Will a PM improve energy level?

I'm a 60 yr old woman with bradycardia. No pacemaker so far. My symptoms are fatigue, feeling faint (but rarely fainting), nocturnal leg/foot cramps, and some edema in legs and feet. I'm not on meds. Bloodwork and thyroid levels are normal. But I'm tired of being tired, having no energy, accomplishing nothing!

Everything I read about bradycardia says that PaceMaker is the usual treatment, so I'm guessing my doctor will recommend that.

What I want to know is: Is a PM likely to really improve my energy level? Is it likely to improve my quality of life?

I'd love to read some replies from bradycardia patients who have lived with a pacemaker for a few months or years. How do you feel compared to how you felt before getting a PM?

Thanks in advance.

AnneD

5 Comments

energy and heart

by hopefulheart - 2015-11-11 01:11:24

Hi, Anne
The pacemaker itself cannot give you energy, but the increase in heart function can make a big difference for your health. Proper circulation is critical for all organs. Have a discussion with your doctor about a pacemaker and/or any medications for your particular needs. After that, if you are still uncertain about the course your doctor suggests for you, get a second opinion. Just don't delay finding what is best for you and doing it. Do it for healthier and happier days. Hope you stay with this site.
hopefulheart

More energy? Probably.

by Gotrhythm - 2015-11-11 03:11:31

Speaking from my experience with bradycardia, I'd say the answer to your question is probably.

Like you my primary symptom was tiredness, but with 20/20 hindsight I know there were other things going on.

I felt better as soon as I came out of anesthesia! The color in my face was better, although I hadn't realized it wasn't good before, and I slept better and waked more refreshed.

I wish I had done what you are doing, because I was pretty naive about pacemakers and how they worked, and that gave me unrealistic expectations. I felt better, and now that the I thought the problem was fixed, I would get back to my old self.

I believed, since nothing else was wrong, the pacemaker would just drive the heart faster and everything would be fine.

Not really.

A pacemaker is a machine, that's all. It's never going to replicate the responsiveness of a healthy sinus node. It can come close, and with fine tuning by pacemaker techs, closer, but it can't make your heart work like it used to.

I also had other arrhythmias, PVCs, PACs, and tachycardia episodes, I had lived with all my life without really noticing. (Those symptoms I had but didn't count.) They are called "benign" and until bradycardia came on, they were. But a pacemaker does not help them, and they can complicate getting the settings on the PM optimal for you.

So you can see the answer to your question is more than a simple yes or no.

Do I have the energy I used to? No. Do I have more than I did when my heart started slowing down? Yes. If I had it to do over again would I get the pacemaker? Yes.

I just came back from North Wales. I live in North Carolina. Without the PM I couldn't have made such a tiring trip. With the PM I'm not just existing. I'm living.

Energy level

by Good Dog - 2015-11-11 12:11:17

The answer to the question; will a pacemaker improve my energy level?
ABSOLUTELY!

Yes, it will greatly improve your quality of life. I did not have bradycardia, but had complete heart block. My pulse was 35 bpm and dropped even lower before my PM implant.

The PM has given me the opportunity to live a normal life. I had a workout routine in my 50's that most young folks in their 20's couldn't keep up with.That is until arthritis caught up with me. Not the point though.

If you doc recommends it, you'll find it is a fairly quick and easy procedure that will improve your life greatly. Give a choice, I would choose it over drugs. No side-effects.

I wish you the very best.

Sincerely,

Dave

pacemaker for Bradycardia

by AnaLena - 2015-11-12 07:11:01

Hello Anne
I'm 75 and female. Got my pacemaker almost 2 years ago for bradycardia (40-42 bpm) and intermittent heart block. I was blaming "age" for my decreased stamina, etc. until i fainted a couple of times. You don't want to do that.
By the time I saw the cardiologist, I was in congestive heart failure (not good!). Edema and leg cramps can be subtle signs of the beginnings of bad effects from having such a slow pulse.
I had my pacemaker implanted 10 days after my first cardiology visit. A couple of months and a couple of setting adjustments later, it was simply a matter of regaining my fitness, as my cardiologist said. I started walking, climbing 2 flights of stairs each day [that was a bit of a stretch but now it's not :) ], added tai chi, got back to yoga and gardening. Every day I feel stronger, more fit, and, best of all, I went from feeling "old" back to feeling "age is only a number"! And I've lost 8 pounds in the past year (this is a good thing).
I have no other health issues and my heart, other than the short circuit, is healthy.
I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get a pacemaker. So, when your doctor recommends it, go for it. Then. if a nearby hospital offers cardiac rehab or fitness for health classes, sign up. They are great places to get encouragement and ideas and to start regaining fitness.
Good luck to you.
Ana Lena

Thanks

by AnneD - 2015-11-13 04:11:36

Thanks for all the feedback! It's very helpful and reassuring to read real results from real PM wearers. I'm convinced that a PM is worth trying if my doctor recommends it. I've got some more tests to undergo first, so it's going to be awhile before the doctor offers any recommendations at all.

Anne

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