Not feeling the greatest.

Maybe I got too excited about the 8 week weight loss challenge, but haven't been feeling the best this afternoon.

Keep checking my pulse and I am skipping beats. Called my EP and they told me to do an phone transmission. Nurse called back saying the pm is ok. She said what I am feeling are premature beats and they are not serious.

Anyone else experience these and will they go away? It's been going on for over 3 hours now.

10 Comments

Hi Heartu,

by Gellia3 - 2010-05-25 05:05:07

Yes, I've had them, too. I'm having them now. Just a few here and there. Mine sort of go, beat, beat, beat, pause, pause, then a hard beat-beat. They are PVC's. Not really a dangerous thing, but just disconcerting. I've had them off an on for as long as I've had a PM (35 years this year!) and my dr has never been impressed! LOL

I get up and walk around or take a deep breath if they bother me too much or I get runs of them. This seems to break their rhythm.

As long as your dr says they are PVC's. try not to worry. Like I said, I guess at least if mine were going to do something, they would have already. So far so good! I hope the same for you
and,
Hope this helps some.

My best to you,
Gellia

Thanks Gellia

by heartu - 2010-05-25 05:05:13

These things always happen when my husband is gone. As long as I don't have to worry that something bad will happen I will deal with it.

They feel exactly as you have described them. Now I am in a sad mood. Got to go start dinner for my daughter and me and I'll be back on here later.

Hi again,

by Gellia3 - 2010-05-25 06:05:03

Don't be sad or scared about a few PVC's. They'll pass. Just move around, take a deep breath, and they'll stop. Or, at least you won't notice them as much! :)

Mine used to panic me. I would get very nervous and scared. "uptight" is a good word here. Telling my dr just seemed to illicit an "Uh, huh". I would describe them. Surely they were going to kill me!!

Nah,...I'm still around and so are they. They don't worry me anymore. They're more annoying.
I hope you will be able to get past the fear they can make you feel. I usually go, "Oh, PHOOEY! Those darn "blips" are baaaaack!" Sort of the way Jack Nickelson did in "The Shining". LOL

Feel well! As long as your dr has cleared you, I predict you'll start to feel about them like I do.

Best to you!
Gellia

Knock wood.........

by LS - 2010-05-25 06:05:52

I haven't had the severe ones since the PM.
I'm sorry you're having them. It is unsettling.
I was told, "They won't kill you." & "You won't die from them." Well, thank you very much....they still don't feel good!!!
I hope their gone soon.
Liz

Skip Beats & Preemies

by SMITTY - 2010-05-25 06:05:53


Yes, I had those bad for about 2.5 years. If you are like me this is something that your pacemaker is not likely to be able to do anything about directly. My doctor tried various medications to help but unfortunately they did nothing for my skip beats, and preemies. However the medication did do a number on me in the way severe fatigue to the point even the doctor decided the cure was worse than the disease.

The goal was to lower the frequency of impulses from my heart's natural pacemaker which of course resulted in a low heart beat. Then my pacemaker was supposed to take over and raise my heart rate back to at least the low set point on my pacemaker and I would not have any that arrhythmia. This scheme works for most people with an arrhythmia like ours and have a pacemaker, but not for me.

I'm glad you can't hear me laughing at the reply you got from the nurse. I agree, the skip beats and preemies are not serious (for most people most of the time.) And of course your pacemaker okay. These are standard replies from most doctors and while they may be true they do little to help our feelings or calm our nerves.

Let me try to give you a little more in sight to what is going on. Your pacemaker is sitting there monitoring your heart function just waiting to see if it needs to send an impulse to make your heart beat. Even with skip beats and preemies the heart's natural pacemaker may be sending an impulse to make the heart beat but those impulses are too weak to do the job. However, the pacemaker doesn't count heart beats; it monitors our heart function for electrical impulses that should make the heart beat. When one of these weak impulses from the heart's natural pacemaker are sent the manmade PM doesn't send an impulse and the result is usually a skip beat. On the premature beats, the PM can sense them and will not send a beat as it just thinks one is not needed for a preemie as that is a heart beat just not a good one. The result is these weak impulses from the heart's natural pacemaker are fooling the pacemaker.

So if you are having skip beats and preemies, so long as they are not causing you physical distress, try your best to ignore them But if you start to have chest pain or start to get short of breath, forget that message you got from the nurse because it is time to tell your doctor things are bad enough that you need help.

I wish you the best,

Smitty

Me also

by MAXI1439 - 2010-05-25 08:05:07

I also have experienced some of the same. My sister told me my hand is going to be permanently attached to my neck if I don't stop checking my pulse, lol

I think some of these doctors should experience our symptoms at least once to know what we are talking about.

Hope you feel better.

hi

by pacergirl - 2010-05-25 08:05:48

Dear heartu, There is some wonderful advice already posted, good job people. However, I wanted to tell you that you are not alone.

I have suffered with the same problem of extra weird beats. Thank goodness with my new PM I have not had to deal with it anymore. I don't know why but they have stopped.

Take care, get some rest and know that we care about you!
Pg

Many Thanks!

by heartu - 2010-05-25 09:05:51

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and give me some comforting responses. I am finally feeling better and am watching American Idol right now. I called a friend and chatted with her and her husband for an hour earlier this evening.

It is comforting to know that you have people who genuinely care!!! Hugs to all of you!!!

Magster, I'm coughing!!!!

by heartu - 2010-05-26 10:05:16

I tried coughing as you suggested and funny..it worked!! LOL

Still have it this morning, but not as bad. Yesterday I was skipping every 8 to 12 beats. This morning it's more like 30 beats and then a skip.

Today marks 13 weeks (3 months) since my pm was implanted for 3rd degree heart block. I have pretty much gotten used to it and haven't really been paying much attention to it, until yesterday when these "dang" skipped beats started happening. Good thing I am not on Dancing With The Stars or my skipped beats would have ruined the dance! (LOL -- just my lame attempt at humor)

yes hun

by Hot Heart - 2010-05-26 10:05:50

I get them all the time, but I only tend to notice them at night.

If you are worried and you find it difficult to take your pulse when theyre happening, get a blood pressure monitor which also shows your pulse.

Sometimes I use this just to check that I am pacing at 70. The funny thing is that when I get the missed beats I'm usually above 70, dont know how that one works! lol.

I get a bit of afib as well, sometimes think i can confuse the two, but before I knew about these things I thought they were just symptoms of menapause.

HHx

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

Member Quotes

99% of the time, I totally forget I even have this device.