I crafted a reply to frank and heidi about their comments, but seem to have lost them...I'm such a techno-dinosaur.

THANK YOU both!! I think I understand...that my NP/tech reset my "treatment" limits from 60/160 bpm to 70/176 bpm to improve ramp-up during exercise.. The tracking RR was changed from 130 to 140 but I don't see much change. At max exertion, I still crash after 1 minute even though O2 looks ok.

My HR goes from 45-60-75-125 bpm in about 45 seconds, but that's a LONG 45 SECONDS!
I'll read more in yer article and follow up with my Cardio NP next week- This is a GREAT site--plain talk-te comprendo

 

I'm hitting the wall in my cardio-exercise program at the gym. I've been tracking PR and O2 as I walk-run on the treadmill for the past 3 months. Both seem to be improving; but, when I go into run mode I go anaerobic within 1 minute. PR drops to the 60's then recover 75-112-120BPM. BUT I have already crashed and cannot run any further.
Any ideas? and what is a Diffusion capacity test?

 

My HR was 40 before the Pacemaker and I could aleays tell when I went into Afib. Since the pacemaker I thought I was doing fine until they called and told me I was in Afib. I was put on Pradaxa and a new drug Multaq. I am tolerating them well but I don't think I can stay on Multaq permanently while in Afib ( I will ask Dr.). I used to come out of Afib on my own but since the pacemaker it hasn't happened. Has anyone been cardioverted with there pacemaker? I wanted to see if that would put me in rhythm. I have a wirless St. Jude PM.
Thanks
Joe

 

Greetings to all. I've my PM since 11/9/11 and am feeling so great!!! My husband says I've resurrected the girl he married (40 yrs ago). I'm wondering if anyone is completely off medications with a well-performing PM? I currently take Warfarin, Arrythomol, Propafenone, Metoprolol. Excuse the spellings as i'm not looking at the bottles. I appreciated what Western medicine provides in terms of technology but am really hating taking all of these drugs. What are your experiences? Bev

 

Greetings, Gang!

I haven't posted in a very long time. Where does it fly to?

I need some feedback from you, please. I had CHF with afib in 2005, treated with two failed ablations in 2006. Was on various afib meds until spring 2010 when I got a Medtronic InSynch bi-ventricular pm and had the AV node cut. I'm totally pm-dependent now and not concerned about it.

What I am concerned about is a continuing SOB with some edema. I'm on CPAP and 2 liters of oxygen at night. I also have very mild asthma and no meds for that. I do take 20 mg of furosemide for edema. Yet the moderate SOB with basic daily activity and the edema are still there. Plus, I'm still fatigued most of the time. I don't know how much o...

 

I have had my pacemaker for a few years. The first year seemed uneventful. During the second year my technician noticed a few periods of irregular heartbeat. The third year check indicates a few more episodes lasting for 4 hours or longer. The tech was concerned that this may lead to stroke since the blood could pool in the heart chamber during the episode then cause blockages when the heart returned to normal operation sending the clotted blood around my system. Lately irregular heart beat has been in the news. Evidently irregular heart beat may be the cause of more strokes than we are aware. I must have missed something. I thought the pacemaker would help out with this sort of thing. Any comments?

 

Ok, so here's something unusual for me, a question about heart conditions.

I'll keep it simple as I'm on my phone but what is the difference between heart block, long QT syndrome and PCCD (progressive cardiac conduction defect)?

I've never really been bothered about questioning symptoms, conditions, etc, but recently I've been looking at what might actually be wrong with me and it's got me thinking. And after Googling god only knows what I'm even more confused.

Any help from you guys who I have a lot of respect for will be much appreciated.

Cheers.

 

I woke up this morning feeling blah , it's this weather and being 70 one day and today 41 ! I have a cough with a scratchy throat and just blah ...

Anyone know anything good to take that could help over the counter ? I can not have anything with Sudafed in it.

I take Enalipril , Sotalol and Pradaxa now ... Single leage PM 4 weeks ago today ...

Also with coughing some has anyone every pulled the lead out , worried about that etc. Mine is the new "screw" in kind at the bottom of my heart and the doctors and nurses said it was fine ... Nothing different from stretching or moving around ...

Just wondering ...

Another question , has anyone ever felt what felt like a "burst of electricity"...

 

Just curious :

What kind of PM do you have ? Single , Double , Triple , Defib ?

And what meds are you taking ?

Thanks

I have medtronic , single lead and take Enalipril , Pradaxa and Sotalol ..... 2 x a day ......

 

Hello all! I had a pacemaker put in this past July. I had an ablation to correct SVT, then had a seizure, and two days later went in to third-degree heartblock and had a pacemaker put in. I have been doing well but when I went in for my routine PM check today the nurse practitioner said I had had two episodes of SVT last month with heart rate around 143-144. I know it's not unusual to have a recurrence of SVT post-ablation, and I know the PM is only there to prevent heart block, not prevent SVT. Just wondering if others have had recurrences of SVT post-ablation and whether it was resolved with a second ablation. Thanks for any feedback.

 

I saw my endocrinologist today... he got the results back from my extended vacation in the hospial. Ive been fighting diabetes for 4years. Trying to come to terms with my pm and still not being able to go back to work yet due to my chronic fatigue and shortness of breath. Today he tells me that my TSH levels are high. He thinks I have Hashimoto thryoiditis too. They took more blood to confirm it. I know it could be much much worse and shouldnt complain but Ive barely had time to wrap my head around a pm and my heart disease and now I have thyriod disease too!? My hubby acts like all of this is no big deal... I feel like now I will always be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Vanessa

 

I thoroughly reccommend The article suggested by Electric Frank in WIRED MAGAZINE
We all have access to it. Just type in GOOGLE-
Wired Magazine Trails and Errors 2012
Utterly fascinating.
Also in respect of the downside of warfarin there is a very interesting post on YOUTUBE by a doctor.
Just type in utube search box
Strokes and their probable causes
Well worth spending a bit of time assimilating these 2

 

I have just been informed by my cardiologist that I need a pacemaker. I tried mayo clinic here in fl but the earliest appt. I could get is in March. Wonder why a place like Mayo would make someone wait that long before seeing a cardiologist???sb

 

Ok I have a condition called CSA ( cardiac signal arrest ) my heart at times take pauses (1 to 10 seconds when I sleep.however not all the time.I average about 1 minute of use on my pacemaker a month It never happens when I'm awake I'm very healthy with no other conditions does anyone else have this condition

 

Here are some sites that have some info on the codes on your print out.
1)www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-pacemakers
2)www.emedicine.medscape.com
3)www.ehow.com #'s 2&3 input pacemakers in search window.
This doesn't help w/ the number values though. I hope this help my fellow inplantees. Life is worth living, Jim.

 

Hi!

I'm a 23 year old young lady from the Philippines and I've had my pacemaker since I was 5 due to complete heart block. I was just wondering.. Do you guys think there's still a tad bit of chance that i'd recover from this? .mean...a time when i wouldn't be needing a pacer anymore...?

thanks!

 

Hello all,
I have an old Medtronic Kappa DR 900 dual chamber pacemaker implanted in Feb 21, 2003! I came here right afterwards because they had to implant it in my pectoral muscle because I was so thin they wanted it not vulnerable. I was in the hospital for a week almost because I would get this "electric shock" feeling. I would even cry because it was painful and no one knew what it was or why it was happening ...they sent me home I think finally thinking it was in my head. But when I came here many people helped me and said that it must have hit a nerve or something and that after one year, those "shocks" would go away. Guess what?? After a year they did in fact, go away. Now I have 2 questions: 1st one is that I had a cardiac c...

 

Just a quick hint to keep in mind:

You can't take a breath unless you let the previous one out.


frank

 

Probably spelled that wrong,but what is it? I don't know that I have ever been given one that I know of. thanks for answering a question that I should know the answer to. Ann

 

I had a combination pacemaker/defib implanted about three months ago. I followed the doctors advice and did not raise my left arm above my head. After the prescribed time I went back to work and my job requires that I reach overhead a lot to retrieve packaging material. Now I have horrible pains in my left wrist and hand so bad that they wake me at night. I have to take hydrocodone to get any rest.

My doctor tells me it can’t be the device causing the pain, but I know it is as the pain sometimes radiates from the device down my arm to my hand.  Can anyone offer me advice on this matter. I am at my wits end.