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Ejection Fraction

Hi everyone, found the following information from the Mayo Clinic Website.....and it's understandable!! yippee.

Ejection fraction is a measurement of the capacity at which your heart is pumping.

During each heartbeat cycle, the heart contracts and relaxes. When your heart contracts, it ejects blood from the two pumping chambers (ventricles). When your heart relaxes, the ventricles refill with blood. No matter how forceful the contraction, it doesn't empty all of the blood...

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Heart's Surplus - Power for Pacemakers?

Hi Everyone, I found this on the American Heart Association's website:

Heart’s surplus energy may help power pacemakers, defibrillators

Study highlights:
• In an experimental study researchers show a beating heart may produce enough energy to power a pacemaker or defibrillator.
• An experimental microgenerator captured enough surplus heart energy to provide 17 percent of the power needed to run an implantable pacemaker.
• Generator refinements could yield sm...

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Atrial fibrillation and ablation

Hi
I like to seek some comments and views of ablation.

I have brady/tachy syndrome and atrial fibrillation with underlying hypertrophy cardiomyopathy. I have a PM implanted 2+ years back, and is on Sotalol and aspirin. I have no major problems all year long. Recent check-up however show-up new statistics
1. Increase incidence of atrial fibrillation since last check-up 1 year ago.
2. Intensity of afib increased from prior year readings.
3. Total 6 afib events gre...

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Breathlessness

  • by Ajay
  • 2008-12-06 01:12:53
  • ICDs
  • 4784 views
  • 5 comments

Hi,

I got a ICD + PAcemaker (Combo) device 2 months back. Everything went well for the initial 2 weeks and slowly i developed loss of breath. I had discussions with my doctor and per his advise my medicine for pumping the heart and for BP ( Medicine Cardace) was increased to 2.5 mg BD. It helped me initially with no episodes of breathlessness but again I am developing the same problem. My doctor advises taking Lasix during these episodes however I need advise from all who have got thi...

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Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Hello everyone, I had my ICD implanted on November 11th of this year and this site has been incredible in helping me adjust to it and the changes it has brought to my life both good and bad. I'm writing now because of the underlying condition that precipitated the need for the ICD, my cardiomyopathy. In 2.5 years I have had no contact with other dilated cardiomyopathy patients and have never found a site anywhere near as comprehensive for DC as this site is for ICD/PM recipients. Never knowin...

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Terrified At 19!!!!

I am 20 years old now. I was 19 when I got my pacemaker. It all started with an earache. My mom and I went to my MD. My MD noticed that I had a low heart rate (40 BPM). In which I never paid any mind to before. So I go to work that night and working in telemetry I put myself on the monitor. That morning I was put in the hospital with a 3rd degree Heart Block. My cardiologist did not know what to do. So they sent me home until I passed out behind the wheel of my car receiving only 4 stitc...

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Exercise for arm?

Does anybody have any suggestions for specific exercises to rehab the affected arm?

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Pacemaker Rate

Hi,

I have a question that I don't know if anyone can answer. If your pacemaker rate is set at 60 and when you take your blood pressure your heart rate is almost always 60 (very seldom ever higher), does it mean that you are being paced all the time to be at the 60 rate or that your heart is beating on its own at 60?

Judy

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Pretty funny ...

So I have been having to explain whata pacemaker is to my friends and being 13 it is difficult to come up with something that everyone can understand so I tell them that it is basically a battery for your heart .
Well just recently I got a new PM and my boyfriend came to visit me in the hospital so he says just casually to me as he was sitting in the chair ... So how is your new duracell working ???
I just thought I would share !

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was told nothing

hi everyone well hubby had his pm about 8 weeks ago had a few little problems since ,well he had his first pm cheak yesterday ,and as this all new to us we asked a few questions and was told absolutly nothing ,and was just told you dont need to no that ,all you need to no is that its working fine ,i asked a few questions on how much work his pm is actuly doing ,she done a few adjustments we came out feeling like he had had somthing done but not told what .any one else hit a brick wall when askin...

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Strong extra beats at bedtime

Hi,

Does anyone out there experience extra beats at bedtime? They last about a minute and I have them every evening. I believe my natural pacing and the PM pacing are overlaping at rest. Anyone?

Michele

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High Blood Pressure

I need some help understanding how High Blood Pressure is treated if the individual has been diagnosed with Vaso Depressive or Vagal Vagal disorder. The Vaso Vagal dialation of Blood Vessels cause slow heart rythm and low blood pressure that causes periodic fainting.

My problem is that I have the Vaso Depressive diagnosis which led to a PM. Additionally, I have high blood pressure with a 145/95 average. My EP states that any drug that dialates blood vessels will increase the number of...

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results of tests-send me your prayers

Hi Friends,

I posted recently about finding fast beats during a PM check on 11/5.

From there, I had an echo and then a chemical stress test.
My cardiologist called me this morning. They saw a small area in the front of my heart that is not circulating properly. So I am off to have a cath done on Monday at 6:15 AM.

My personality is such that I will be worried and scared to death.
I can't help it because that is just me. I know that if something g...

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Postsurgical Question

Hello my pacer friends,

About 3 weeks ago I had surgery that attempted to revise my atrial lead. The surgery required that the doctors enter my chest cavity via a thoracotomy (chest crack) on my left side.

I still have considerable soreness and pain from the surgery. It seems that the bulk of the pain is in the region under my left arm. (A burning, hot knife feeling)

Question – Anyone out there that has had similar surgery, how long did it take for the discomfo...

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Coreg CR

I had a pacemaker implanted a little over a week ago. My cardiologist prescribed 20mg of Coreg CR yesterday. I took it last night and today I feel as crummy as I did before my PM was implanted. For that one week, from the time the PM was implanted untiil yesterday I felt on top of the world. I walked a mile or two every day. It was great.

Has anyone else been prescribed Coreg CR, and if you did, how did it affect you? I feel crappy today, no energy, low bloor pressure (68/42 this...

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Calling Doctor

Thanks everyone for your input.
I have always been one of those people that always waits to see if the symptoms will go away before seeing a doctor. My best friend really gets mad at me for it, but I just do it anyway.
Even though I have had the PM for 8 months now it is still new to me. I have it in my head that now that I have it I am good to go. After finding this club I have discovered that problems do arise and that is something that I will have to keep in mind for the future. So...

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defib

had my check up today,only a couple of episodes,but did not requiresocks.Asked about setting,paceing set at 40%,defib set at 188 just want to konow if thats normal,nurse said good,happy holidys

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How long does it take to get back to 'normal' after PM impant?

I had a PM put in early September, after the hospital diagnosed SSS - though I'm still not convinved that's what it really is. Pulse was down at 36, so there was definitely something wrong with the system somewhere.
I'm supposed to be taking betablockers as well, but the doctors have never given me a good reason to do this, and my GP doesn't recommend it. I'm 46 and the thought of being on Betablockers for the rest of my life doesn't entrall me, so I'm giving it a try without them.
I...

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Dizziness

Just thought it was time for this again...hope it helps even just one member as being dizzy 24/7 is not fun...I know, I live it every day. Yuck.

Hi everyone!

I was doing some research on dizziness here on this website and found the following information. I find it very interesting as a lot of members seem to mention dizziness. Hope this helps.

Dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in doctors' offices (after lower back pain). Dizziness has many caus...

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How soon did you see your doctor

I was just wondering how soon after you had your pacemaker put in did you see your doctor. I went this past Monday for a one week checkup, but only with the nurse. She looked at my incision and and explained how my monitoring system works and that was it. She didn't seem concerned that I have bronchitis.

I don't see my doctor until the end of January. Is this common? I figured he would want to see me a lot sooner than that.

Thanks,
Susan

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You know you're wired when...

You have a T-shirt that reads “Wired4Sound”.

Member Quotes

My pacemaker is the best thing that every happened to me, had I not got it I would not be here today.