Hi I am a new kid on the block
I got a pacemaker January 2011 (this is my first anniversary) and after the surgery I had immediate complications. After the implant I was in the hospital overnight; when I returned home I had a tough night breathing and was in the emergency room the following morning. Turns out I had fluid build up in my heart sac. That got drained and several weeks later, although I had no symptoms, a follow up exam showed that the fluid was back and in my lung as well. All in all the fluid around the heart was drained twice and the build up appeared in both my left and right lung over a period of 4-6 weeks. Since then I have been fine and am as active as I was pre-pacemaker. Which at 72 is not too shabby. The d...

 

Hello, my name is Adam. I am new to this club and after following a few posts I decided to join. I had a pacemaker put in almost three months ago. The first month I didn't feel so well at all, it was a very difficult month for me. The other two months are better but I have a question to whoever experienced the same or has an answer.. When I worry, get upset, or stressed I feel a tightness in my chest and shortness of breath to the point I feel I need to go outside. Sometimes I feel I'm about to faint. I can feel this way up to a day because of a stress or worry but then its goes away. Is there anybody else who experiences this? I told my cardiologist about this and I had a stress test done, but it all showed normal.. If anyone knows anyth...

 

Hi there,

You've all been so helpful in the past I hope you don't mind me posting again. I have dual chamber pacemaker inserted December 08 which has impedance in atrial lead.

For the past few days I've had intermittent sharp chest pain- slightly left of mid central, accompanying this I've been feeling really tired, breathless when doing anything and generally just yuck (although feeling better today with less chest pain). The chest pain isn't really bothering me- I have complex CHD and have had chest pain before when and after I had pacemaker inserted.

What is bothering me is the pain and numbness I have down my left arm. The pain is all around my shoulder, my muscle in the top of my arm is sore and my arm...

 

Hello All,

I am 43 years old had my Medtroics MRI friendly PM implants last year in July. I had a few complications with swelling in lower extre and then a DVT in left upper extre. I am now on warfarin for the DVT, went to a new EP dr. As my last doctors did not seems concerned when I called abt the DVT (well they didn't know it was DVT) but told me to see my PCP as they could not schedule me in for a few weeks. Well I went to my new EP he said the DVT was likely a reaction from the lead wire. Then I had a follow up to have the PM read in their office a week ago. I went in thinking it was a normal in and out and see him in a few months. Not me, I was having a non systomatic v-tach as they where downloading. I was suprise and sca...

 

Hi all,
I had mys pacemaker put in 15 months ago and they completely ablated my AV and Sinus nodes (lots of reasons). Generally I feel better than I did before (at least now I can get out of bed and actually have blood pressure). :-)
My question is about the pacing. I have responsive pacemaker that does adjust to different demands placed on my heart, and my cardiologist has made multiple adjustments to get me the best rates, etc.
However, I am finding that I can't stand up after sitting for a while, or stand for very long (especially while cooking), as I have a tendancy to faint.
Any ideas why this may be happening, or what could be done about it?
Thanks.

 

Quietly gettin on with it and adjusting as Im told to do. Great 1st day back at school, chaired a 3 hour meeting and gave a staff development lecture. Back home by 16:00 (Started at 07:00) GREAT!
Bad night woke 3 or 4 times with irregular heartbeat and headache. Up early, literally shaking but press on as getting moving sometimes improves how I feel. Get to schoo, pass ou before I get to my ffice. How I hate not being in controle of my senses retty ncoherent and off to the ER. Disprin 500mg on arrival, pain in neck jaw, ear and eye. BP between 160/115 and 144/ 103, clootig factor high (6). PR various, between 78 and 60 (PM 60). Wait for Authorisation for CT scan untill 14:00.
CT scan - nothing - Er doc feels it was a clot which ...

 

Hi all, I have a question and was wondering if this is something of major concern. I had my PM put in for syncope (left shoulder) on Dec 9 and everything was deemed okay. I had no other heart issues.

Since last Monday, though, I had a pin prick kind of pain in my upper left shoulder (in the back) a few times when I was bending over and then also when I turned from the right side to the left side while sleeping. It was a sharp pain and woke me right up. I did call my EP yesterday and he asked me if I was short of breath (I wasn't). He told me to do the arm exercises he'd shown me and said he wasn't worried. Today, the pin pricks/pain sensation are more in my left arm, especially after I move it to do things. I do have a slight h...

 

Hi, Since April i have had numbness on my left side of my mouth [pacer is on the left] have had a pacer for 6 years[i do feel pain around it alot-it hurts but in the last year i get a feeling like someone is squeezing my neck and that numbness?? i've been to my cardio doc-he says its not the pacer or my heart--no one can come up with an answer-i was admitted from the doc;s office in April because i also get mouth blisters when i get the tightness in my neck- now i see a arthititis doc and they sent me to theraphy-they say its the worn disc's on the back of my neck??so i keep going to theraphy. does anyone with a pacer feel any of theses things?? i'm due to get the pacer changed again so i would love to fix this problem first. tha...

 

I have had a Medtronic pacemaker since 2000, repaced in 2008. I was diagnosed with neurocardiogenic syncope. My episodes when I had severe heart rate and BP drops every 3-4 months...I had many drops that I did not fell approx. 250 every 3months. Each each year the episodes occurred to every month, I am in bed for 2 days - I am so exhausted, I now have developed another problem, my cardiologist reset the pacer so it would sense the drop at 70. I really don't understand what occurs when I have the drops but since the beginning of December I have felt every HR and BP drop.... I went this past Friday and had it set so that my rate would drop so long. I had such severe episodes I thought I was going to faint. Can anyone help me. I am cal...

 

I've had my pace maker since June of 2005, always hurt a little on and off. but for 6 weeks now there has been a lot of swelling and the top of my pacemaker under the incision is puffy.. family doctor wants the heart doctor to look at it, the heart doctor wanted the family doctor to look at it, so far a blood text, chest X-ray, and an ultra sound has been taken. so far no indication and thing else is wrong but the swelling is still there and my arm motion isn't what it should be.. Family doctor said it might be blood from a tear in the muscle, or it could be infected.. anyone else have this problem in the past.? Please help with some ideas of what it could be..

 

After having my second pacemaker in August 2011, I've had sore lymph nodes in my neck. The nurse practiioner said it was from my body attacking the new devise. I have been to my regular MD and had blood work done. The sore stiff neck continues even after a round of antibotics.

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

Warning to left-handed gun shooters: when doc puts pacer on right side mine appears to have irritated esophagus nerve threading the electrode but maintains this pain complication is unknown to the world of medicine so don't expect any help. Immediate severe symptoms under sternum after surgery, does not respond to morphine, just have to wait a year for it to slowly subside, exact same symptoms as heartburn, small amount of relief from nitroglycerin. Completely symptom free 1 year post-surgery, but dreading when it's time for new leads.

 

Had dependent pacer placed close to two years ago. have pretty much been in chronic afib with pacer pacing at 90. the SOB has been increasing to the point that walking from vehicle to door causes SOB. Aflight of steps and I have to stop at top to regain normal breath. it has always felt like a ping-pong ball in my heart, the only thing the pacer did was keep me from going 150 to 200 beats a minute. I am only 54 and frustrated because i have been told nothing can be done. Prior to pacer placement cardio conversion helped for 10 to 12 months, any one with similar problem and possible solution

 

I had a dual MRI safe pacemaker implanted on 10/31/11. My two main symptoms before receiving the pacemaker were diziness and being short of breath. I did not have those symptoms again for several weeks after the implant, however, they started again about the end of November. I contacted my EP last week and transmitted a reading and he said that was fine, no episodes were recorded at all. The diziness occurs mainly when laying down and happens even if I wake and turn over at night. The shortness of breath is mainly when climbing stairs. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

......had my pacer interrogated Friday........last night was in a fib most of the night.........comments?

 

My dad just told me he cannot use the monitor to get a readout from his pacemaker. He has had a pacemaker since 2002, and it was replaced two years ago when the battery ran out. The last two times he tried to use the monitor (Medtronic Cairlink Model 2490H), he felt a strong burning pain when it was running. He pulled the link device away and aborted the session. His pacemaker company representative told him, "That can't happen." The link device in his doctor's office causes no problem. He is going to see the doctor again in a few days.

Anybody have similar problems? We need advice in case his doctor also says he is imagining it!

 

my de fibber is only 1.5 yrs old and needs new wires, what is up with that??? not old

 

I was told by Dr my leads need to be replaced, I have a st jude device. is this a lawsuit wor what ?

 

Hi All,

I have been experiencing some chest pains over the last week, it started off every now and again, now its happening 4-5+ times per day. Saw my GP on wednesday who did a chest X-ray, ECG and bloods, all seemingly NAD.

Pain is like a knawing, squeezing feeling on my left chest, it is associated with some dizziness. Today it now radiates to my shoulder blade on the left side, with nausea and dizziness. It comes and go's, lasting any time from 2 minute to a half hour.

I am about 10 weeks post op. I am only 21 so I don't know whether to be worried or not, can't get into GP again until tuesday.

I would really, really like to avoid a visit to ED as I have been so well!

Any ideas? Or a...

 

I’ve had a pacemaker since 2008. No problems. Battery has 14 projected months.

In the last 6 months I have developed Atrial Fibrillation and the Dr. wants to do a Cardioversion to attempt to restore sinus rhythm.

Questions...

1. Will external defibrillation destroy a pacemaker (or the leads)?

2. Is there some special approach needed to electrically cardiovert a person wearing a pacemaker?

3. If the cardioversion fails, and an ablation is needed, can an RF ablation be done while a pacemaker is in place?

Thanks for your insight.

O6

(Would love to hear from someone who lived through it.)