Recovery - how long will it take to get used to the PM

On Friday May 26, 2017 I received a Medtronics 2 lead PM.  The reason was a 31 second pause - luckily I was in the hospital - it happened at 6:30 AM and the PM was put in at 10:30 AM.  I did go back to the doctor on Tuesday as it didn't seem right and it was reprogrammed to just pace the top lead; 60 was the set point.

It's now Sunday and I'm a little scared as I do detect an arritymia (don't think I had it before) and rising and lower BPM's and blood pressure.  AND I'M EXHAUSTED. No pain whatsoever form the surgery other than a major stiff neck (seeing a physical therapist).

Can you share your recovery issues for the first few weeks?

Thanks

Marty

 


6 Comments

After PM fitting

by Selwyn - 2017-06-05 09:18:45

Welcome to the club. 

It is normal to feel exhausted after your surgery. The events you describe are a shock to the system. Whilst you cope with the emergency and the anxiety, there has to be a catch up recovery period for your body, and mind. Just give it some time. There is associated with this  an increase of your awareness of 'heart beats'. Most of us just forget about the PM and life is as normal ( minus the chance of dying with a 30+second pause and no restart).

The pacemaker will work when your own body's system is not working. This means you will only be paced for short periods. I think when this happens some of us do feel the pacemaker beats. Of course, anxiety itself causes extra heart beats (' ectopics').  Once you have your fine-tuning pacemaker check, some of the threshold values, (the amount of charge needed to produce a heart beat, and the sensing sensitivity of what is happening in your heart)  and settings may be adjusted.

Selwyn 

Thank you for your comment .....

by MartyP - 2017-06-05 13:21:56

Based on what you wrote, I shouldn't be complianing at all.  I'm just not used to feeling "woozey" and so tired.  Reading some of the responses gives me a sense of hope that these feelings will pass soon - so thank you very much for your kind note.

Marty 

Recovery

by Gotrhythm - 2017-06-05 13:54:09

Sorry you're not feeling well. That isn't what we expect or hope for when we get a pacemaker.

Every heart is different. Some hearts take to being paced like a duck to water. Other hearts have to learn to get along with a pacemaker. It can take  while to settle in and several tries to get the settings optimal for you and your activity level.

It's possible that the pacemaker is not so much causing the arrythmia as exposing it. It may turn out to be a problem that needs to be addressed. Or as your heart gets used to being pacing, it might not bother you so much.

Here's something I wish someone had told me. A HR of 60 is a default setting but it isn't right for everyone. For some it's too fast, for others it's too slow. If it's a little too slow, you're not going to feel really good. If it's a lot too slow, you will feel terrible, exhausted. A change of even 5 PBM can make a big difference. What was your HR when you were younger? Was it higher or lower?

There are lots of causes for exhaustion and a slow HR is only one. But, if you have a PM, raising the HR is an easy fix. If it makes you feel better, great. If it doesn't, it can be reset to 60.

My whole point is that more changes to your settings may need to be made. Do keep going back. 

And keep coming back here. Let us know how you are doing.

struggling

by The real Patch - 2017-06-05 14:02:43

often when patients get a pacemaker, they become acutely aware of every little beat and notice things that may not be unusual but still can be frightening. You just had a device implanted and wires inserted inside your heart, it's irritated and annoyed so may well be giving you some feedback to say stop it. Almost always it's nothing to really worry about, and just takes a little time to adjust emotionally. Try finding something to take your attention away from your heart beats and focus elsewhere so you don't panic.

 

Good luck

Pace Makers and Arrythmias

by Artist - 2017-06-05 15:39:10

In my case, my PM was implanted to treat a very slow heart rate so that I could then receive the medications (beta blockers) that are needed to treat my various heart arrythmias, including AFIB.  Beta blockers have side effects and can lower an already slow heart rate.  As mentioned, prior to receiving a PM many people may have heart arrythmias they really did not notice.  Now they have a heightened awareness of their heart beats because of increased concern and focus on their cardiac function.  There is actually less reason to be scared now that your PM is helping your heart.  There is a continuing need to deal with the emotional impact of having a PM and there are issues that need to be addressed with your doctor and a considerable adjustment period.  The PM club has been a great help to me and a good source of information.  Keep speaking out and giving your doctors valuable feedback so that they can make informed decisions.  Welcome to the club!

Recovery - It's been two weeks !!

by MartyP - 2017-06-09 17:43:01

So today it's been a full two weeks since I received the PM.

With the exception of a WICKED stiff neck and some early uneven heart beats, my recovery is almost complete.

My last small concern is that I'm a little light headed in the morning, and I'm still waiting to get back to my old excercise routine.

I saw the cardiologist today and he wants to do a Lexiscan Nuclear Stress Test to make sure that everyting is OK.

SO I AM GRATEFUL THAT THE PM IS IN - THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR MESSAGES :) 

You know you're wired when...

You play MP3 files on your pacer.

Member Quotes

Focus on the good and not the bad.