So if drs immediately treated me with steroids for pericardial effusion, making pericarditis chronic .. how do i get off the steroids after 6 yrs?

Depends: It depends on the cause of your pericarditis. You should not ween steroids without the advice of your doctor. Suddenly stopping them can cause life threatening problems.

Chronic pericarditis: Some experts believe initial treatment of acute pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart) with corticosteroids (eg,prednisone) may increase the possibility of a chronic/recurring problem. This is a theory but not definitely known to be the case. Treatment of chronic pericarditis can be a slow process. For personal attention to your situation, consider an inbox consult on healthtap.