Pacer or Something Else

It has been a while since I have posted here. I am a proud owner of a Medtronic Pacemaker at this time and have been since 2003. For about a month and a half or maybe a little longer now I have been having problems. When I lay down and still awake, or about to fall asleep and when I am asleep I get hit with an attack that feels like I have stopped breathing and I start gasping for my breath. My heart will either beat very hard or it will race. My Primary doctor had me wear a halter monitor for 24 hours and it picked up Atrial and Ventricular misfiring. They called it Bigeminy heartbeat. For a month I have been trying to get answers from my cardiologist and get no where. It feels like what happened after I had 7 bypasses in 2001 where my heart stopped for 8 seconds. I have spoke with the nurse and she says she puts it on his desk but I hear nothing. Also I found out he went part time and things don't get addressed as quick. I do see him tomorrw Mon. the 29th. I hope it can be resolved but Don't really know what to do with this part time doctor, I have had him since my first heart attack. There is one other doctor I can go to. The phone checks I have with the pacer say it is ok. I am wondering. It will also be checked tomorrow. What do you think? I am really at my end as to what to do here. What he used to say was nothing to worry about the American Heart Assoc. has said now that it is. What to do?

2 Comments

Could it be sleep apnea?

by valbob89 - 2009-06-28 10:06:24

Bruce:

That sounds scary. The breathing and rapid heart rate when falling asleep sounds like a problem I had. I was sent to a sleep specialist, was put on a brain-wave monitor and other things, and was sent to sleep.

Apnea! I'm overweight, and the extra fat in my (and many apnea patients') throats closes my airway as the muscles relax with sleep.

But overweight isn't the the determining factor; the sleep study is.

Ask your cardiologist if apnea could be causing the misfiring. Also ask how much battery life your pacer has left. With six years in place, the lower limit of battery life may be approaching. That may be a separate but important issue, because they'll put in a much more modern pacemaker when the battery reaches the last six months of expected service.

By all means don't let your problem continue without a diagnosis. If your doctor is reducing his practice, it may be time to ask for the referral he's making for other patients as well.

Bob

Broken lead?

by roy haycock - 2009-06-29 05:06:31


I had a similar experience some 3 vears ago and the medic's were mystified at first, but when it happened during an examination they saw the problem, but still did not realise what had caused it. That night, whilst in hospital awaiting checks the following day ,a nurse noticed that whenever I was on my left side during sleep ,I had arrhythmia. They found , next day, that a lead from the ICD had fractured and when I slept on my left side the lead parted and so did not pace and thus my problem. I had the lead replaced.
Your problem may be totally different ,so please consult a specialist.
Roy

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