scaredy cat

Hi, I'm getting a PM next week. Slow pulse, at times very slow, and feeling faint. Othertimes very very fast with atrial fibrillation. Anyone like this in the club?
I'm very nervous about the procedure and feel quite spooked about having a foreign body inside me for the rest of my life. I'm just not sure I need one.
Lizzie

4 Comments

Same Problem

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-06-22 04:06:50

I have Sick Sinus Syndrome with A-Fib which is what it sounds like you have. I got my pacemaker about 12 weeks ago due to my pulse dropping to 12 bpm. With a-fib, I have gone as high as 330 bpm. The surgery itself it easy and physical recovery is pretty quick. The most difficult thing for me has been the emotional dealing with having the pacemaker, but I am in the somewhat rare situation where it does limit my lifestyle a lot. For most people from what I understand, once they are able to resume normal activity without the symptoms they had before, they find it much easier to accept the pacemaker.

Either way, you are not alone. Many on this site have been through what you are going through and we all understand what it is like. Hang in there and I am sure you will feel much better once you have the pacemaker.

not that bad

by Tracey_E - 2009-06-22 06:06:16

If you're not sure you need it, have you had a second opinion? Might give you piece of mind.

How slow is slow? In addition to causing dizziness and fainting, a slow heart rate damages your organs by starving them of oxygen. Meds can slow a fast heart rate but only a pm can speed up a slow one.

The procedure is easy. Some doctors do it outpatient, some keep us overnight so they can do an xray at 24 hrs to be sure the leads are where they're supposed to be. Most of us find the pain to be minimal, I didn't take more than Tylenol after I was released. You'll be sore for the first few days but most are feeling pretty good and getting back to routine by a week. I'd be happy to give you more details if you want to know, or you can search the other posts because this comes up several times a week ;o)

Try not to think of it as a foreign body. I see it as a guardian angel. It watches my heart all the time and steps in to help when needed. It's much more dependable than my own screwy heart! I'm completely dependent on my pm, have been for 15 yrs now. It gives me the energy and stamina for things I never could have done without it. I'm active and healthy and most people have no idea I have it. I look like all the other moms volunteering at school or working out at the gym.

It's not the end of the world, I promise! It takes some time to heal both mentally and physically, but most of us find that it's just a minor inconvenience and it leaves us feeling terrific with piece of mind that our hearts won't slow down so much that we arrest. I feel that there are much worse problems to have, I'm grateful to have something so easily fixed.

If you have more questions or just want to vent, there are a lot of us here who have been there and we're happy to listen.

Slow pulse and feeling faint

by ted - 2009-06-22 08:06:32

Sometimes when we are in fear, we like to get second, third and forth opinions to try to find someone to tell us what we would like to hear. With a slow heartbeat and feeling faint, it sounds like you are ready for a pacemaker. I didn't like the thought of having a foreign object implanted either, But I was told that I risked death if I didn't do it. You will be just fine

Getting A PM

by SMITTY - 2009-06-22 11:06:08

Hi Lizzie,

As Tracey said, when in doubt get another opinion. I think that is especially so with pacemakers because those little jewels are most often life-long propositions. From time to time I hear of someone getting a pacemaker and it turns out that was not what they needed. While this happens very rarely, we should always be certian we need one when in doubt.

I'm sure you know a pacemaker should take care of the very slow heart rate and any accompanying symptoms. Also, you say you are having A-Fib. One of the concerns for many people with A-Fib is that when the heart comes of out the A-Fib episode, it reverts to beating very slowly. This can cause several problems, one of which you know about is feeling faint. Another problem is that with a very slow heart rate following A-Fib, the blood can pool in the atriaum and clots can form. This is the reason many doctors will prescribe blood thinners, such as coumadin or warfarin. I'm told that people with a pacemaker will not experience a very low heart rate after an A-Fib episode because the pacemaekr steps in and prevent the heart rate frolm going below the low settign on the PM. Just more things to discuss with your doctor.

I will add one more thing. Don't be afraid of getting a pacemaker. The surgery is not major surgery and recuperation is usually just a few days. Afterward, you probably will not even be aware that you have a PM. They do their work silently and without causing pain. If you have either of these then the settings on the PM may need adjusting which will require a visit to the Dr., but is extremely simple and painless.

Good luck.

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