Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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What is this?

So I go for my 5th PM check, just had my little buddy installed 12-15-07, and I am told that they are going to turn on my ECG recorder beacuse I have several, more then 10, atrial tachy episodes of more then 260 bpm - OH MY GOD!! I feel little hick ups here and there but I thought it was just PVC's or something. Any one else with a run away atria? What do I do? What questions should I ask next time? They are checking me in 3 months again to see what it shows, should I wait that long?

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Rate Response Switch

Hi

Would really appreciate someone explaining to me what this switch is and what it does? I have a Medtronic dual chamber PM. Seeing my cardiologist for 5 week check up and am very breathless (wasn't before the PM) and would just like to understand a bit more about this particular setting. It is often mentioned in postings so it seems to be important. I am seeing him midday London UK time tomorrow, Tuesday 11th - sorry I only just thought of this.

Thanks.

Susa...

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Not up to par: Part II

I told the producer of the film I'm on in Israel (an old friend) that I had a PM (he was shocked) and would like to check/tweak the settings. After assuring him that I wasn't about to drop dead, they found me an EP in Jerusalem and confirmed that everything was working alright. He did make a little tweak to shorten the time between my atrial and ventricle to see if that would help. Time will tell, but I'm glad I went.

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Not up to par

So here I am in Israel on a 4 week consulting trip. I'm 5 weeks out from my second PM implant and I'm just not feeling great. The PM is working insofar as I can tell my checking my pulse, but it doesn't seem to have given me my endurance back for climbing uphill or fast walking. My pulse is pumping away, but I still feel out of breath. My last PM had me feeling so normal that I forgot about it. My settings must be off from what I had before.

My question is, should I wait anoth...

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4 Week Check Up Questions?

Thanks to everyone who responded to me re trying to come to terms with it. The help is much appreciated. The swelling and bruising is going down but the pacemaker is quite raised in my chest - particularly one side. I can feel the corner sticking out - I really don't like it.

I have my first proper check up on Monday with my cardiologist. I have been seen briefly a couple of times because of the severe swelling and the fact that I am short of breath. I had another exercise ECG w...

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help

Hi everyone,
well I flew out to Ohio last week to see my cardio. I have a biotronik cylos PM and am still slowly learning about it. I love this site, but most of you have a different kind of PM so things get a little confusing for me.

The Cylos is supposed to detect a drop in BP. My BP is very low so I faint all the time. I found out this week that my BP is so low that 24 hours a day I amon the threshold of syncope. I just got my rate response/senor turned up. That means t...

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Still short of breath

I have chronic a-fib/flutter. I have had an A/V node ablation and permanent pacemaker implanted in 1998. Since then, I have had to have it replaced in January 2003. Everything was going fine, until this past summer. I became short of breath, and it was getting worse and worse. I was hospitalized in Jan 2008, with dx of exacerbation of asthma. I was put on massive doses of prednisone, abx, and neb treatments. I did get better (was around cats, which I have a known allergy to.). But after 6...

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Checkup yesterday

With the dust up going on, I almost forgot to thank heckboy and smitty for giving me suggestions for questions to ask at my PM check yesterday.

I got the information I wanted, and also learned the pacing in the lower chamber has dropped from 34% last year to 18% this year. A positive for me! :-) The pacing in my upper chamber has held at 0% for the past year as well.

Again, thanks to heckboy and smitty for your great suggestions. I truly appreciate it!

Theres...

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Checkup Tomorrow

I am having a quick checkup tomorrow and just wondered if you all can tell me what questions I need to be asking. I'm not even sure what my low setting is! I am going to ask that one for sure. I am not having any issues, just have a PM (Guidant) that is under recall so it gets checked frequently.

Any suggestions/thoughts/ideas will be appreciated!

Thanks,

Theresa

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First Check Up

Well I went to the doc yesterday for my first check up. He said things look great. He did say I have a slight infection from where I had a bad cold. He said that it would get better in a week or so. He told me thats where the pain/pressure was comming from. So thats good to know. One down point. I did have another PE. (clot in my lung) Im a factor five so I have had many. But he wasnt very happy about that cause of the pacer wires! So ive been through the ringer! hehe My pm in now set @ 70 and 1...

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Tired

I was just relased after my pacemaker implant 6 weeks ago. The doctor wanted me to take 2 more weeks off. I am very stubborn and told her I was ready to return to work. She said ok but no heavy lifting and I said well then I can't go back to work. So she wrote my note with no limitations. After leaving my appointment in Chicago I went straight to work at the Rescue squad. I did not even run a rescue call and by the time I went home at 6pm I was so very tired. I was only there 6hrs and I am think...

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Not feeling well!

I have been fighting some virus or atleast I am sure that is what it is all week. I was wondering if anybody seems to have problems with settings when you catch something?
I have had so many palipations lately and can't get them undercontrol. They are disturbing me where I can't sleep or when I fall asleep my heart beating wakes me up. I am stubborn and try to avoid going to the dr for as long as I can.But I have a trip coming up to chicago so I called today and am waiting for the nurs...

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Made to feel like its all in my head

Hi

Since Christmas 2007 I have had some episode of light headedness, both arms feel heavy and numb (like when you have pins and needles, but without pins and needles sensation), awareness of my heart beating (although not too quick approx 105-115, sometimes it is low approx 60).

On Saturday 16th feb, I was sat having a drink at work when the above happened it was witnessed by my work colleges who said I went a grey colour and sweaty. From this episode I was admitted to ho...

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Check-up --- Thumbs up!!!

I spent most of the day at the hospital for my annual check-up (series of tests). I'm followed quite closely because of my congenial heart problems and atrial flutter.

The docs say my ablation last summer was a success. From my pacemaker check-up, they found I had short (a few beats) episodes of atrial flutter, but nothing to worry about. My stress test was also a success. They told me I did better that the vast majority of "normal" people. The remaining battery life of my pace...

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Tired and Weired

Hi I am all set to winge again. For the last week I was beginning to feel better. Went cycling and didn't feel to tired. For the last couple of days I have not an ounce of energy, I feel completely washed, headachey and didn't sleep last night because of a missed beat. I thought when the PM took over in my case at night there were no missed beats, perhaps I am wrong.

I went to the doc this morning and he checked BP and HR and told me I am probably stressed. Why, oh why do th...

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Remote PM checkup question

Hi!
I have another question for my more experienced pacers. I've had my PM remotely interrogated 2x now. (medtronic adapta) Each time, it took me 4 or 5 attempts to get a successful reading. The little green dots that progress during the interrogation would get almost to the end, and then the process aborted. A couple times the signal to reposition the device would signal, so I tried that. I haven't figured out what I might be doing wrong. The phone line is not the problem, as it even...

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Weird feelings explained

Hi,

I'm two weeks into my second PM and lead replacement. Since the replacement, I've had some strange feelings that concerned me. One was a sudden warmness that came all over my body when I was on the phone. I didn't get tingly like I was about to pass out, but it was similar in the way that the feeling spread. The other was a slowing of my HR while I was watching TV on the couch. It felt similar to an office PM check where they slow your pacing to test the threshold of the leads...

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JUST HAD PM CHECK UP

Hi All,
I just had my 6 months PM Checkup this a.m. and it is pacing quite nicely. Thanks to you, my newfound friends, I was able to ask some intelligent questions; some of which I had thought about and never asked. Others were about things I learned here. I feel better now that I know a bit more about my PM. I know that my levels are 70 to 130 which I didn't know. I know that my lead in the lower chamber has not had to pace, but the one in the upper chamber is pacing about 50% of the t...

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Difference between DDI and VVI modes?

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in a long time. I am now 1.5 years post unplanned PM for failed SVT ablation. Two months after getting my pacemaker, my EP changed my setting from DDD to DDI. I was uncomfortable and changed back after 5 days. At my November check-up, he told me that my battery was going quickly because my ventricle was being paced at 99%. After wearing a halter moniter for a week now, my EP changed my setting yesterday again to determine what my heart can do on its own. (We think I...

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New EP doctor

I asked my cardiologist to refer me to an EP doctor because I did not think my cardiologist knew what to do with me. He understood and I love my new EP. I had appt there last week. They interogated my PM and when he came in he was astounded at how many ventricular tachys I have had over the last 6 months. I told him I have been blacking out, having dizziness and lightheadedness, chest pain, etc.
He was so informative, looked me right in the eye the entire time he talked to me, not like some...

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You know you're wired when...

You trust technology more than your heart.

Member Quotes

I finished 29th in London in 2 hours 20 minutes 30 seconds which is my fastest with or without a device so clearly it didn’t slow me down ! I had no problems apart from some slight chaffing on my scar - more Vaseline next time.