10 weeks and still having pain

I’ve had my pacemaker for about 10 weeks and I still have stabbing, stinging pains in the area around the PM. I feel that it’s been a success, and saved my life for which I am so grateful, but from what the doctors say and things I read, I should have been feeling fine by now. I hate to be a big baby about this, but it is really getting in the way of my getting back to normal. The cardiologist says I am healing just fine. My heart is responding as it should. I am just wondering if anyone else had this experience and does it ever go away?

11 Comments

Yes

by de-blessed - 2009-06-04 11:06:44

I've had my pm in since 3-26-09 and I still have stinging around the incesion site and get sharp pain from time to time if i'm doing to much like lifting heavy things and just doing to much with my left arm. Maybe your doing to much, take notice on days when your relaxing oppose to days your working that arm and let me know if you notice the differnce. I do with mine.

???

by pete - 2009-06-05 01:06:23

Frank could be right. I had a lot of discomfort for several months but during that time it did gradually fade. I only get the odd twinge now. No harm in pressing your doctors to investigate. Good Luck Peter

something to tr6y

by LJ - 2009-06-05 03:06:14

Mary Anne -
Are you wearing a bra with good support? The Rehab nurses told me to get new ones with better support and where the strap is wide enough that is it not rubbing on the incision. I had a valve replaced, but had way more pain from the pacer than in my sternum. I had the same pain you describe - thought the pacer was moving or put in wrong. Once I got some new bras, things have been amazingly different. The nurses said they don't know why women are not advised about this before leaving the hospital.

Target has 100% cotton sports bras "barely there crop top" for $12.99.


I am almost pain free since I started wearing these.

Good luck!
Linda Jane

Hope you'll get better

by Mrs.H - 2009-06-05 05:06:21

I had mine put in 10/27/08 and still have constant pain.
It is always there.It is tender and I cannot wear any straps so I wear strapless bras I also cannot wear a seatbelt even with cushioning.I have gotten nowhere with the Docs-any of them.I bring it up every time I see ANY doctor. All they do is press on it and make it hurt more! I have to favor my right arm.

Me too!

by boomerbabe - 2009-06-05 06:06:48

I was wondering if this is normal the pain i mean it's not all the time ....April 19th is my birthday for the pacemaker other than that..I have energy. Is there a diet we have to be on???

How often?

by turboz24 - 2009-06-05 10:06:42

How often do you have "device" pain? Is it fleeting or is it long term?

I'm 21 months since my ICD implant and I still occassionally have pain associated with my implant. It has gotten better, but every so often it stabs me or simply aches.

thanks for all the suggestions

by Mary Anne - 2009-06-05 11:06:29

Thanks so much for all the comments.It really helps. The pain never totally goes away. Simply changing position feels like I am pulling stitches or cutting myself. I'm starting to wonder if I have internal stitches that just aren't dissolving . A few did poke through at 6 and 7 weeks. The doctor removed them. Frank, maybe your right with the lead causing the problem. Most of the sharpest pains are at the top of the PM and I think that's where the lead is attached. Communication with my cardiologist is not easy. He keeps checking my heart and telling me I'm fine. And the doctor who did the surgery is across the country. I was on vacation and it was an emergency.

investigate mary anne

by jessie - 2009-06-05 11:06:45

it can't hurt to investigate for sure. also keep in mind everyone is different. i was 3 months before i felt good. otherwise i was so so tired. so pain yeh usually there is a reason for it maureen

Pain

by ElectricFrank - 2009-06-05 12:06:08

The pain should have subsided weeks ago. You need to let the doctors know it is affecting your quality of life.
Some possibilities:
1. An infection can develop in the pocket under your skin.
2. The pacemaker can be pressing on a nerve.
3. One of the hookup areas where the leads connect to the pacemaker could have a protruding edge that digs into your tissue when you move certain ways.

The surgeon is often paid a fixed fee for the implant and has to make any corrections as part of the original fee. It is an advantage if he/she can put you off long enough for this initial period to expire (out of warranty) before taking any action. It is up to you to be agressive about getting it fixed.

good luck,

frank

hi there!

by Hot Heart - 2009-06-07 03:06:24

Ten weeks isnt long you know. Just think if you knock yourself and get a nasty bruise it can last for weeks and still hurt a fair while afterwards.

Think what we've had done, cut, prodded, muscle made into a pocket, a device shoved in, wires threaded through our veins................

Just give it time, one of the problems is now that we always notice pain and every little twinge around our pacer site and in our heart. We've probably all got other pains going on that we dont even recognise.

Take care HH

Hello

by cherrypie - 2009-06-11 10:06:07

Mine was put in 9-08. I even still have some stinging pain every now and then. It seems to be because of the pacemaker moving a bit inside the pocket. Hopefully the benefit to you will outweigh any pain. I have been greatly improved because of mine.
By the way.... were you really born in 1870? Smile.
Best wishes to you!

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