In searching for the adverse report event for my episode in the FDA Data Base I happened on to a very interesting adverse event posting by a manufacturers rep. He states that the low impedence of the lead "inapproiatly" induced the vf episode that eventuallly ended with the death of the patient. Its a very good explaination and "food for thought" for all of us. Just go to the FDA home site [http://www.fda.gov/search.html] and in the search box type in 687423. This is the report number. Its worth a read to anyone having vf episodes that has an ICD. I've had over 530 vf episodes in the last six months so I'm actively researching it. Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Yes these things have saved lives in many cases, nut that...

 

is there anyone going thru the lawsuit with guidant right now. if so has anyone gotten any up dates when they wiil start sending moneies to the clients . i heard not until later this year. please some one let me know. thankyou debraloncar

 

I'm just barely nine months post ICD-CR implant - and Friday night I got zapped for the first time. - Yikes! Just sitting down to have dinner with my family - when I felt very strange for a few seconds - and then before I could even articulate what I was feeling - I was being lifted out of my chair by what felt like lightening going through my chest. A spilled drink, a yelp, and a few seconds later - it was all over with. I have a message in to my doc to let her know what transpired - but beyond that - nothing seems much different. Except I find myself waiting for it to happen again. and I feel a bit more down and vulnerable than I had allowed myself to notice before. I would appreciate any input from others who've been zapped - Tha...

 

Hi everybody,

I'm in week 3 with my new ICD. I think I felt some pacing for the first time today. I was in the car with my Mom, and suddenly felt my heart skip a little, and then a warm pulse of energy in the middle of my chest. My Mom asked what it felt like, and the first thing I could think to say was "warm". It was odd, but not in a bad way.

Of course I won't know if it actually WAS pacing me until I go and get it interrogated.

Hope everybody is having a great day!
Helen

 

It all started back in december of 07.My employer gives a wellness screening test once a year. I figured what the heck its free so im in.All went well except blood pressure was 160/100.The lady that checked me suggested i go see my family doctor
A few days later here I am in dr office.Shes listens to my heart and says shes going to run a ekg to be safe .She says not to worry.Too late already am. I just came for some blood pressure pills doc.So i had the ekg and went back in docs office to wait for results.She comes in 5 minutes later and said Ive had an old heart attack.Dont remember having one. Now im really worried. Doc sends me to have stress test and echo. I thought i passed but these docs didnt like what they saw so I was sent...

 

i have been fortunate
with my icd, just wondered how others
are doing ?

 

I am new to this group. I got a pacemaker/defribillator last year. I recently began to have chest pain in the middle of my chest, pressure in my back and then the pain moved to where the pacemaker is and I also have constant shoulder pain and I've also had heat in where the pacemaker is. I'm concerned about the symptoms also because I have one of the Medtronic Sprint Fedilus leads. My doctor doesn't seem to know what to do for it since he hasn't had anybody with these symptoms. Has anybody else know of or have had these symptoms at all?

 

My question is about the icd and temporary exertion, cold water “shock” and adrenaline rush.

I just had an icd implanted. I am an outdoor adventure guide leading canoe and walking trips based in Vermont. We live in rural Nicaragua for 6 months where we are 3 hours away from the nearest basic hospital, 12/15 hours from a professional city hospital. We understand and accept that risk and actually that was the factor that tipped in favor of getting the icd.

We did not explore this question fully before getting the implant. Although I have not had a shock yet, I think I will be OK with that...but my concern is how debilitating is it? For example, I am guiding/running a whitewater river, and am thrown into cold water...ho...

 

I am new to having pacemaker/dibulator. I had mine done May 2006 no problems until Sat. 2008 I started getting zapped. Went to the ER showed that it never went off, labs came back ok. No one seems to have an answer why I keep getting zapped. Any help? Going to the Heart Dr. on Weds. May 21.

 

Hi everyone,

I had my ICD implanted on Tuesday, and came back home late yesterday afternoon. Everything went well, and my surgeon, doctors and nurses were all wonderful and really went out of their way to make me comfortable. I have rheumatoid arthritis and can't straighten my arms, and my surgeon actually let me rest my arms across my stomach instead of strapping them to my sides.. he just made me promise I wouldn't try to "help him out" with the surgery!

I had the device implanted under the pectoral muscle, and I'm glad I did although I'm in a lot of pain now. There is some swelling and a dressing on the incision now, but I can already tell that the device is not going to be very noticeable. Wednesday was the worst...

 

Hello all, I just had an icd implanted for brugada syndrome and just have a few questions about some issues. The device was just installed on 5-6 and I can't sleep on my left side without feeling the pacing or at least that is what I think it is. I did lift my arm above my shoulder by accident and had severe pain. Just wondering what damage can be done, can the leads have been jeopardized? Or is all this normal?

Thanks for any help,

J.R.

 

Hi There - I have a subpectoral ICD implant. However, a big portion of the ICD is sticking out of my chest. My Dr. said that it is the area where the leads are located. Unfortunately, due to complications in the surgery, the entire device is not subpectorally implanted which is why it is sticking out. The problem I am having now is that it is red in that area and swollen and starting to be painful. I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced this. It also hurts under my left breast area. Thank you so much for any advice you can give. I am hesitant to call my dr. as everytime she looks at it she just says that I am small in that area and that is why it is sticking out. Thank you.

 

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the board but have been reading some of the older posts and finding them very helpful. I'm 24 and will be getting my ICD next Tuesday. My Dad got his last summer and my uncle just got one last week, so I do know a bit about them, but so far I am the only female in our family to need one. I have HCM and Brugada syndrome. My Dad, aunt, and uncles have HCM but I am the only one who has been found to have Brugada syndrome. I was supposed to have an ablation for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in February, but when they got in there they found I had Brugada syndome instread of the WPW.

My main worry right now is the appearance of the ICD. I am quite small - 5'1 and 100 pounds - so my cardiologist sai...

 

Hello, Everyone!

I am new to this site and actually found when I googled my problem. I have a pm/difib and have had since Sept 2005. I collapsed on my honeymoon and was told that I had Long Q-T syndrome. (We were at a restaurant preparing to go over the bridge for the Keys when I died, caused by my fear of the bridge)!

I have 2 problems (well, more then that, but I am not here to discuss those ;) ). I work as a CNA (Certified Nurse's Aide) and a few months ago, as I was pulling up a patient in bed, I had a pain in my shoulder. I complained of pain in the pm/difib site and I was told: That there was amuscle there! A few months later (still in pain the whole time), we discovered at my Dr. appointment that the di...

 

Well I was still having palpatations even on the amiodarone. I was transfered back to the heart hospital and they did a re-loading dose of the amiodarone. Even still had palpatations. I had a medic friend of mine do a rhythm strip and 12 lead EKG to find out that I was having a slow VT. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my EP doctors and the amiodarone was stopped and I had a VT/PVC ablation, a 5 hour procedure. They tell me it went well, but they were unable to find the pvc's that caused my VT/VF and ultimately my shocks, however, they were also unable to provoke that rhythm during the study. I had some of the pvc's ablated, and a few new ones occurred but I was told that they would calm down in a week or two that it was fro...

 

Hi my name is Maureen my husband Guy had a pace maker put in on January 22, 2008 he fainted at home on that day I called the peramedics they took him to the emergency when heart doctor was in talking to us Guy flat lines for 15 seconds doctor said he needed a pace maker Guy has no heart problems no clogged arteries all the test came back good he just has a slow heart rate he is a marathon runner ever since he has had the pace maker put in he doesn't feel like himself he still feels dizzy and has headaches anyone else having this kind of problem doctors say everything is fine no answer for the way he feels Please help
Thank you
Maureen

 

Can anyone tell me if they have ever used a tanning bed. Do I need to cover the unit with something. I have had it for 3 years now. Doing fine with it.

I have read that it is alright to and then others have told me not too.

If you do use a tanning bed can you let me know if it worked for you.

Linda

 

First let me begin by saying that I have had a Biventricular ICD implanted in Oct 05. For re-syncronization therapy, and since my ejection fraction was reduced I'd be at a greater risk for sudden life threating arrhythmias. Well last week at work, I became dizzy, just about lost consciousness, received 1 shock from my ICD and felt fine other than the fact I was still having palpitations, so I went to the ER. There I became very anxious in fear of my device firing again and was given some meds to help calm me down, I was also given some meds to help stabilize my heart rhythm. Later that evening my device was interogated and I found out that 6 days earlier my device delivered therapy apparently while I was taking a nap. The doctors at t...

 

Does anyone know if it`s OK to use a riding lawn mower after ICD implant??? I had mine on 03/31/08.

 

So I haven't flown since I got my ICD. Do those of us with an implant get to cut into the front of the security line since we can't go through the metal detectors or do we have to wait in line like everyone else and then go around? Just curious because someone told me they seem to think we get to go to a separate area and bypass the security line entirely.