Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Percentage of Use

I had my first follow up appt. yesterday and they found that in the first week, my PM was being used 16% of the time. Is there a normal amount or is everyone different?

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Post PM implant

Nine days ago had PM implanted for heart block. It was done at my HMO and am not pleased with the post implant care. Never saw the doc post surgery, attending cardiologist came by and said he would see about getting me realeased and never showed up again. One week later to HMO for check up on PM, attended by a young tech with less than a year experience and briefly seen a cardiologist at the clinic who was surprised that I since had two near faint episodes. She suggested it may have been vaso...

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An update.

Hi all. I have not posted for a while, so I thought I would update everyone. I still read the site daily, and am greatfull for the information.
I had my lower rate set @ 80 in january and they were going to change the rate to 60 at a later date. When they changed the rate in May, within 24 hours of my base rate being set @ 60 I had headaches, dizzyness and was exhausted.
I waited about 6 weeks to see if my body would adjust and had no improvement. Mid june I had my lower rate changed...

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Rate Response and UPPER LIMIT Rate of PM

Dear All,

I have a Double Chamber pacemaker since November 2005 (though I have been on pacemakers for the past 16 years), with rate responese function with limits set as 60-120. The rate response function was switched off by my doctor as my atrium can set rates on its own (Has always been). I am 38, located in New Delhi.
Now I was noticing over the past one year that when I climb steep slopes, say on hills or on the great Wall which is really steep, I was having real problem in...

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Working @ 68%

When I had my PM checked for the first time the technician said that it was working @ 68%. Can anyone explain what this means?
Steve

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Switched from Hysteresis ON to OFF again!

Hi everybody,

On 28.06 I posted related to the Hysteresis mode witch the doc switched me on (45/120). I was feeling really bad after this new change: near fainting very often, dizziness, slight loss of vision, palpitations, feeling warm and fatigue... Actually, during last nighs I could´t sleep due to a strong palpitations spells and today I decided to go there for a new control appointment. The doctor changed the parameters again (50/120) and the Rate response at 80 hoping with this...

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breathing heavy

I had my pacemaker put in on may 29, 2007. My heart rate was down to 36 so I really needed it. I feel better b/c I can walk but I do get short of breath and breath heavy....especially going up stairs or a an incline. Yesterday I had a stress test done ..I lasted only 50 seconds on the treadmill so they finished the test another way. I don't know if I have any arteries that are blocked until my cardiologist calls me with the results. But as I was taking the stress test the doctor said that someti...

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frozen shoulder

Hi everyone,
well I just got a checkup after my surgery on Wednesday, I got the stitches taken out and the dr. said I am healing very fast. However for the past 2 days I have been experiencing extreme pain in ly left shoulder and neck. I learned from my Dr. that it is Frozen shoulder. I was told by many Drs and Nurses after my surgery not to move my left arm that much, so I followed exactly what they said. When I saw my Cardiologist today,he said to move the arm slightly below the shoul...

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Hysteresis, one more point

I looked up Hysteresis to further clarify points already made. Hysteresis means "delay", in this case, delaying pacing to maximize the hearts own ability to beat.

For instance, if the lower rate is set to 75, then the hysteresis rate would be 65 or 70 to allow the heart to take over functioning on its own, if it can.

Hope that clarifies the issue further.

Warmly,
Barbara Blocker

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What is Hysteresis mode?

I got my pacemaker in April 2001. I was constantly in bradycardia and had vaso-vagal Syncope and Orthostatic hypotension with dizziness, vertigo and lost of consciousness. Since then I feel much better, but unfortunately those symptoms did not disappear. My lower rate was set at 40, the ADL at 95 and the upper rate at 140. After 1 year the lower rate was changed to 60 and the upper rate to 120. Today I had a new checkup and the PM was switched to hysteresis mode on.
Can you tell me what is...

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Question about rate responsiveness

Hi,
Maggie, my Border Collie, just got her PM implanted on Tuesday. It is her second generator. Anyway, I take her heart rate a minute or two after a short walk and it is down to 65 or 70 bpm. That is the bottom of her range. How fast does your PM slow down after activity is over? Is it a pretty rapid transition? Her "normal" dog rate should be around 95bpm.

I'm just wondering if we have a problem with her setting.
Thanks,
Lori

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Pacemaker Clinic

Recently I changed Cardiologist. My doctor was great but his staff was so horrible I felt like cattle.

The new doctor is great as well as staff, however the Pacemaker monitoring service "PDS" called me to set up new service. I asked about my semi-annual check up and she said, oh no we don't do that. I asked who did and she said "I don't know"

She said that "new" patients were monitored every month for the first year after implant and after that it was every two months....

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Back from my PM check

Just an update.....

Had my PM check today. I have approximately 1 1/2 years of life left. I thought for sure my battery was almost dead because I am having more symptoms. Not too bad, but I wish it would have lasted a little longer. Everything went well, except I had approx. 635,000 PAC's and 1.2 million PVC's, but it has been over a period of about 9-10 months. I thought this thing was suppose to help eliminate those, because they DRIVE ME NUTS! Oh well, I see my EP doctor in J...

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Remote interrogation - Guidant

Hi Everyone - Those of you with Guidant pacemakers like me I have a question for you. Did any of you receive an unsolicited remote interrogation setup from Guidant. Yesterday I talked to a good friend who lives about 20 miles from me though not at all rural and he received via FedEx a letter telling him he would receive the device via FedEx within the next week. It arrived & he hooked it up and has been interrogated twice since then and will be interrogated again next Monday. He tells me the...

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PM phone check-ups

I have had my PM for 5 years now and I used to have them checked over the phone every 3 months, then it became every 2 months, and for the last 5 months it has been every month. I see my EP doc once a year (July) and have a PM check in the office every year. By them changing my phone checks once a month, does that mean that my PM battery is on it's last leg? Just curious if anyone knows.

I have my yearly PM check in the office tomorrow, so I guess I will find out for sure then. J...

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PM Clinic

I read on one of the other boards that PM clinic visits sometimes leave patients exhausted or just plain not feeling well for a while. What can anyone here tell me about their experiences and what I can expect? I just had mine implanted this past Monday and my first visit to the clinic is June 26th.

Rick

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Anyone know what I should do?

Hey fellow Pacers... I have a situation that I am not quite sure how to handle. I sent my inquiry to a fellow member, then copy and pasted it here, frankly because this private message says it all... (hope you don't mind Valerie)
Thanks to all in advance who take the time to read and reply!


Hey thanks Valerie. I have been doing ok. Trying to keep busy with school, and physical activity. Bored.com, never heard of that but I will have to check it out.

Anyways, I re...

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Newbie

Hi Y'all,
I just found this site by way of the Medtronics site.

On February 7 I had open heart surgery to take care of 5 bypasses. On May 5 I had my first bout of AF that lasted about 8 hours. After a few days I was released to go back to work as a truck driver then on Memorial Day weekend had my second AF bout. This one only lasted about 90 minutes but it put me off work again.

This past Monday I had my PM implanted set at 60 bpm. It's a Medtronics Enrhythm. The Med...

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pulse rates adjustment

Hi Everyone,

I had my PM put in last month. It stopped the dizzinesss and tiredness but I was getting intermittant sharpe chest pains 4 times a day for around 10 minutes.Went for my check up. The Doc lowered my pulse rate bottom from 60 to 50.
Since then, slowly but consistently I have been getting dizzy-now just from walking fast and going up stairs. However chest pain only a few times in a week for less than a minute.
Today it seems even worse now I'm wondering if I pulle...

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discouraged

hi all. God bless all the wonderful people in this site! I feel very discouraged...i saw my cardiologist last week and he told me that i have to live with what i have...there is nothing elce he can do for me. I really dont get it. According to him i have atrial tachycardia and i also have ventricular events... im not sure what they are called: qvc or pvcs? He also says i have vasovagal disease and supposely not related to my pacemaker but i just wonder why im having this now? i never had faintin...

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Member Quotes

I have had my pacer since 2005. At first it ruled my life. It took some time to calm down and make the mental adjustment. I had trouble sleeping and I worried a lot about pulling wires. Now I just live my life as I wish.