No PM yet: meds after receiving PM

Hi,
I am a 32yr male with a third degree AV Block and I constantly feel a little lightheaded and dizzy. After checking with a few docs I will probably be getting a PM very soon.

Can anyone tell me their personal experiences with their meds and how much they had to take? I am kind of worried about this.

If this question has already been asked, please post the link to the answers.

david

8 Comments

why meds with a pm?

by marymaher@charter.net - 2010-08-24 01:08:50

I tried to take sotalol and adenalol. Even cutting them into 1/4ths, they were too strong for me. Sounds like a pm is the answer for you. I just had my pm inplanted on Thursday and already feel a ton better. I also had A-Fib from an open heart surgery 5.5 years ago, so he ablated my AV node. I was so worried about being 100% dependent on the pm. I had visions of it stopping while I was driving and I would die and maybe wipe out others in an auto wreck. I was so happy to find out that with the pm off, when my hr got to 40, my own heart kicked in and stayed at 40. That is a miracle for me!
Mary

Meds & PM

by SMITTY - 2010-08-24 04:08:52



Hi David,

If you are asking how many meds. those of us with a pacemaker are having to take because of the pacemaker, I know of none. I have seen some of the members talk about being able to drop some medicines since they got their PM.

That is not to say no one has to take any heart medicines along with their pacemaker. There is a limit to what a PM can do for the heart and sometimes it takes medicine to finish the job.

Good luck on your new venture.

Smitty

NO Meds

by 8thID - 2010-08-24 07:08:37

I'm new to the PM club--I was implanted with an ICD on 7/27/10. I had heart block and a few instances, found on my 24 HR monitor, of tachycardia so I got an ICD. I had no other health problems and do not take any medications related to my heart/ICD. I'm 44 and male and have been feeling great.

meds & pacemaker

by Pookie - 2010-08-24 11:08:15

Hi.

I've had my pacemaker since November of 2004 at the age of 42 and I am not on any heart medications. My diagnosis was Sick Sinus Syndrome....since then I've been diagnosed with Junctional Rhythm, but still no heart meds :)

Every doctor is different - some members say their doctors have told them (or suggested to them) that you start taking the low dose of aspirin, I guess it all depends on why you're having the pacemaker to begin with.

Take care,
Pookie

av block

by Tracey_E - 2010-08-24 11:08:33

Hi david!
I was born with 3rd degree av block and got my first pm at 27. I'm on my 4th one now and feel terrific. I'm healthy and active and most people don't even know I have it. Having a pm doesn't keep me from doing anything I want to do.

Unless you have other problems, there's no reason to think you'll need any meds. AV block is a short circuit in the heart- the SA node in the atria sets the pace normally but the signal never gets through to the AV node in the ventricles. The pm simply completes the broken circuit by making the ventricles beat whenever the atria do. Problem fixed! After more than 15 yrs paced, I developed some atrial tachycardia so I'm on a low dose beta blocker now, but it's unrelated to my av block or pm. Some doctors put pm patients on blood thinners but they are very much in the minority if if they try to put you on one, I'd question it.

I was constantly lightheaded and dizzy also before getting my pm. It went away right away and I was full of energy! Haven't really slowed down since. :o) It felt like my heart was racing at first. It took a while to get used to the faster hr but the feeling eventually went away.

Good luck! If you have any questions about the surgery, recovery, or living with a pm, please ask away.

Another Meds question

by jaykay - 2010-08-24 11:08:48

The medicine Sotalol (Beta-Pace) 80 mg twice a day was prescribed when my PM was put in July 15, along with one 81mg aspirin per day. Diag SSS.

The side effect of night sweats and hotflashes is still bothersome, but indigestion has lessened with time. Fatigue comes and goes (guilty of naps).

Would also appreciate comments and a search here was also helpful. Good luck and welcome to this forum.
jk

thanks

by talldave - 2010-08-26 08:08:17

You guys are great! Thanks for all the responses. A few hours after my post I had to go to the ER. Now I am waiting for a heart catheter and tomorrow may be the first day of my PM life. I certainly didnt expect it so fast, but then again, that's life.

Thanks!

The best of Luck to you.`

by Settingthepace2 - 2010-08-27 06:08:14

Sorry to hear about your sudden trip to the ER, but it actually makes it so you don't have so long to ponder over it.
I have a PM for SSS and it is 70 days now and I feel fantastic. I take no medicine other then what I was taking before for a totally different problem. I started exercising for the first time in a long time. And today I got a colonoscopy!!! You will feel great in a few short days and can get on with your life.
Good luck to you.

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