Something Wrong?

Hello,
Last night as I was singing with the Women's choir I experienced the shortness of breath and also both my hands tingling again as I did last week. Here is a past post I submitted, I am hoping others can comment on it. Thank you

Why would I feel this tingling numbness in my hands? And can it be caused due to the faulty lead wire of the pacemaker?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello I an 35 years old and I have a Dual Chamber Mode:DDDR Medtronic KDR901 Pacemaker - I received my 6th Pacemaker in 2004 and the leads in 1996.

Pacer Function:
Sensing Atrial: Unknown
Ventricular: Yes
Capture: Atrial Yes, Ventricular Yes

I have a faulty lead wire to the Atrial, top chamber of my heart depends on pacemaker 100%

Voltage: 0.75 in Ventricular & 2 in Atrial
Impedance 1022 in Ventricular and 139 in Atrial.

Sensing in Ventricular: 15.68 Atrial: Unknown

States pacemaker device has 7months remaining.

For the past year I have experienced sharp pains on my right side of chest where the top lead is looped to go to the heart. I have other old leads placed in the heart yet and believe that they are making noise, and I have shock like symptoms but the old leads are not connected to the pacemaker they are just floating in there. I went to the doctor and found out I have a faulty lead. Due to the 2-3 leads I have in my heart already they may extract them out the the heart and replace the faulty lead but there is a high risk of bleeding. Have anyone had old leads extracted?

Also they mentioned that they could just replace the battery every 3 years but no guarantee the lead won't quit 100%. Plus not sure if I want to be opened up every 3 years. I had open heart at 16months but don't remember really any of it. Died once and they brought me back. PTL!

The past month I have felt more and more tired. I was singing for church the other day and became out of breath and had numbness and tingling in both of my hands, than very tired after that, what is that from? Why is it happening?

The doctors state I have 7 months til the battery will die, insurance won't cover til I am in backup mode or unless the doctors state I can't wait. I see cardiologist surgeon this Nov 2010 and wonder if I should insist of having the surgery done soon. I feel lite headed, dizzy more, and just tired.

Can anyone look at this info and give me their thoughts, suggestions, opinions etc. I would so greatly appreciate it.

3 Comments

call

by Tracey_E - 2010-11-04 03:11:17

same thing I said the last time you asked, I think you should call. I don't know if it's the lead or what but sudden changes are always something that should be checked out. It really sounds to me like either the lead has gotten worse or it's gone into EOL. Just because they said 7 months does not mean it will be 7 months, that's an educated guess that assumes nothing changes. I had a lead go faulty in 2004, I kept it and chose the shorter battery life through a change in 2007. Last year about this time they told me 6 months. I went back in early Jan (6 weeks later) and was already ERI, the lead had gotten worse and sucked up that last 6 mos of power I thought I had.

Need to get checked

by tsimbrow - 2010-11-04 09:11:33

Hi Star,
I agree with Tracey. As a nurse and a fellow patient. You need to get in to see a doctor right away. This could be a sign of many things. You could have had a mini stroke. I have had them and had the same symptoms. Tingling in my hands and dizzy and shortness of breath and weakness. You need to see someone right away and get this looked into. I know how much we hate to be bothers to our doctors and healthcare professionals, but now is the time to be a bother. This could be symptoms of very serious things and if you are 100% paced than it is even more important that you get seen right away. I'm very concerned about you.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

by Star - 2010-11-15 11:11:41

Hello,
Thank you all for your responses.
I will be seeing a doctor on the 29th of Nov. My symptoms seem to not be as bad these past few weeks but tired. I am not 100% paced just the top chamber of heart and thats the chamber the faulty lead is in. I have been pacing myself lots and resting as much as I can.

I will post if anything changes. Can anyone tell me what my numbers mean on my pacemaker. THANKS


Pacer Function:
Sensing Atrial: Unknown
Ventricular: Yes
Capture: Atrial Yes, Ventricular Yes

I have a faulty lead wire to the Atrial, top chamber of my heart depends on pacemaker 100%

Voltage: 0.75 in Ventricular & 2 in Atrial
Impedance 1022 in Ventricular and 139 in Atrial.

Sensing in Ventricular: 15.68 Atrial: Unknown

You know you're wired when...

Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.

Member Quotes

I can bike a 40-50 tour with no trouble.