Anxiety
I know that many of us have certain levels of anxiety when dealing with and accepting our pacemakers. That would be expected.
But am I learning the hard way that sometimes....its not just anxiety for anxiety sake!
Get your thyroids checked if you feel like your anxiety or panic attacks after the pacemaker seem like they are going on a bit too long. You might have a hyperthyroid! Hyperthyroid is often overlooked and doctors may lump us in with the "your just anxious" crowd. And it certainly might be true.
However...there is a possibility it's not. I have been hypo for about 2 years. Something changed in my body after the PM and now I am on the high end of the normal range. I am borderline hyper! I will know in about 4 weeks when the blood work comes back they are already thinking the tachycardia is being induced by the thyroid medicine.
Granted...it probably won't take all the nervous jitters away but I will certainly help! I finally feel like after all this time....they just might be getting it right!
So if you are unsure....look into it. It's worth a shot!
Best of luck-
Wendy
7 Comments
Mag
by wenditt - 2010-02-09 01:02:15
Is there enough magnesium in a regular daily vitamin to help? or are we talking more than that is needed?
Hypo Hyper Magnesium Oh My!!
by FirstDuely - 2010-02-09 01:02:55
I've been taking Levothyroxin for hypothyroidism for probably 8 years. I was diagnosed about the same time my father-in-law was diagnosed with the same thing. My daughter was diagnosed with it about 4 years ago while in college.
What does this mean to me? Wendy knows the answer...or at least is on to something that I have been thinking about and now doing research on (I just retired so NOW I have the time!!!) and I am trying to understand this in a scientific sense...so that it can make sense in regards to the pm and my "supposed" high blood pressure (2 meds currently for).
There is so much info out there and so much to learn. Apparently doctors don't have the time to be concerned about our REAL health, but I will leave that right there because I can rant on the medical industry for a long, long time.
Below is just a sampling of what I have found on the internet. Take it for what it is worth (or not) and draw your own conclusions (or not) but I agree with Wendy that this subject deserves more study (or not) at least by those with hypo and hyper conditions. BTW, one person in one of these mentions how one can be hypo for awhile, then change to hyper. Key is diet and mineral balance, specifically Magnesium.
Hope this helps someone.
Gary in Hemet, CA
(I am NOT advocating for or against buying anything advertised on these sites. Evaluate the info on your own and I would be happy to discuss and/or argue any points made in these bodies of work. I don't even know how valid the statements are nor how factual. Then go to the web and find MORE information....info is good!)
www.cardiophile.com/can-magnesium-deficiency-affect-the-heart
www.thyroid-info.com/booktoc.htm#INTRO2
tampabayinformer.com/Health/Natural-Health/How-Does-Calcium-and-Magnesium-Affect-Your-Heartbeat-Sept-2009.html
naturalhealthweb.com/articles/kanderson2.html
Stigmatism
by Pookie - 2010-02-09 02:02:40
Here's one for ya'll....
After I had my 4 surgeries for my pacemaker all within 10 days I developed a stigmatism!!!!!!!!
I was really really dizzy after having my pacer and decided to have my eyes tested and the first thing the opthamologist said to me was: "did you have surgery lately???" I almost fell off the chair. She told me I also had very low blood pressure just by looking in my eyes with that machine. I was totally impressed.
So, yes, things can happen to us after surgeries.
Matter of fact, the vision in my bad eye got better and the good eye got the stigmatism...go figure.
Pookie
Hypo also
by nat36 - 2010-02-09 02:02:44
I have been hypo for about ten years and taking medication for it. After my pacemaker surgery my blood tests changed also. I am not hyper but we changed my medication because of the change. There is definitely a link between your thyroid and your heart because your thyroid controls everything. That is always the first thing that the doctors test when I am having trouble with my heart. So I agree that everyone that has heart trouble should have their thyroid checked:)
Wendy, did you change your medicine? Are you taking synthroid? When I was on that medicine it made me very nervous and shaky all the time.
Hope you get it leveled out!!
OMG....
by Pookie - 2010-02-09 04:02:19
Now you guys have really got me thinking.
I have so so so many medical issues since this dam pacer.
I have a single cyst on my thyroid. My ENT has been doing ultrasounds on it every 6 months just to keep an eye on it as it is growing in size. For whatever reason a single cyst is worse than a cluster of cysts according to him. I just put it to the back of my mind because I've got so many other things going on.
Never had the cyst on my thyroid before the pacer tho, or it was so so tiny that it was detectable back then.
It's gotta be the anaesthetic, or the new meds, or the fact that our hearts have been "interfered" with. Or in my case, I was without oxygen for a little while, then with low oxygen for quite awhile. Plus I was on a lot of heavy duty medications for what they thought were migraines. I even found out that I have a cyst on my liver and one on my kidney and several on my ovaries. And I have a Baker's cyst behind my right knee. I really think I should change my name from Pookie to Cyster. ha ha ha.
WHY, for some of us, since having our pacers, that all of these other medical issues start to arise? Or were they going to rear their ugly heads with time anyways?
It sure is and has been baffling me. As I can say with 110% certainty that I was pretty healthy before my pacer. All I had was a bit of tiredness, and I knew I had a slow heart rate for years.
Since the pacer I developed: colitis, meniere's, hearing loss, back problems, extreme fatigue, sinus issues, edema!!!, a torn rotator cuff, etc.
Perhaps it's just all coincidence, I dunno. Perhaps it's just because I'm aging and not too gracefully I might add :)
But this is the hand I've been dealt so I'll deal with it the best way I can and am grateful that there is this site to share our opinions, thoughts, concerns and problems with even though some of them may not be heart related.
Another thought: It's gotta be partly blamed on the medications too. Every med has a side effect.
Pookie
HEY
by FirstDuely - 2010-02-09 05:02:25
Pookie: Getting old sucks! ;)
Wendy: I Pmessgd U re: My drug (addiction? Q: Is it an addiction if you cannot live, or live well, without them?) list.
This is what I have been saying all along: IF I "got" hypothyroidism after many years of pacing, could I have actually HAD it before and actually caused problems with the heart....slow heart rate vs hypo...connection made.
I was always very hyper to begin with with a high metabolic rate. But I was also pretty stressed all the time coaching and teaching and doing clubs and then we decide to have children. Whamo!! Pacer time.
(Sing along with me now:)
The drugs are connected to the...heart bone, the heart bone is connected to the....pacer bone, the pacer bone is connected to the....head bone, and the head bone is controlled by the endocrine system. Get the picture?
I can easily play that tune on my trumpet as well ;)
BTW, look up the incidence of thyroid problems. My daughter now is hyper, too, taking I think 88mcg/day, my father in law is taking around 128mcg (he's 87) and I take 112mcg.
Cause and effect scenarios are difficult to prove but if one looks at connections maybe we can get to a point where we all achieve what we want and that is to feel normal....every day, every minute, every second.
Zounds!! This is a great group of people...helping others so we can help ourselves.
Gary in Hemet, CA
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I, too, am feeling tons better since my implant.
Getting to the bottom of stuff
by paulb - 2010-02-09 01:02:11
It is great to get to the bottom of problems. It is hard going through so many tests and procedures but it is great to know what is wrong. I hope you get to the bottom of your issues and get better soon. :)