POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS?

December 26th, my fourth TIA.

January 5th, ER and hospitalized 5-days for AFIB. I can't feel the heart beating but I definitely feel the side-effects. I was placed on blood-thinner and medication for the AFIB and told that most likely the TIA'S had been caused from attacks of AFIB and should not stop.

February 4th, I had a dual-chamber Boston Scientific PM inserted. My interrogation showed I wasn't using the lead to the lower-chamber at all. I was using the lead to the upper chamber a little over 8-hours in 24. Guess I did need it after all. My heart rate was changed to 60-140 so I can be more active. I am amazed at how quickly I am noticing changes in the way I feel including the ability to think quicker and remember better.

Friday I woke up with swollen feet, ankles, and calves but no weight gain. Sunday I started feeling really tired again. Tuesday, I had periods of feeling light-headed, coughing from not breathing, and feelings I was going to pass out.

My first reaction was complications from the PM. Then I thought about what they had said about the AFIB and the PM would only take care of the Sinus Pauses/Sinus Arrests but could not control AFIB. It could try and keep the heart lower than 155 beats if in AFIB, but these are two totally different problems needing two different treatments. A PM is not a cure-all for everything.

What I have read on the message board has been so helpful. I agree with the one, who said we need to be more positive and the one, who said we need less chatting and more information. As helpful as this board has been, I'm here for information from those who either have a PM or medical personnel who have some answers.

Wednesday, I will talk to the nurse again and hopefully find out which area is causing me problems.

The most positive thing I can say right now is this: I had this inner knowledge that something was wrong with me. I had no idea there were two things wrong. God has me in the care of excellent people. This board has been very informative and encouraging.

I know without the PM, I could have died. I also know with the PM, I have a chance to get my normal life back and this will be a blessing.

Madelen

5 Comments

new to pacemaker too

by pacy0320 - 2010-02-17 09:02:29

hello...i am new to PM, implant 1/18/2010. I am new to this site today. you stating having inner knowledge that something was wrong caught my attention. i don't want to share my story with you if you aren't interested, as you said less chatting. i dont have much knowledge to contribute. just looking for someone to chat with and expand PM knowledge. contact me if you'd like to chat. and good luck.






I DIDN'T SAY THIS WELL.

by Madelen - 2010-02-19 01:02:47

Hi Pacy0320,

Oh, I'm sorry you took the chatting that way. I guess what I meant was this is a forum to support and learn about pacemakers and this is the main focus of this board, so we should be sharing and learning, keeping the private chatting for messages or other boards. When you are searching for information, you simply want information.

Sorry I didn't explain myself well. I'm sure those, who have been here awhile have gotten to know each other, but for the new ones, like you and me, we have so many unanswered questions and simply want to know what is normal and what isn't.

thats ok...

by pacy0320 - 2010-02-19 09:02:31

My problem is just a slow heart rate and blood pressure always low and at times so slow that I passed out. Mostly in my sleep for many years and in cycles in early mornings shortly after awakening. Odd thing about it is that the times I have passed out during the day is mostly during menstrual cycle. The night thing may happen two or three nights in a row and then not for a few nights. It is unpredictable. Wearing a monitor long term solved the mystery when I was able to record one of the episodes when I was just waking up.

The one that was recorded showed my heart stopping and restarting several times in the 90 seconds of recordings. The cardiologist and the EP dr. said likely this is what I struggle thru the night with as I had thought all along it was all connected. Also that I was misdiagnosed as a seizure disorder 15 years ago.

At the time the neurologist just jumped at that was what it was and I was put on medication simply for no reason we come to find out now. I had told my husband during that time , I have this inner knowledge, as you also called it, that it was not a seizure thing and went off the medication. After many dr's and becoming very frustrated I just gave up. At the time my children were small and I had one dr say to me "maybe you are bored and need to get a job" (at that time I was at home raising my children). Surely you can see the pattern I was in being frustrated.

Then when the daytime symptoms came back this past September...I went to the new neurologist. He said you need a cardiologist. The cardiologist stuck with me and said we will figure it out. Both the cardio and the EP dr are perplexed as to the daytime episodes of passing out tying to my menstrual cycle. Both said I would still feel like I was going to pass out however pacemaker would take over and bring me up to speed and I would be ok. Sure enough, first time that is what occurred, however now they have increased my rate and hoping that if it occurs this week I will not feel as close to passing out and come around quicker.

It does go off in the nighttime or when resting watching TV, for the first few weeks I could feel the pacemaker pacing they said likely due to a nerve thing. Now I don't feel that but know when the heart rate picks up when it is needed. Depending how tired I am, I will sleep thru it or awaken briefly.


So that is my story....I just felt like sharing it!

PACY0320

by Madelen - 2010-02-20 01:02:56

Wow. Thank goodness I have not dealt with your problem while raising kids. My heart goes out to you and I hope the PM does the trick.

I have a dual chamber Boston Scientific. When I had the first week checkup and the guy interrogated the PM, the readings amazed me. It knows more what's going on in my life than I do :)

I go in Monday and I'm sure the PM guy will interrogate the PM again first thing. If it is OK, I'm not sure what happens next. If it's not, I'm wondering if the lead to the upper chamber of the heart came loose, or if the settings need to be adjusted.

After getting a taste of feeling good for 4-days, I want it back. Within 30 minutes of being awake, my feet/ankles, calves of legs start swelling. I'm tired within 5-minutes and it sure makes for a long day.

The chest pressure comes and goes as does the incision pain. The shortness of breath is on-going.

I'm now taking medication for Atrial Fibrillation, but if it's not the PM, then I hope the cardiologist will do more testing.

Have you checked with your gynecologist? I ask because my daughters, granddaughters, and I all experienced the same thing of trying to pass out and weakness during menstrual periods. We have been told this is probably a hereditary factor. Like you, I think the cycle makes the heart slow down, the blood pressure lowers, and this is what causes the passing out feeling.

I don't understand if the PM is set to say 60 beats per minute, why you would even experience the feeling of passing out unless your blood pressure still drops really low. I'm sure this is disheartening.

I hope you are careful and don't drive on the days when this is likely to happen.

Another thing. Have you ever gone through a sleep clinic? I stop breathing a couple times each hour but my oxygen level dips down into the low 80's about 20 times an hour when I sleep. With this CPAP machine set to automatic, it keeps my oxygen level normal. I wake up knowing I did get sleep, which is a good feeling.

I don't know if I helped at all, but I can say you make my problems feel like a whole lot less. Now, to pray for you and your problems.

Madelen

just seeing this today 2/28

by pacy0320 - 2010-02-28 09:02:31

sorry but only seeing your post today 2/28, not sure why.

Anyway, thanks for the reply. Yes, my gynecologist is aware of it. I have been to THREE in the past several years and NONE of them tend to think anything of my symptoms.My cardio dr now is rather upset with my current gyno dr. for not being concerned. I am lucky to be alive, thankful for the dr. that found my problem.

The cardio dr. said that my blood pressure is normally low and when the pressure drops it triggers the fainting but now the pacemaker will not allow that to occur. I did not get the fainting feeling this cycle, but did wake up with PM going off several times each night.

The dr. did mention doing a sleep study but then asked my husband a bunch of questions and changed his mind. Maybe I should ask him to do it anyway?

I go to PM clinic tomorrow to get checked as I feel on ice last week and they want to just make sure all is ok but I am pretty sure it is.

Good luck with your appt and let me know how you do.

PATTY

You know you're wired when...

You play MP3 files on your pacer.

Member Quotes

Today I explained everything to my doctor, he set my lower rate back to 80 and I felt an immediate improvement.