
    • If this happens, your healthcare provider will discuss options to ease the buildup of fluid, such as removing it with a needle or tube
  • Another risk, although rare, is constrictive pericarditis, which happens when the pericardium becomes scarred and stiff, limiting the heart’s pumping action
    • In some cases of constrictive pericarditis, the pericardium may need to be partially or completely removed 
    Pericardial effusion
    Pericardial effusion is the build up of fluid in the pericardium.
    Cardiac tamponade
    Cardiac tamponade is the build up of fluid that causes the heart to improperly pump due to pressure.
    Constrictive pericarditis
    Constrictive pericarditis is the limitation of the hearts ability to pump due to scaring and stiffening of the pericardium.

    In a Kiniksa survey conducted by The Harris Poll of 125 people living with recurrent pericarditis

    98% felt that it is at least somewhat disruptive to their life during the time between flares.

    This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals from May 4 to June 1, 2023, among 125 adults aged 18+ who have been diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis and are not currently pregnant or breastfeeding and have never used / are not currently using an IL-1 antagonist. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data are accurate to within ±8.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

    Learn more about the impact of recurrent pericarditis

    Last updated: 04/30/25
    The content on this page has been written and approved by Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals.