Hi:
I am a new member with a new pacemaker. (9/11/2008). I am having some difficulty with florescent lights (dizziness) and some pain in the middle of my chest with dizziness. In addition occasionally it feels like I have a great big heart beat in my back just above my waist on the left side.. This is all so strange because until last week I thought I just had some fatigue and a very slow heartbeat. Every time I monitor my pacemaker it appears that it is right at 60. I am doing a follow up tomorrow with the doc. but just wondering if this is what I should expect?

 

 

I've never heard of lights affecting heart rate, but it's not uncommon to have dizziness and chest discomfort right after an implant. It could be your body adjusting to its new hardware, it could be that you need to be reprogrammed. Definitely tell them about when you go tomorrow.

Have you had it checked before? There's nothing to it! They put a thingy that looks like a computer mouse over it. It's connected to their computer and they can check the settings, see what it's done since your last visit, and if necessary, reprogram it. It's not uncommon for the standard settings to need tweaked, esp if you're young and active. Everyone is different so one size does not fit all on settings. Don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get it just right.