I thought the crt pacer would take care of everything......but my lungs still fill with fluid and end up at the E.R WHERE THEY HAVE TO WORK TO GET IT ALL OUT....EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.....IN THE MEANTIME IT IS PAINFUL AND BOTHERSOEM,,,,HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE ? vIVIAN

 

 

Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I just went through the same thing you are describing. I had my pacemaker installed in March 2010 and have had four hospital visits since then. My last visit was to drain fluid from around my left lung. I have had every possible test for various causes of this problem and finally the doctors all seem to have come to the same conclusion - Dresslers Syndrome, which usually occurs after heart surgery and is an inflammation around the heart and lungs which causes lots of pain. For the past two weeks I have been taking anti-inflammatory medication and I feel 100% better. I have my cardiologist and a pulmonologist following me closely and both are hoping this will be something that will clear up completely. Hang in there - there could be a simple solution that will leave you pain free. I never thought I would improve and was miserable and now I feel great except for some slight discomfort around the pacemaker site. Jean S

 

I have the same problem, that is why I take 40 mg of lassix every day to keep the fluid down. If your PM is like mine when they read it out if you get a copy, you can see the times when fluid retention was high. My PM records that.
Thomas

 

Unless your pacemaker is one of the three lead units designed to help treat congestive heart failure, benefits it is likely to be minimal. Most of us have pacemakers that are two lead devices. That means one lead goes to the atrial and the other lead goes to the right ventricle. While this pacemaker can be of some benefit for those with CHF, the other type mentioned above is supposed to give greater benefits for those with CHF.

This pacemaker is a three lead, or biventricular pacemaker. The leads from this PM go to the atrial, the right ventricle and the left ventricle as opposed to the two lead unit which goes only to the atrial and the right ventricle. The lead to the left ventricle gives the heart extra blood pumping capability thereby increasing overall blood flow from the heart.

I have no idea what the requirements are that makes a person a candidate for the bivent unit pacemaker, but if you have the two lead type the three lead unit is something you may want to talk to your doctor about to see if he thinks one will help you.

 

I had my BiV implanted on Sept 3. As of Sept 22nd, they've had to take 4.3 liters of fluid off my right lung. Everything else feels great, but the fluid makes me short of breadth, fatigued and unable to lie back/flat and sleep well at all. Anyone else? How about Optimizing the BiV. At first it was just CRT, then they Optimized it. Is there more then one way to optimize the BiV per unique patient?

 

Congestive heart failure can affect many organs. For example: The weakened heart muscle may not be able to deliver enough blood to the kidneys, which in turn begin to lose their normal ability to excrete salt and water. This can cause decreased kidney function in the body to retain more fluid. The lungs can become clogged with fluid and the ability of the person to take down. The fluid can also accumulate in the liver, which hinders their ability to rid the body of toxins and produce essential proteins. The intestines can become less efficient in absorbing nutrients and drugs. The fluid can also accumulate in the extremities, causing swelling of the ankles and feet.
http://www.insideheart.com/causes-of-congestive-heart-failure.html