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Is there anyone that likes their ICD? It seems that everyone hates being defibrillated by it. Does it leave you completely stunned? If you got zapped while driving, could you continue to drive? Is it painful as in ouch or as in screaming agony? Do you eventually get used to it? Is the technology improving so that soon the ICDs may not be so uncomfortable?

The closest I have come to regularly submitting to pain is when I got allergy shots twice a week for three years. At least I knew...

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Acid reflux

This is kev-o, met with the person that does the interrogations again yesterday, and all is ok with the pm. However I am still experiencing a flutter in my diapraghm(which they felt) and severe GERD(reflux). Card. DR.was busy so suggested I go to an after hours care to get a strong med for stomach. The dr. @ the place would not see me due to PM! Suggested E.R. because there could be serious problems with leads. The upper chamber is the only one pulsing. They did turn off the PM for a minute and...

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When does the stress end

Hi Guys

For a few weeks I have not been worrying and then bang out of the blue I go down hill. Stressing that I can feel the pacemaker kicking in, like a small flutter. Is this thing taking over my heart, will I be OK.

What the hell is wrong with me? Taking pulse, worrying and making life really hard with no energy, every day to day task takes forever. Help with advice.

Jules

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Next adventure

Hi all, hope you are all doing ok, I am 2 years post pm now for SSS, Bradicardia and I also have Afib. I'm taking meds for the afib.I have been noticing that I am short of breath and have slight chest pain when I lean foreward, eg; working at my bench or typing this. I have just had a stress test which showed some abnormality when I first started the exercise, I also notice this when riding my bike which I do for exercise, I find it really tough going for the first mile or so until my blood star...

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Excuse me but...

What exactly is an ICD?
Implanted Cardiac Device?
Internal Cardiac Defibrillator?
Is it different than a Pacemaker? I am new here and don't get a lot of the jargon.

Thanks

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Outing at work..

Well, we are about to have our end of summer outing at work. Unfortunately it's at a waterpark, so, I will not be participating in the "water" activities, but I will probably go just to hang out.

They do have volleyball, but I just suddenly realized that is the possibility of getting hit by the ball on my ICD and being in pain for hrs worth playing the game. I guess I will have to decide or go make myself a makeshift chest guard real quick......

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Irregular beat, 2 weeks post implant

33 yr old and getting back into the swing of things after pacer implant on 8/14/08. Last night, I walked slowly (3 mph) on the treadmill. The first mile was a breeze, the 2nd mile was riddled with PAC's or PVC's or something. It was hard to count it was so irregular. It felt like pauses, but my doc says that's impossible with the pacer. All I know is that it was uncomfortable. Some of the skipped beats were pelting me extremely hard, but I walked through them. I just really don't know what to do...

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First Difib fire

My hubbys difib fired for the first time since he had it fitted 6 weeks ago and he has spent 3 days in hospital. As far as we are aware it was down to a stressful situtation in our local supermarket and the doctors said he must walk away from these situations in future. He started to blackout and then it fired. Thank god it did. We were told at the hospital it saved his life!!!

His heart was beating 300bmp.

He is now home and they have upped his meds.

T...

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WHO

YOU DECIDE WHO IS THE INVENTOR OF THE PACEMAKER.

In Dr. Albert L. Hyman's words:

"Finally on April 6, 1930, I received Grant No. 30-2 from the Witkin Foundation to explore the possibility of developing a practical machine to be used as an artificial pacemaker in experimental animals. Reduced to its simplest blueprint form, such an apparatus would include


(1) a small source of electric current, i.e., a common flashlight battery;
(2) an interrupter mech...

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PVC's and food

Before getting my pacemaker(6 weeks ago), I suffered from what I would call severe PVC's and then once the pm was put in they seemed to calm down. Now they are starting to act up again and I was wondering if maybe certain foods may have something to do with them. Does anyone else out there suffer from pvc's? There are days when I just want to scream because they won't let up and then other days when I don't have any. I just had french toast with syrup and now I have an irregular heart beat and...

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Who really invented the PM

In a recent post "ICD and Pacemaker Testimonials' 2008-08-28, it states that Mr. Wilson Greatbatch invented the PM.

In "Famous Members" there is a post 'We should all thank Mr. John Hopps' that says that he invented the PM.

Does anyone know off the top of their PM, who really invented the PM or do I have to go a google square search.

Might be a good Clubhouse tab 'History of the PM'

Later,
Charlie

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Do ICD's restart themselves?

  • by sis
  • 2008-08-28 12:08:32
  • ICDs
  • 1903 views
  • 0 comments

I have had my ICD since April of this year and have been fortunate that it has never went off yet but Monday night I felt something for the first time that felt like 3 or 4 big heart beats that felt like they were coming out of my chest! I called my Doctors office the next morning. The nurse called me back asking how I felt and told me I could come in but I was feeling fine and didn't think I needed to go in. I have an appointment on Sept 10th and just jotted down the date and time it occured...

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Pacemaker Healing After 2 Weeks

I am starting to feel better after getting my pacemaker 2 weeks from tomorrow. However, I'm guessing that since maybe the swelling is going down in that area, I can 'feel' the pacemaker now?? I didn't have the sensation of anything in my chest before, but now I do. I am finally able to sleep comfortably on my right side, but reading that some people had their pacemaker flip or move scares the heck out of me now!

Is this weird feeling just me getting used to it and the swelling go...

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Chat

Uvagershwin,
I'm online if you want to chat.

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ICD and Pacemaker Testimonials

As most of you may know, Mr. Wilson Greatbatch invented the pacemaker over 50 years ago. I work for Greatbatch, Inc. the maker of components for medical devices such as the pacemaker and ICD's. We manufacture 80 - 90% of the components that go into these devices. I was wondering if anyone would like to share their story about how one of these devices has saved/changed their life.

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Went to cardiologist yesterday...

Ok, so I finally went to see what's up with this darned thing. I gave the nurse and the interrogation guy all my symptoms, including the heavy beats and the feeling of an adreneline rush, but they didn't say anything about that which really ticked me off. Anyway, both of them say it's moved, but the doctor I saw who is not my normal cardiologist says it hasn't, but he told me that my leads were at the end of where they should be. The doctor told me to take ibuprophen for two weeks and if it does...

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I'm New Here

Hi all!

Actually, I am not yet battery operated. I'm scheduled for PM implant in 3 weeks. I have been having irregular heartbeats that have been getting more frequent over the years. Also, my heart rate and blood pressure are gradually declining. I used to like running but I now get too winded to jog more than 300 yards. I figured I was just getting old (I'm 49) but I mentioned the heartbeat irregularities to my Family Doctor and she referred me to a cardiologist. I then failed thre...

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need texas ep

Hi! I just moved to Texas after living in Connecticut. I had a pacer put in three years ago and loved my EP. i now live outside of Dalls in the Plano area (more specifically McKinney). Can anyone recomend a good electrophysiologist in this area?
Thanks,
Lori

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car travel

How long did you wait after getting your CRT pacemaker to travel by car to another country as in 7 hours drive for a few days holiday and then drive back again home?

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Still fighting reflux

Thanks to everyone who offered such great advice previously. I had an interogation appointment on July 18, 2008. The meeting was ok, and they reset the Pulse and Sense config. to Bipolar and reset the autocapture to off. the only thing still unipolar is the lead type. These settings helped but throat and neck was sore.The reflux or GERD whichever it is is still with me. I have since tried to get in to see a gastro specialist,first I had to be referred by my reg. GP. then they could not see me i...

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You know you're wired when...

You can shop longer than the Energizer Bunny.

Member Quotes

We are very lucky to have these devices.