I received my pm on 7/7/10 and all was well. stayed overnight in hospital. No pain but felt weak and scared. I still feel tired and my energy level has not increased as i was told it would. the weather has been so hot so i have not been able to walk about outside. i am almost sorry i got it. please help

 

 

Since it was so recent, you will still feel weak and tired. It took me 6 months to start gaining my energy back (though my "color" as everyone said was much better right afterwards). I have now had my ICD in for 1 year (mine was August of '09). It is still hard to go out and do things, one part being I'm really busy as a med student, but, also as you said, it's really hot and don't feel the motivation to do outdoor activity. You will get there though, I don't know about your case, but I had a fatal heart defect and I definitly take the ICD over the alternative. So, give it some time and you will start to feel like yourself again (possibly better, like in my case). Take care of yourself and good luck.

 

thank you so much PersonMa for your comment. I am so glad to have someone to talk to. I will try to have patience.

 

You are very welcome, and remember, as your doctor probably already said, avoid anything high impact or high contact and everything should be fine. Make sure you have plent of sodium (unless a dietician has told you otherwise), potassium and calcium in your diet. That should help keep your heart pumping strong and keep your energy up. Best of luck to you.

 

It has only been a few days. Give yourself time.
You didn't say why you got a PM. In my case my heart had slowed down and Ok... it stopped occasionally, but it always started back! But the actual "Slowing down" did not occur overnight. I had been "loosing energy" for a while and assumed I was just getting old. As a result, my energy level and exercise level declined some.
I got my PM 1/25 of this year. People said I "looked" better right away, but my energy level did not immediately go way up but now, I do feel better. It took a while and daily exercise to build myself back up. Not from the surgery or the PM, but from my declining activity prior to the surgery. You probably didn't get to the point of needing a pacemaker overnight, so don't expect to be back to where you were 10 years ago.... to start with. This is still an obtainable goal, but you do have to give yourself time to heal and build yourself back up.
I had no idea prior to the PM that I had any problems, I just thought I was getting old and slowing down. But looking back, my level activity had decreased so it took a while to build back up.

Hope this helps. Just relax, enjoy the down time and then get a good routine to start living your life after PM. It really does get better.

Welcome to the PM club.

Cherell

 

Petey,
I had PM/Defib in February. The way the EP had talked, we all thought I would be like someone who had just consumed a couple of Red Bulls after the PM. He said, "me too." I was so tired, fatigued, etc. They sent me to another specialist and when I told him the "Red Bull" theory, he shook his head. He says, sometimes it can take many months for the PM to make a noticeable change. Every case is different. He says that ther is still time for my energy to improve, even after this amount of time. Hang in there and give your body time to recover. Take things at whatever pace is comfortable for you. I did lots of resting in the beginning.

 

I had my Bi-Ventricular implant at the same time - 6/3/2010. I am 45.....I am still so tired all the time and still symptomatic....Its nice to know I'm not in this boat alone. I guess we still need to give it time

 

Recovery varies by individual. Many patients feel immediate improvement, while others take time. However, you should also know that when the pace maker is implanted, they guess at the settings or just leave it as received from the factory. It may require fine tuning for your personal needs before you experience improvement. Make sure you document everything and present it when you go for your interrogation. Let them know you are uncomfortable and tired and they should be able to adjust it for you.

I don't know much about your medical history, but please be advised that high amounts of sodium, potassium, and/or calcium can be hazardous to you. Make sure you speak with a medical professional who knows your condition and discuss everything in detail.

Good luck

 

Just yesterday when picking up sotalol prescrip I questioned pharmacist about exactly same feelings. My PM date was July 15, 2010 for SSS. He told me to give it a couple more weeks for system to adjust to meds. However, reading on this forum is the Best Medicine because we find out we're not alone and even a tiny bit of encouragement means so much. Best wishes! jaykay

 

Pardon my typing on my last comment. So happy to find so many new friends

 

Give it some time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You've only had it a couple days.
If when you go for your follow up check up you still feel bad, mention it to your Dr. It might just be a tweak or 2 that need adjusting.
Also, if you are on medicine, that takes time to level out.
Liz

 

Try Phoenix in the summer.
I agree with giving it time and if no better speak up.
I did and had a full work up done last Friday.
Ask questions when you see the doc.
Nothing to be scared of, it will not bite you.
I have really forgotten all about it during the day and only notice it when I shower.
I am still thinking of a good name for mine.

 

They seem to tell patients that they will feel so great after pacemaker is implanted. Therefore as a patient our expectations are much too high. It took me about 6 months before I really felt better, and still at one year I don't have the energy that they said I would have. So give it more time and maybe things will improve. I do wish I had more energy, but I'm not passing out anymore; so that's a plus.