check ups

I have had my pm for about 6 months and had a check up, the st jude rep checked my settings,90% pacing upper, lower was 2% which was a surprise since that leed was put in for insurance. Mine is set at 70bpm. Not sure if rate response is set. My problem was bradycardia, in 30'sbpm, fainting episodes. was able to go up.

Anyway my question is does anybodies cardiologist turn their pm off during their check up to see how your heart is naturally. To see if our hearts are the same or have gotten worse.

6 Comments

not usually

by Tracey_E - 2010-06-16 06:06:41

They only turn mine off at the last check before a replacement. I use the pm 100% of the time so it can't get much worse, lol. They do it before a replacement to see how low my underlying rate is.

If you're pacing mostly atrial, odds are very high your rate response is on.

Yes, this it true :-)

by pacergirl - 2010-06-16 10:06:30

Yes, my EP did turn off my pacemaker (St. Jude dual) to check on how my heart would react and to check some other things. I'm not talking about putting the magnet over the pacemaker... but actually stopping the pacemaker from working. The test only last for a few minutes thank goodness. I am paced at 65% of the time so I just feel like awful for a few min.

Pacergirl

Yes

by Pookie - 2010-06-16 11:06:18

When I have my pacemaker checked twice a year, the pacemaker tech doesn't actually turn it OFF but she told me she turns it down to 30 to find out what my own natural heart beat would be...she calls it the intrinsic rate...hope I spelled that word correctly :)

and when she turns my pacemaker down, I always go down to the mid 30s...but I don't feel a thing. I only feel it when she makes my heart go faster, but it's only for a few seconds and I don't find it uncomfortable, I can certainly feel it but I find it kind of hard to describe.

Pookie

Pacer Test

by DybHen - 2010-06-17 09:06:00

I have a dual chamber St. Jude pacemaker. Never been shut off per se, but they have said they are going to see what my heart is doing on its own. I guess I've never asked how they do that, but at the time I had a good steady pace on my own, which was common before I got it. I went days with a normal heart rhythm, then I'd have several bad days.

Oh, and I did ask my doc whether anyone was able to have a pacemaker removed in all his years, he said no. Bummer.

Turn it down

by Beckes76 - 2010-06-21 12:06:55

Mine always turned it down and I would feel dizzy for a few seconds. They always warned me and if I didn't feel well to tell them ASAP. Now I get checked over the phone so I don't see them only when I need to get it replaced. Hopefully not for another 5 years. Knock on wood.

Becky

cost!

by Dacronman - 2010-06-22 01:06:37

Hello, just a comment. I had my pm interrogated about 3 months ago over the phone from my home. Got a bill for $538.65. i was totally surprised. i have never gotten a bill for that. Anyway. my insurance paid $1.65 of the bill cause i have a $500 deductable and i haven't been to the doctor all year to use up the deductable. I now am wondering if my current insurance will pay anything for a replacement. I sure am dissappointed, but not surprised.
Thanks for reading
JON

You know you're wired when...

Your signature looks like an EKG.

Member Quotes

The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.