Handling stress
I have noticed that since getting my pacemaker and having all the heart issues I can't seem to deal with any stress. It seems like the least little thing will just have me crying or completely unwound. I have always been someone who worries about everything but now I find myself letting tiny things depress me or stress me completely out. It just seems like my body physically can't take the stress, then I actually feel bad from it. I know stress can cause physical problems but I am talking everyday life stresses. Why can't I seem to handle them anymore? Has anyone else noticed a change in your ability to deal with stress since getting a pacemaker? I hate feeling like this so much and don't know what to do about it.
14 Comments
yes
by LS - 2010-09-06 05:09:12
I'm the same way, but really working on that.
I recently read, "Worrying is the same thing as banging your head against the wall. It only feels good when you stop." ~~ John Powers
Liz
trying to handle stress
by nm - 2010-09-06 05:09:38
You did not mention when you had your surgery. I also felt this way after my surgery. I had mine 4/5/10. It lasted quite awhile. I also had quite a bit of irritation with my incision site. They do say that when people have surgery relating to the heart that depression etc. set in. I am glad to say that after 4 months I am not as bothered and my incision site only itches sometimes. Everyone heals differently. Take time to heal.
Meeee Tooo
by jaykay - 2010-09-06 08:09:24
Add me to the list -- plus taking Sotalol seems to be even more challenging. Thank you for admitting your feelings and for this Pacemaker Club. My PM is only since July 15 and would like to hear more comments.
Sometimes the 'searches' are not enough.....
Count me in
by wenditt - 2010-09-06 10:09:09
I am approaching my one year PM anniversary and have had a difficult year adjusting. Any kind of stress would throw me into a tailspin. So I know exactly what you are talking about.
I have found that just "letting it go" helps. Easier said than done....I know...it took me a year to master it (and not even sure I have actually)...but it does work. I was a control freak before...not crazy control...but I liked knowing what was coming, where I had to be, making my lists and crossing them off. The PM came out of the blue for me....so throw that control out the window!
Electric Frank hit home with me once, he said it was more about dealing with one's own mortality. And it truly was/is. We can't control that. So we try to control what we can here. Then that leads to be stressed out over every little thing.
Try to take deep breaths and ask yourself, if what is stressing you is actually worth it. Most of the time you may find yourself saying NO!
Best of luck to you!
Wendy
Why Worry
by Duke60 - 2010-09-06 10:09:17
95% of what you worry about is not going to happen and the other 5% you can do nothing about!
I believe many who get PMs should be treated for Panic attacks.
Cruz you are text book.
You have this little box now being in charge or so your mind believes. Think of it as this little box is helping you, your friend, give it name,etc.
stress
by keveri - 2010-09-07 02:09:03
your comments are a carbon copy of most of us, i think. the stess is really fear. the fear of the unknown esp when a manmade pacer is artifically controlling your heart beat . the heart is a very emotional organ. someone once told
me that once the heart is entered it becomes weak for awhile and it is revived with love, joy and trust of yourself and trust of your God.
as they say let go , let God.
we all have been thru so much and have some failures, some ugly, some good. and we just want o feel good again. trust the Lord and trust yourself and trust will calm you.
Thanks everyone
by nat36 - 2010-09-07 02:09:14
This is not a new thing for me. I have had my pm for over a year now. It is just something that I have noticed since then. I do try my best not to worry but sometimes in life you just have a bad day or something happens. That is when I notice it the most. I just can not physically or emotionally deal with things the way I did in the past. I am 38 yrs old and have 4 teenagers. My life is not calm be any means:) I just want to be able to handle the everyday things without feeling like i need to go to bed. Before my pm I had a very stressful job as a Commercial Lender and i seemed to thrive off the pressure but now I don't work and every little thing affects me! Our oldest in a senior and I am thinking of going back to work to help with college but scared how I will handle that.
TSan-your post was so funny because my doctor now is Charles Machell. I live in Texas. I went through three cardiologists until I got referred to him. He did my pm surgery and ablation. He is wonderful and I don't know what I would do without him. I see him every three months but I hate being emotional when I see him so I try to hide it most of the time.
Anyway...thank you all for being there and making me feel less alone all the time!
Support group at its finest!
by Dwight - 2010-09-07 07:09:45
This is one reason I like this website so much. I read about so many problems or changes in life that so many of us can relate to.. I am very glad and thankful for the pacemaker I got in January. It did, however change a few things in my life. Handling stress now is the most significant change. Sometimes I feel like a basket case by the end of the day. Please don't tell me to just chill out and relax. Folks who say that just don't understand. I agree with some of the comments that it is probably the subconscious mind worried about our hearts acting up on us. It sure isn't the same as a back, a leg, an arm, etc. bothering us. I do try really hard to control it and as time goes on things are improving. You folks hang in there and just remember you are not alone.
Dwight
glad its not just me
by marley - 2010-09-07 08:09:07
i am now in my 11th year of being paced and on box no.3 i have had endocarditis due to dirty leads and since the 1st day i was paced i have been an emotional wreck theres something about the lack of control that just upsets my mind, i would love to say it will go in time but i doubt it will, i think we all just have to be thankful for technology and try to just live with the strange side effects
just keep smilin
marley
Find the right Cardiologist/EP
by TSan1961 - 2010-09-07 11:09:50
Hi Nat36,
I'm sorry to hear about your stress and all the suffering you've gone through. I've felt the same way ever since my 2nd implant in 2004. I never felt that way with my first pacer (in 1995) and I firmly believe it was due to the care I received during that time. My cardiologist then was amazing, (Dr. Charles Machell) he was also the EP who did the pacer checks. After my implant he made adjustments until my pacemaker was so comfortable I could forget I had it. It was very sad when he quit his practice and moved to TX, but I wasn't having any pacer problems so my mood wasn't terribly affected. Even though I went through some very stressful events in the next few years, including a move to FL in 2003 I was fine emotionally. When that pacer began to fail in 2004 however, I was not able to find the same level of care, and still haven't. Ever since this PM was implanted I have had that loss of control/fear/depression and now that this one is beginning to fail, I'm completely stressed!. Every little thing upsets me lately and my husband and I fight all the time (he's not a nice person). I don't have a lot of time to find the right kind of doctor before this PM needs replacement and I don't have health insurance, so I'm kind of stuck. But I think you can find better care. PLEASE try to find a good cardiologist who is also an EP..I've heard good things about a place called The Cleveland Clinic and they have offices in different states. Ask the people on here if they know of a good doctor to recommend in your area. I hope you feel better. Best Wishes!!
Right There With You
by AUJM - 2010-09-11 03:09:36
Hey everyone. I haven't posted here yet, but I have only been a member a few weeks, in more ways than one! I just got my first PM about 3 weeks ago. I have had no problems before just passing out at work one day. I am a fairly active person, just not in the greatest shape, but not a desk jockey. This is something new for someone without having any major health issues.
When I have visited my cardiologist, I have been the youngest person, by far, in the office. First off, if you are not dealing with it well, talk to one of your doctors. I would recommend your GP, since they are the one that is kind of the overseer of your care.
I ended up on Xanax. I am not someone that likes taking anything, but it has helped with the panic and feelings of being overwhelmed. I have tried to go off of it twice and when I did, I almost went crazy. I may change to something else later, but right now, it helps a lot. I still haven't gone back to work, so that bothers me too.
My incision has healed well, so far. Pain has gone down. Just the mental side is still not good. Plus I feel tired from doing anything. Best thing I have done is go out driving. I have made it 2 hours away and I felt successful with those. Then again, I love to drive. Listen to music and forget everything else.
Talk to your doctors. They are there for you. You are not alone in what you feel. Sometimes it doesn't help even knowing that, but you aren't. I'll help anyone, anyway that I can. We will all get through it and be fine.
Comfort in Numbers
by bgarza - 2010-09-13 06:09:32
I'm 17 months out from my PM. It seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened but April 24th through July 31st seems like forever. The PM came as a big surprise and I immediately went into an overload of feelings: denial, fear, saddness, anger, pity...and it all turned into stress and anxiety. My aha moment came after 10 hours in the Emergency Room. The ER doctor calmly and patiently asked me what my fears were and I just exploded in a tears. He gave me Xanex and explained that my PM was fine (PM Tech had done a check), my EKG was fine, my labs were excellent. I went home and slept for 16 hours straight. When I woke, I realized that I was still alive and my heart was still ticking! I continued to have some anxiety but all is much better. The people here at the website were so supportive and it's been a comfort to know that I'm not alone.
Stress and Pacemakers
by davidjb - 2015-07-06 05:07:06
It helps to know that others have the same problem. I have been under enormous stress at work and have not been able to cope so reading about others helps. I suspect that stress is a problem with a pacemaker as our heart rates will not respond to stress, I believe. My rate response was off for the first 3 months and even exercising my heart rate was steady at 60. The rate response is now on but only responds to movement as it is controlled by an accelerometer. Gardening one day where I was crouching and not moving my upper body much, I ran out of oxygen. I think stress is the same. Our heart rates don't increase and we sit in a chemical soup of Adrenalin. That can't make us feel good...surely. Anyone have a view on this?
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by cruz - 2010-09-06 04:09:20
WOW..this describes me perfectly. I even talked to the cardiologist about the fact that if I get the least bit stressed, my symptoms come gushing in..much more SOB, chest pain, stomach, tears, fatigue. It seems to me that someone who was a very controlled person would at least be able to handle small amounts of stress! This is one of the things that just has my daughters stressed out for me. They've never seen stress affect me and now they panic if anything goes wrong for me. We've had some family issues and my symptoms got radically worse almost immediately. I haven't been able to get them under control. The doctor said stress can't cause the problems but it can certainly aggravate the condition. I'm trying to find ways to deal with it, but I honestly haven't found anything yet that works very well.