dead pacer

HI.
I joined the club yesterday. I,ve read about 200 ofyour testements. None seem to fit my case.
I had my pacer implant in 2003. I have had a 6 mo check at the clinic ever since. My last checkup. revealed that my pacer isnt
working anymore. This checkup was 1 mo ago.
My card. has opted to not replace it yet. He has put me on a lopresser ,Med , Therapy.
Is there any of you out their who have experenced this type therapy?
Johnearla31

7 Comments

lopressor

by Tracey_E - 2010-05-12 01:05:22

Lopressor is Metoprolol. I thought so but didn't take the time to look it up before so I wasn't sure. It will LOWER your hr, it is a beta blocker. It is not in any way a substitute for a pacemaker. In fact, it does the exact opposite of a pacemaker. Many of us with pacemakers are on it or something similar, but usually for a second condition. I have a pm to speed up my ventricles due to my av block, I take a beta blocker to slow down my atrial tachycardia. Between the two, I feel good. Johnearla31, if you can get by without the pm, that's awesome for you! But I would really really recommend you find out exactly why your dr thinks this will work and why he has you on something that will slow down your heart. I'd want a second opinion, and verification that you were not pacing before the battery died.

Lopressor

by LS - 2010-05-12 06:05:34

I have a PM & also take this 2 times a day. 500mcg.
I also take Tikosyn.

Lopressor

by SMITTY - 2010-05-12 06:05:37



Hello Johnearla31,

Welcome to the Pacemaker Club.

Tracey said it well. Lopressor is a beta blocker and cannot replace the function of a pacemaker since their effect on the heart beat is directly opposite of a pacemaker. Beta blockers slow down the heart rate and pacemakers speed it up. When you think about that it makes about as much sense as burning the candle at both ends.

There are many reasons for a person to take beta blockers but the one most often for Lopressor is to slow the heart rate and to reduce blood pressure. For many of us that have pacemakers and also have an irregular heart rate (this was my doctor's reason for giving it to me) Lopressor will slow the function of the heart's natural pacemaker enough to stop the irregular heart beat and then my pacemaker steps in and brings my heart rate back up to an acceptable rate for me.

This treatment regimen is quite common. However, at no point does a beta blocker replace the need for a pacemaker. Apparently whatever reason you got a pacemaker for originally no longer exists. Heart, or any organ in our body, that develops a problem can sometimes correct it self if we are lucky.

You don't say how long you have been taking the Lopressor, but if you are just starting I suggest that you carefully read the insert that came with your prescription. Lopressor, as will all beta blockers, can cause some side effects that are most undesirable. For me it is severe fatigue to the point I cannot take any beta blocker. There are others beside fatigue and these will be listed on that insert. While that insert is your best source of information, if you no longer have it, you can Google Lopressor.

I wish you the best,

Smitty

dead pacer

by johnearla31 - 2010-05-12 06:05:42

Thanks for the comments.
My doc was relucktent when he implanted my pm in 03.
his main objective was to control my hr. between 70 and 100 beats. I think he forgot that I was getting a cardioversion every 2 mos. then Since the implant the pm was pulling me out of AF until approx 9 mos ago. My unit is a medtronic pm. A med thek was present when the lab couldn,t get a reading a mo ago. She had to call her boss to find out that the pm was dead. I,m losing my patienct with the Card. since its a phone tag
episode with his nurse. I contacted Medtronics about this. They gave me your website and are going to follow up with the card to try and make a sale. I,m pretty sure i,ll get my new pm somtime in the near future.
Johnearla31

no

by Tracey_E - 2010-05-12 10:05:54

I have not heard of that. Lopressor is a beta blocker and will lower hr and bp, if I'm not mistaken. Is the lopressor for a new condition or a replacement for the pm? Why did you get the pm and how much were you using it? If you were pacing at all, I would run, not walk, to another cardiologist for a second opinion. How do you feel?

battery usage

by Tracey_E - 2010-05-14 10:05:55

Sensing uses up battery power also, so you can pace very little or none at all and still kill a battery.

Question

by Gellia3 - 2010-05-14 12:05:34

I'm a bit confused on something.

If your battery was dead (am I correct in this!?) wasn't it used then? Or, is your body just not needing the PM anymore?

If batteries normally last about the 7 years you've had it, was it not being used at all and the battery just died?

I think I'd want to know that before I elected not to have it replaced and go on meds alone. I think it may also depend on why you got one to begin with. With me, I'm 100% dependent. You obviously aren't, but why would the battery go dead if it wasn't being used?

Anyone??

Gellia


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