Most Recent Messages in Complications

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Recovery/Listening to Doctor

I am a 24yo female. I recently had my dual-chamber pacemaker replaced. I had my previous machine for a little over 5 years. I now have my new St.Jude Pacer. I had it placed under my pectoral muscle due to my figure(athletic and slim). I have had more pain with this procedure then with the two previous ones. Is it due to scar tissue? I also have noticed a shortness of breath and severe chest pain. I was admitted to my local ER 24 hrs after surgery due to burning sensation and pain. I had an infe...

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100% Paced

Is anybody else 100% paced? Probably a crazy question, but my PM was put in 12 years ago as an "on demand" PM. It has only been during my last few check ups that I have been told that I am 100% paced. When I asked what that meant, they said that if my PM every stopped working, I would be dead. During the early years, I never really worried about it because my PM just threw in an extra beat every now and then when my heart would slow down. No big deal really. In fact, I found out my first P...

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My Pacemaker Is Starting to 'Exit' My Chest!!

Well, this is a frustrating and worrisome turn of events!

Some brief background:


This is my second pacemaker installation, and it was put in in 2003. My first was in 1995, when I was 36. For heart block. No cause was ever diagnosed: no sign of an unhealthy heart, heart attack, etc. Took forever to find the problem. The first pacemaker gave me not a single problem.

This second installation was rife with complications from the get-go. The first operation put...

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pacemaker/full shoulder replacement

I've had a pacemaker since last April 2007. My bone Dr. informed me I needed a full shoulder replacement, when I mentioned to him I now had a pacemaker 100 %. He was at a lose for words at first. He seems to think that the anesthesoligest is the one who will popo this operation. Right now the shoulder is bone on bone and hurts like heck, I want some relief soon. Has anyone out there had a similar problem, did they have the surgery? Was there any problems getting all the Dr's to agree? I'm still...

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Flecainide

Has anyone out there been on Flecainide and stopped it? I do have irregularities, and very occasionally very short a-fib episodes, and don't really think the Flecainide has changed anything, but doc recommends I stay on it. I just don't like what I read about it. I take 50 mg. twice a day. PM seems to be working well, is actually working less and my heart working more on its own now. . . yay!

Jean

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Panic attacks

Here I am again . . . ONE more question. Is anyone experiencing panic attacks after PM implantation? I think maybe some of my night-time awakenings with heart pounding and shaking may in fact be panic or anxiety attacks. Have read that's possible. (I sometimes learn more here than from my doc! Thank you all for your previous responses!) Thanks in advance for any replies!

Jean

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Long heart Beat

It is me yet again today. Apart from my fatigue and not sleeping I have developed over the last day a feeling that my heart misses a beat. It feels like it stops and then starts again one beat later.

Is this stress as well?

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Endocarditis all clear

Hi all,

I posted a while ago saying I'd been in hospital for two months getting treatment for endocarditis after my pacemaker lead became infected. Just yesterday I got a call from my doctor saying the bloods tests and echo are all clear. This is good news because if the infection is gone I won't need open heart surgery to remove a tiny bit of embedded lead that was left when they removed the infected lead.
I had a holter monitor as well which showed my bradycardia and heart blo...

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Eye Twitch and pacer

I have an annoying eye twitch on the same side of my body where my pacer is, does anyone else have this, this has been going on for at least a month or maybe even longer........the twitch is pretty constant.................anyone have this problem and if so what do you do..........tuff it out.......Tracia

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Pulled muscle?

Hey guys, this morning I was stretching at a weird angle and felt an extremly sharp pain like the PM was coming off the muscle! It only lasted 30 seconds, but it hurt sooo bad! Does anyone know what happened?

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Im back!!

Well I go back on the 22nd to get somethings changed around for the first time...............THANK GOD!!

I know you all told me it would be kinda hard getting used to it and that it would take me a while to get back to my old self. And I said okay. WELL easy to say! hehe I have felt like crap all over again and its so stinking easy to give up. I got a bad cold and that took me down. Since that its been one thing after another. My heart rate feels bad again. My head hurts, im getting d...

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Blood pressure spikes - nocturnal

I've had my PM since August. For a couple months I'm having nocturnal blood pressure spikes, one to four times a week. Last night was the first night I had two awakenings in one night. My doc doesn't have an answer - doesn't know if it's related to the PM or not. Anyone else had this problem? I wake up with heart beating faster and harder than usual, and feeling trembly all over, and if I get up and check my BP it is indeed high (e.g., 180/95). I feel great during the day!

~Je...

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pacemakers and heart rate monitors

Hi:
Wonder if anyone has had any problems with the pacer caused by heart rate monitors?
i am male 72 had a medtronicl pacer installed 5-1-07 following syncope while cycling. For several mo. no problem but now I sometimes will have readings of up to 230 showine for as long as I cycle, up to 3 hrs.These reading show up on the pacemaker too when it is checked. I have disconnected the bicycle computer and still have the problem. If I manually take PR it will be within my normal rate ie 130...

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Relocation of PM

Hi all, it's been a while since I posted.

I recently had my PM relocated from the left to the right side. The original wires could not be moved so the surgeon had to put in connection wires. Those now cross my chest. This was done to relocate the PM out of the way of possible radiation for breast cancer. I also had reconstruction surgery at the same time.

Lately I have been having a strange feeling in the area of the connections. It feels someone like a wire poking me. Has...

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Sudden deep breath

I got my new PM in march 08, strange thing happened after that. Just after PM impalnt i started getting Sudden deep breath. It comes once in 1-2 hrs and does not cause any problem. My idea was that as HR was low before PM insertion, lungs were not accustomed to pull sufficient air which is required after increased HR (PM implantation). So that requirement is compensated by Sudden deep breath.

When i asked my cardiologist about the deep breath he smiled and said it is not because of P...

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I wish I could pull it out!

I had been given to believe that I would feel absolutely normal within days of the Pacemaker insertion (end December 07).
Although it has diminished a lot over the last week, from the beginning I have had permanent pain just under and very slightly to the left of the centre of my breastbone, that is sharpish, but also like a "dry burn" . My upper chest, neck, lower jaw and teeth always feel tight or pressured and "engulfed", something like a sore throat, my left shoulder and arm ache, an...

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recalled items

hello i was wondering why there ain't any listings or sites on here to go check out the recalled parts of a pm or def
there is just the listing on the side for the recall just takes you to a lawyer site it dont really say nothing
I think the poeple here in charge would know where to go for information
since the pumps are on recall now
since the wires are broken on 4 different models
and i don't know what else is on recall Becuase the news don't say to much
t...

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bruising and pain

hi to all
ive had my pacemaker since 2002, over the last few days it has swollen and very badley bruised.
my clinic are being ver oh well about it but i can hardly use my left arm and the pain is making it hard to sleep.
im tired all the time and very very worried.
i havnt knocked or banged it it just appeared from nowhere.
like i say the bruising is the whole pacemaker area and approx 1/2" around.
im at the stage where if i had a knife in my hand i would cut it out...

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Ouch

I got my Pm in almost 2 years ago and it has now been one year with out having to have the leads fixed(I had to have them fixed 3 times). Just in the last two months I have been having a hard time sleeping...when I lay on my left arm it kinda hurts and when I sleep on my right my right arm goes numb and I have kind of chest pain. My Doctor wants to do a cath test but ..I am only 30 and I am not having it because I am too scared!!
Has anyone had this problem with a pm after a year of no pain...

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NCS & IST

Just over a year ago I had a pacemaker implanted because of NCS, now I have been diagnosed with IST Inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Until two years ago I was the picture of health ate right and exercised daily and my resting pulse rate for the last twenty years was approx 45 bpm. When i first started to feel faint & almost blacked out 21/2 years ago my Dr. sent me for a stress test. I ran on the tread mill for almost one hour before I reached the target rate to do the echo, I think some where a...

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You know you're wired when...

You have an excuse for being a couch potato.

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Just because you have a device doesn't mean you are damaged goods and can't do anything worthwhile and have to lie down and die. In fact, you're better and stronger. You're bionic!