Wondering if there are any over the counter medications we should be staying away from? Things that lower heart beats or speed them up? Sudafed comes to mind...

Wondering if it won't matter because the pm would fix it? As many of you noticed ( :-) I am still in the hyper aware stage of my new pm and and afraid to take anything that might cause a little "funkiness."

Palpitations are freaking me out still....trying to come to terms with my new pm and trying to begin to trust it. :-)

Wondering about some of your experiences.
Thanks,
Wenditt

 

 

Being hyper is very, very common for "newbies". I never paid so much attention to my heart beats, e.g. like taking my pulse over and over again, and worrying if it felt "funky" until after I got a pacer. Then I began to realize that I couldn't live like this and gradually I stopped paying attention to it at all. But it took almost a year for that to happen..ok, maybe I'm super anxiety ridden because for some people here it took a lot shorter time to adjust. (-:

After a few interrogations and the tech/Doc assuring me that all was ok, pacer was functioning the way it should, I began to trust my little "internal bling" more and more.

I can honestly say now that it's rare if I take my pulse anymore - accept for yesterday. My husband and I were riding his motorcycle and he hit a bump and I almost flew off the seat. I took my pulse just for fun and it was racing....don't know if it was "fear"..LOL or the bump putting the pacer rate response in exercise mode. Anyway my little heart was just racing. My husband apologized through our headset and I said warn me next time? (-: It eventually calmed down as the road smoothed out.

For meds my doctor told me don't take anything that is like an upper which includes any meds with caffeine in them or as you mentioned Sudafed. A lot of cold medicines have to be checked too. For the palpitations, I had them too in the beginning, but with some adjustments by pacer tech, they went away. However if I drink too much ice tea, ( I can't stay away from it) I will get a lot of palpitations.

Anxiety will also create palpitations and I've been told our hearts are very sensitive at first to the pacer but once your body adjusts, the palpitations diminish.

Try to relax (oh it's easy for me to say, LOL) but if you begin to trust that little computer in your chest you will feel better every day.

Keep in touch as the people here are the best support system ever!!

Sue

 

I am chuckling a little bit cuz it's like you read my mind!

I am ALWAYS checking my pulse lately....taking deep breaths to see what happens....addicted to peach snapple....hyper aware of palpitations etc...

I was just saying to my Mom last night that this is no way to live. I am scared to death without the pm and scared to death with it. It's like I just can't get a handle on it or wrap my brain around the whole thing in a calming way.

I am trying to trust....there should be a prayer for people with pm!!!!

xoxo-
Wenditt

 

I could help. You will eventually get used to having a pacer but give yourself time.

One of the things that might help you not be scared having a pacemaker is what would have happened if you never got one? That might be scarier....it's all perspective right? You will learn to trust the pacer but it does take time so be kind to yourself.

I'm sure some of our creative folks on here will come up with a prayer. But for now? Thank you God is all I need. Try that. (-:

xxoo
Sue

 

I always check with the pharmacist 1st then the doctor if pharmacist is unsure. Maybe you will want to get a pulse watch like I did. $37 at KMart Great ones at Dicks up to $150.

Gary

 

Hi Wenditt.

By all means, you are not alone :) in your new feelings both mentally and physically of having a pacemaker. I think I would have won the world's record of taking my pulse so much. I look back now and think it was really unnecessary BUT at the time it made me feel better, so just do it until you decide its time to stop.

The other thing I did was constantly put my hand up to the pacemaker site almost like a pregnant woman does with her stomach!!!!!!!!!!! THEN I got into taking my blood pressure about 15 times per day. We are all different and just know that we understand what you are feeling, etc. It takes time. Personally, it took me a very long time as I had some major complications, but now I forget my pacemaker is even there, which is awesome. I even went through an entire year of having panic attacks.....omg, they were awful.

I just wish I had someone to speak to PRIOR to getting the pacer who had gone through this as the doctors and nurses I dealt with shrugged it off as being such a minor procedure like I was getting a wart off my big toe. And every time I go to the cardiology clinic to get my pacer checked, I scan the room wondering who has a pacer and how they are feeling. Do they feel better or worse like me. I even thought of posting this websites address on their bulletin board.

The best advice I can offer you is to keep asking questions and never feel in your mind that what you are going through is minor or to be ignored....having a pacemaker or a defib is life altering and it takes time to mend. I just wish my cardiologist could feel what I am going thru!!!!!!!!!!! then and only then would he be singing a different tune.

Think positive and keep your chin up.

We're always here to help you in any way we can.

Pookie

 

It is strange at first, it does take time to trust it, but remember your old heart is still there and worked without the pm, so its still there as a fail safe device.

I used to lie in bed watching the clock, taking my pulse, taking my blood pressure. After a while I realised that my pacemaker is, in fact, working, and that I had to trust it.

Hope this helps

HH

 

I feel for you, Wenditt. My anxiety level is through the roof since my device went off twice within a minute three weeks ago. I've had it since December, and this is the second (and third) time it has shocked me.

I fear it's going to hit again any second. I try not to think about it, but it's hard to ignore. I think just going through whatever got us a device in the first place is enough to cause PTSD in each of us. Twice in one day was NOT COOL! Since my hr was 270, I know it was necessary, but Sheesh!!!

It's so much easier to say "just relax" than to do it. Praying is helping a lot. I don't want to sound ungrateful, I'm glad I have the device, I just don't want to admit that I need it. Who WANTS to be a heart patient? Who?

I'm trying to trust and it is hard. I'm glad there is this forum so we each know we're not alone.

-Amy