This friday I go in for a full heart work up including stress test.
Something I, my family and others feel they should have done in the hospital before they put the PM in me?
Background:
3/17/2010 Arizona Heart Institute: Mild Propalpse in the anterior valve leaflet was all that was found with their work up.
4/20/2010: PM put in at another hospital and MD.
Hate to sound mean, but unless they can show a solid reason on why I need a PM, I will seek legal advice.
Today, worked HARD for 5 hours in 107 degree heat!
I work HARD a solid 6 days a week like this week-end I was 30 feet up trimming some trees. Cut the branches and took them to the dump.
I am 60 years young, BP spot on and do not feel the PM has...

 

This is kind of a dumb question but I will ask it anyway.
Because I had a sudden grade 3 heart block, and SSS, is it considered "heart diesease"? Or was it a "heart attack"?
I thought a heart attack was when your heart had a sudden problem.
Thanks.

 

My Cardo dr wants me to take Atenolol (a beta-blocker) because I have had some spikes in my heart rate during the last 6 months. Is anyone taking this med and what are the pros & cons to it.

Thanks

Tom

 

Hi,
I know that it is summer an all, but over the past few days I have been swelling up like a balloon, legs, arms, fingers, face, even my elbows are swollen. My cardio(s) are on vacation, so I'm thinking of making an appointment with a GP...sound like a plan? Things like this just make me nervous, but the swelling is painful. I am totally off of meds right now and just don't really want to start anything and don't really want a non-heart doc perscribing something that could impact my heart, although I guess that all of this fluid is probably impacting my heart a ton right now.
I know I'm ramblling, but just trying to convince myself that I need to be seen ASAP.

 

Hi,
I keep hearing about people getting an ablation, What is this?
I had an endometrial ablation about 15 years ago now, but I know that was different from what they are talking about.
Thanks,
Nancy

 

Hi all. Thank you to everyone who sent me "good luck" messages etc for my EP study/probable sinus node modification & ? pacemaker procedure yesterday.

Amazing news!! In January my EP couldn't map my arrhythmia so couldn't do an ablation. While he has always thought I had IST, there has always been a query over whether I actually have an atrial tachycardia, due to a treadmill result last November.

My EP was fantastic yesterday. He was brilliant! The whole procedure took 5 hours! But when he did my EP study he DID find an atrial tachycardia which was coming from near the sinus node but NOT from the sinus node itself. Which means NO sinus node modification. He was able to ablate the atrial site with great success & he sa...

 

Your responses make me feel better already! Thanks to all.
Today was a good day.

 

Thanks to all who post encouraging messages for us. Last Thursday was my pacemaker day and so far so good. My question is regarding a prescribed 2x day pill called sotalor or BetaPace. The precaution on Mayo page says:
Sick sinus syndrome (heart rhythm problem)—Use with caution. May make this condition worse. The cardiologist called my condition sick sinus so now I'd like to hear from others using this pill. I also take an aspirin a day. The pill I took for HBP was stopped. My sleep apnea numbers are WAY better since Thursday, praise the Lord. Again, thanks to all.

 

Hi everyone! Well, THE day is nearly here! Tomorrow (Tues 27th July) I am going into hospital for my EP study/probable sinus node modification/ablation & possible pacemaker implantation. PLEASE be thinking of me!

Thank you all so much for all your help & support since I joined this club a few weeks ago, to find out about pacemakers etc. You've been brilliant.

I will post again when I come out of hospital. If I need a pacemaker after the sinus node modification/ ablation...they plan to put it in on Wednesday (unless it needs to go in urgently tomorrow).

I'll let you know how I get on....

Thanks & best wishes
Janey

 

I had a St Jude PM implanted about a month ago because my A-fib was getting worse and the doc changed my meds from flecanide to propafennone. No A-fib incidents until Friday AM. Another last night that lasted 7 hours. It looks like the propafennone is not going to completely control the A-fib. Maybe I’m already building up an intolerance of it.

Two questions:
1) What part of the atrium triggers an AF episode? (I suspect it is the SA Node but in 2007 I had a minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) cardiac ablation. My understanding was that by scaring the pulmonary veins at the back of the heart this should eliminate the signals that trigger the A-Fib. This procedure coupled with flecanide controlled my...

 

Hi everyone. I had my pre-op appointment yesterday at the hospital. On Tuesday I am due to go in for an EP study/ probable sinus node modification/? pacemaker implantation.

I saw a Specialist arrhythmia nurse for my appt. I've seen him before so I felt ok to ask him all my questions, he is a really nice nurse & doesn't mind how many questions you ask. I told him I'd joined this club & he was really impressed at how much I've learnt about pacemakers & my upcoming procedure, by being a member here & learning everything from you all. So well done everyone!

He said that if it turns out the EP ablates too much of my sinus node in the modification procedure, & I need a pacemaker, they usually keep you in hospital & put the ...

 

Hi guys, im not yet implanted but soon to be... I'm 26 f with iddm with insulin pump, in addition i have HTN and IST. The cardiologists at hospital were affraid to give beta blockers because of the diabetes they tried verapamil on which i reached to icu 3 times with CAVB IN addition i now responded adveresley to clonidine again with hypotension and brady... Now they speaking about pacemaker with blockers due to my other risk factors to cardiomyopathy including the IST i wanted to ask you how you coping with the pacemaker at young age thank you in advance and take care and feel well

 

My mother has a pace maker and the doctor said it is running off the backup battery. She is very tired and has trouble breathing. Her surgery is in two weeks.
I dont know if she can wait that long.
Should I just take her to the hospital or wait it out.
She cannot hardly do anything. Little things tire her out!!
I am so nervous and afraid.
She has to have a electrocardigram next week then the week after she goes for surgery.
I am so afraid for her.

 

First my thanks to all who post here as I have learned so much!
Okay I went to my cardio on Monday with a 6 weeks BP/Pulse and over all feeling log.
Told him about this site, what I have learned and that I was not a happy little boy.
So, he stood up looked me in the eye like a man and said, I will make you feel better."
He did want to know how I was able to keep my BP/Pulse under control with no meds.
On Aug.6,2010 they are doing a full day of testing like starting over. He told to forget everything I have been told and we are going to start fresh like I was new.
He also told me to think of my PM as a 24 hour heart montor.
So, after all the tests, they will download all the data.
Now I feel like we a...

 

I am a 22 year old female who has some strange rhythm problems with my heart which make me feel very ill.

I am having an EP study done in the next two months.

I basically just wanted some opinions and to ask if anyone has SSS similar to mine, and if it is successfully treated with a pacemaker.

My cardiologist mentioned I could be having sinus node dysfunction or SSS. He also said it could be a junctional rhythm, but can't tell.

A quick overview of my case:

Over the past 7 months I have been getting palpitations and episodes of rapid heart beat. I also get slow, hard beats which are not PVCs or PACs (I had an ECG when they were happening) I also think I have had a few runs of A-fib,...

 

Hi all. Please can anyone help me with this query. I live in the UK & have worked in a NHS hospital for 30 years. I have IST (inappropriate sinus tachycardia) & am due to go into hospital next Tuesday for EP study, probable sinus node modification ablation & possible pacemaker implantation.

I was off sick from work for 9 months last year due to the IST symptoms & the EP was trying to control my IST with various drugs.It took ages to get my symptoms under control.

I got back to work last December. I have now been off sick again since June, with the IST symptoms again. All drugs have failed....hence the procedure next week.

I had to go into work today to see the managers about my sickness & being off sick fro...

 

Just got my printout back from my latest Carelink checkup. All looks fine. I had fun with the cardiologists nurse. She called to tell me she had mailed me the report and that all was well. She said the report showed zero events and that the doc was pleased. I told her that at my age I considered each heart beat an event so it didn't sound good. She enjoys my humor.

I had a great trip to the mountains this last week. I was camping at 8,000' and had not problems (other than sore muscles) with hiking around.

Then yesterday I enjoyed one of my Jeep trips up to nearly 10,000' with spectacular views of the valleys below.

frank

 

Some of you might remember me, I posted a while back when I was expecting a PM, however during the ablation (my fifth) the EP was able to slow my rate enough without putting me into a junctional rhythm, which they totally expected to happen.

The EP also mentioned that he noticed some narrowing in my veins (superior vena cava syndrome) and that I should have a transesophageal echo in a few months to determine the degree of narrowing. I then started to become very symptomatic from the SVC syndrome; I can no longer lay down, the blood simple stops flowing in my vein if I am not sitting upright.

I had a CT scan which showed two areas in my SVC that were narrowed about 70%. It also showed an 8mm mass in my right atrium.

click to read more...

 

My EP has suggested a tilt table test before ablation. He wants to be sure that the tachycardia is cardiac driven not blood pressure. Has anyone had a tilt table test? I would sure appreciate any input. Sorry if this is a duplicate posting for some reason when I posted the first it went into outer space.
Thanks,
Margaret

 

I developed symptoms, shortness of breath, fatigue, and synocope(s) while on a trip to Italy. This was my first experience of symptoms. Otherwise being a health 55 year old man, who exercised regularly, and has normal BP and HR.

I was diagnosed with SSS and received my PM three weeks ago. I returned to work, and have expereinced some of the
symptoms, pre PM implant,(ie., shortness of breath, and pronounced heart beats after modest activity, after walking up stairs). The symptoms start in the A.M. after I get ready for work, and continue off and on throughout the day.

I was wondering if others have experienced this and is this to
be expected?

By the way, I find this web site and the people who co...