I was very saddened to hear that working with or even wearing magnetic hematite could interfere with my pacemaker/defibrillator. Some of those magnets are pretty strong. Not sure about magnetic clasps on some necklaces and bracelets.

 

I'm told that I must discontune using my arc welder, My pacemaker was installed yesterday. Is the problem the machine or the arc? Can a I just do welding some distance fom the machine? How about all my electric drills and grinders? Some of them plug into the wall. Some are battery powered. Is there some kind of protective clothing like that apron the dentst throws over my lap when making an xray. As a metal smith,I can make a lead vest. Or buy a suit of medieval armor. Help! I am not ready to give up sculpture and go back to painting.

 

just had a reveal put in on wed ,, hospital gave me no informations what so ever so any help would be appreciated

 

Hi All, day 2 with my PM. Very glad to find this site. I work in a refinery and besides the many hazards for anyone working there, I have concerns about being around some of the large electric motors used to drive some of our pumps. Some are as large as a small car and are upwards of 1200 - 5000hp. I also have concerns about entering what is called an MCC room. Mechanical Control Center. This is where all of the electrical breakers for plant equipment are. All different voltages up to 2300kva. It's early here and I'm waiting to contact St Jude Med later today but, does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? I read on the fabulous internet that I can get as close as, No Problem to 25 feet.

 

I've had my PM for 8+ months now and I'm wondering how would I know (how would I feel) if something were interfering with my pacemaker? For example, I gave blood today and apparently there is a machine they are supposed to turn off while I'm in the room. If that didn't happen, how would I know or what would I expect to feel?

ADC

 

Well, we found out that a John Deere Zero turn riding mower is a big no no! Monday hubby went out to cut some grass, figured a riding mower was nice and easy, no problems.

He was on that thing from about 9 am to 2 pm, got lots of grass cut. Got off, felt bad. Figured it was the heat.

Had a check up the next day. They asked him what he did yesterday from 9 am to 2 pm. He played dumb for some reason. Oh nothing, just tinkering around. They replied with;
Well whatever you were tinkering around with shut your pacemaker down from 9 to 2. And then they went back over the past few weeks and sure enough everytime he cut the grass you could see where it shut down, went into safety mode or whatever its called.

click to read more...

 

I was wondering if with pacemaker you are allowed to have the electical stimulation that they use when they do physical therapy? I am a bit confused because I know you cant use a TENS unit, is that considered the same thing?

 

Hi Everyone,
just over 1 week since implant and that side of things going really well. However, been back into hospital with acute lower back and leg pain. (canal stenosis). Back out again today.

I have been told that an exercise bike (not recumbant) is the best form of exercise for this.
Went to the shops and all the bikes are magnetic drag. They all create a magnetic field when you pedal them.
Any thoughts or advice appreciated.
There must be exercise bikes that people with PM's can use safely.
cheers Lizzie

 

I flew out of Salt Lake City today and they have the new whole body imaging technology at security. They still have the regular metal detectors in most of their lines, they sent me to the line with the new millimeter wave machine when I said I had a pm. They politely answered all my questions then left it up to me if I wanted to walk through it or have the pat down. The scan takes less than two seconds, I was on my way in about ten seconds. Even with the time I spent asking them questions, I was still finished well before my family that was in the regular line.

http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/mwave_continues.shtm

Does anyone know any more about it? I felt fine going through it and when I just googled it I found m...

 

Does anyone know if the Kindle is okay to use without it interferring? Also any other thoughts on interferences as I am knew at owning a pacer. It was put in in March and I am still not strong. My pacer deals with slow beats but my fast beats are the problem. I do so love all the learning I have gained from all of you. You are so supportive.

 

Hi, I recently started doing a different function at work in Controlled Environmental Vaults. They contain banks of batteries (like 48 marine batteries on a big rack), invertor, rectifier, equipment usually against one wall. The CEV is basically a room with all types of telecommunications equipment.
Since I'm only paced 9% of the time, I thought it wouldn't bother my PM to be by this stuff part of the day; do you think I'm right? When I'm troubleshooting a circuit, I try to stay away from the "big power-looking equipment" as much as I can, but the work area is not very big. Last week I had to spend about 1/2 hour working right in front of the big bank of batteries. In my work til now I've only had to pass by invertors, rectifiers...

 

So I went through the whole pat-down thing at airports for years but got tired of all the hassle and eventually just tried going through the metal detector without mentioning my pacemaker. It didn't beep, so I asked my doctor about it at my next visit and he said that it wasn't a problem. He simply noted that it only faced interference during the moment you pass through, but afterward it was not affected in any way. That said, I have gone through the metal detectors every time at airports, concerts, and other events. I'm just wondering if anyone has some more information on any long term effects of this. Also, I'm not 100% paced so that moment of interference doesn't make me feel faint or anything... it might be dangerous if you are 1...

 

I've begun treatment with a chiropractor who also uses an electric stimulus device on acupressure points on my earlobes to reduce pain from a pinched nerve. He uses the device on one earlobe at a time. I am concerned about possible interference to my medtronic dual-lead pacemaker and wondered if anyone has information that might be helpful. I appreciate your help.

 

Has anyone had the experience of pacemaker disturbance when near a wind turbine? Our local hotel has one and I have to drive past quite often. At night especially I freqyuently experience a faster heart rate and thumping that is almost painful when I drive past. It takes a couple of minutes to settle down. I don't think i am imagining it, as even when we are absorbed in conversation and I don't note that we are near it, I will still feel the discomfort. I can't find anything by searching the internet.

 

Has anyone heard of any problems with lap-tops running on battery and with a wireless connection causing any problems.
I was sitting with mine on my lap last night and felt an unusual hot flushing feeling on the side of my implant and up into my neck and face. Perhaps it was just coincidence?
Went away after I stopped using the lap top on battery.
The little wireless connection is on the same side as the pm.
Lizzie

 

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time since I posted.

Was in to the Pacemaker Clinic on Wednesday and the printout revealed that my pacemaker had 'stopped' three times (for short periods) last August.

My Cardiologist looked very concerned, I'm 100% PM dependent, and asked 'where were you last August that had a very strong magnetic field?'

Guess he was going to tell me to stay away but the only thing I could think of was that I was at that Hospital having scans/tests, as they thought I had Gall Bladder/Common Bile Duct cancer.

I told him that maybe I was too close to one of their MRI machines while waiting for my CAT scans.

Now, I was so surprised that it 'stopped', that I didn...

 

Hi, all...I just got a call today from my sister-in-law who works in a nursing home. She stated that they received a letter warning any of their residents with pacemakers not to play a Nintendo WII due to interferences with the pacemaker. Has anyone else heard of this? I know the controllers and such are all wireless, and maybe they have quite a strong frequency? Just wondering, as we have a WII at the Personal Care Home I work at!

 

Do clip on pedometers with a lithium battery affect the PM? I have a Sportline 350 step counter and wonder if it is safe...If unsafe how do they affect a PM?

 

So I've had my pacemaker for about 7 months...no problems. I just reviewed closely then ordered a new body fat monitor w/ scale. I open it up when it arrives all excited about my new toy when I see this big fat warning that those with PMs shouldn't use it. Called Medtronic, they agreed. However I've seen comments on here that it's ok...just a cya type precaution. What do you think? Do I have to send it back? Can I just use the weight function and not the body fat part? I had one before that I mostly used for the weight but I am 99% positive I had used the body fat function since I got my pacemaker. Opinions??

AC

 

Does anyone have any information on the corelation between using ntheraputic ultrasound in our occupation as Physical Therapists for over 30 years, and the need for having a pacemaker implANTED IN MY WIFE AND MYSELF WITHIN ONE YEAR of eachother. We were both physical therapists working together!