Please Advise: Questions on PM

Hello, having been diagnosed with BradyCardia, I was given a PM last April. Seems to be working out fine: I exercise quite a bit, and haven't had any significant issues (I'm an otherwise healthy 48yr old male).

Today, though, following lunch, I had a little more caffeine that I normally do, and then I started getting light-headed, feeling that my PM was failing (in some way that I can't describe). Seems like it was beating/firing in a way that I wasn't used to.

It's possible that I was having a mini-panic episode (my hands began trembling a little, and I started to perspire).

But there were a couple of times that I thought that I was going to pass-out, at work. Very scary. After an hour or two, it seems to be 'better', but I remain concerned.

I will make an appointment to see my Cardio guy, asap, but would welcome your feedback in the meantime. Sidenote: When I've gone in for the tune-ups/check-ups, the thing they do with testing & adjusting the timing/rate always freaks me out, and makes me feel like I am about to pass-out. Is that normal?

I've asked my Doctor to ensure that the self-test thing that it's supposed to do happen only when I'm in the office-- cause that freaks me out just way too much.

Overall, I've found that the PM doesn't really affect my life that much; I tend to not really notice it, very often. But today, I'm a big bowl of worry, as I don't want to have it be the 'norm', where I feel that weird timing thing.

Was if the coffee?

Regards,

rick

6 Comments

Caffiene

by cfritza - 2010-01-27 09:01:10

Hi Rick,

I am also 48 and exercise reguarly and just got my PM in Oct 09. I know whenever I drink too much caffiene it does makes my heart have palpations and I swear I get extra PVC's which sometimes if you have a few in a row they can make you feel anxious and light headed but usually are not anything to worry about. I am not a Dr. but I wouldn't doubt that that extra caffiene could have caused the problem today. If it continues it's always good to get it checked out by a real Dr.. Everyone is different how caffiene affects them but I know I've cut way back since the PM just cuz I dont like those feelings. And your not alone about not liking the pacer checks it does feel really weird when they interrogate it and not in a good way. Hope this helps

hmmmmmm...

by Pookie - 2010-01-27 09:01:18

Hi Rick and welcome to this wonderful club.

I've never heard of caffeine causing lightheadedness, but then again I'm not a doctor (wish I were tho!!!). Your hands trembling could be a result of too much caffeine, I've experienced that. Caffeine is a stimulant and usually increases your heart rate, so perhaps that is what you felt.?????

The first thing that jumps out at me is you say your pacer was beating/firing in a way that I wasn't used to.
I was always told that no one should ever feel their pacemaker working. However, there are always exceptions, right? Having said that, are you the type of person that has felt your pacemaker pace ever before?

I'm thinking to myself: okay, you had a bit too much caffeine, your heart starts to beat harder and faster and then your hands start to tremble.....that could be more than possible. The sweating part could have been your reaction to the other 2 symptoms?? like a mini mini panic attack?? hence you felt like you might pass out. I've experienced everything you have just described, I was just trying to figure out in what order did it happen to you.

And if it was a mini panic attack, yes, it is possible for it to take a few hours to get back to feeling normal. Again, it's happened more than once to me.

(If you're brave enough...and I'm just kidding here...try drinking more coffee again to see if you have the same thing happen).

Oh, and when you go and have your pacemaker interrogated...yes, some people do experience what you have described. Some people say its dreadful and they feel "yucky". What my pacer tech does, thank gawd, is she tells me what she is going to do BEFORE she does it so I will know what to expect. My tech raises my heart beat to 80 (and I can feel that for sure), then she lowers it...I asked just this past Monday how low, and she said to 30 to see what my intrinsic rate is...my own natural heart rate without the pacer. Monday it fell to 48. Again, I felt that too.

I'm betting it was the coffee!!!!!!!!!!!

Pookie

Questions

by SMITTY - 2010-01-27 10:01:08


Hello Rick,

It may be a stretch, but I think yes, too much caffeine could cause your lightheadness. Caffeine, a little, or too much, can cause heart palpations and if these are severe enough they can interrupt the normal amount of blood your heart is pumping and too little blood being pumped can cause lightheadness or even passing out. (For us that have A-fib. know how quickly this can happen) Also, palpations, or an irregular heart beat may feel like what you describe as "beating/firing." Of course in Addison to the caffeine, some of the food you ate could contribute to the same symptoms. My suggestion is try very hard to not let you imagination run wild with your feeling and wait until you can see the doctor.

I will mention something about the feeling you experience when the "testing & adjusting the timing/rate" takes place. I'm guessing you are talking about the feeling you experience when they place the magnet over your pacemaker (this is when I get an uncomfortable feeling). When this is done our pacemaker is shifted from an on demand mode to a full time operating mode that sends impulses to our heart without rearguard to what our heart's natural pacemaker may be doing. This can result in a conflict of impulses to our heart chambers for a few seconds to a few minutes, and I agree it is uncomfortable.

But based on what you say "the PM doesn't really affect my life that much" I will say I think you have the bull by the horns so don't let a short time of irregular heart beats instill doubt about your pacemaker. I've had mine for ten years and it has convinced me that it will sit there day in and day doing what it is programmed to do.

Good luck

Smitty

Hello

by tsimbrow - 2010-01-27 11:01:31

Hi Rick,
I too have bradycardia and I'm a nurse. I do not have a pacemaker right now as they are still trying to decide on that. i had a rough time with the first one.
First off, I was told to go off caffeine and i would suggest that to you. It might be getting your heartrate up too high and your pacemaker is not able to help you. Anxiety can also be an issue. I'm glad you are going to see your heart guy, but try going off the caffeine for a day or two and see what that does. I'm basically agreeing with what everyone has said so far. Go see the cardiologist, but also try to reduce your caffeine intake and your stress (if you can) and see what happens. Hope this helps.
Taryn

could it be afib??

by Hot Heart - 2010-01-28 04:01:38

hi there, I had 11,000 episodes of afib in 6 months, almost given up coffee and had only 900 episodes last 3 months, could be a connection

HH

Agree

by bgarza - 2010-01-28 12:01:59

I agree that it's probably the caffeine. But always a good idea to check with your doc. I too, have indulged in too much caffeine - I love those Star Bucks Cafe Mochas. But too much caffeine does give me PVCs which make me lightheaded, which used to cause me to panic and have anxiety attacks. Now that I know what my body is doing, I take it in stride and lay off the caffeine. I did go to De-Caf and sometimes ask for a half caf, half reg. Good luck to you.

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