Bradycardia and associated symptoms

I've never been called a " lovely" before !

by IAN MC - 2018-02-20 10:32:06

Hi Acey    Your heartrate should rise with normal daytime activities ; if it doesn't you will feel awful.    Rather than coping, I would try to bring your appointment forward.

It sounds very much as though a simple PM adjustment will solve your problem . Your PM can have * rate response* switched on which will increase your heartrate when you move around or exercise. I am in the UK and have always found that I can jump the appointment queue at the pacemaker clinic if I need a simple adjustment to the PM setting.   Try ringing them....nothing to lose !

Another possibility is that your medications are pushing you into bradycardia, again you need to be seen sooner rather than later.

Best of luck

Ian

Lovely Ian

by Grateful Heart - 2018-02-20 11:07:28

Unless I am reading Acey's post wrong, she does not have a PM yet.

Coping can be tough because you don't know what to expect...fear of the unknown.  But you have found this site prior to your PM so that is a huge plus....many of us didn't know this site existed (myself included) so questions or concerns were never answered.

As lovely Ian suggests....call and see if you can be seen sooner since you feel as if you may pass out.

Ian has a new name!

Grateful Heart

Agree

by MartyP - 2018-02-20 11:07:55

Something doesn't sound right ... the PM has a bottom setting (mine is 55, most are set to 60).  If your rate rate wants to fall below the bottom number the PM is to kick in and keep your heart beat no lower then the bottom set point.

Like Ian said, don't take no for an answer, move your appointment up to the first time you can get there.  If you have to, call 3 times and tell them they have to see you .... usually that will work because if they don't and something happens they could be liable in a court action.

Let us know how you do and what they do to "FIX IT"

Good luck !!

Ahhhh Greatfull Heart !!

by MartyP - 2018-02-20 11:10:18

I didn't even think that she might yet have not had the PM.  

Acey - do you have it or not yet? 

Thank you Gorgeous Grateful

by IAN MC - 2018-02-20 11:14:54

I probably made the wrong assumption that you already have a PM, Acey, but my advice still stands re being seen a.s.a.p.  Your heartrate not rising may be reason in itself for getting a PM.

Ian 

LOL

by Grateful Heart - 2018-02-20 11:21:39

Guys...it states it in the last sentence of Acey's post "before the PM?".....again, unless I am reading it wrong.

And for the record I still agree with Lovely Ian.  Call and be seen.

Grateful Heart 

coping

by Tracey_E - 2018-02-20 11:32:00

If your rate is not going up, there isn't a whole lot you can do but take it easy and not put yourself in a situation where you can get hurt. Be very careful exerting. Caffeine may help a little but it's a very short term bandaid. Staying hydrated may help. Really, being paced is what is going to help! Get it scheduled as quickly as you can. BTDT, felt a million times better as soon as I woke up with the pacer. 

I think you’re all lovely!

by AceyRawlin - 2018-02-20 11:46:43

I am sorry I should have clarified that! Brain fog at its best I guess...I don’t have a PM (...yet I hope...), what kinda symptoms did you experience that made you and your doctor decide it’s time for a PM? Do I actually have to faint for them to do something so expensive especially to someone that is only 25? Or will I have to go through several failed ablations first? This is all so strange to me, there’s periods where I feel better and think I’m used to this heart condition now, but then it hits me like a brick wall again and I just feel shattered...

xx

Thank you so much for all your advice!

by AceyRawlin - 2018-02-20 12:09:03

It really means so much! I have always dealt with at times quite severe Tachycardia, Bradycardia only started presenting itself on a frequent basis very recently. Unfortunately, I work full-time in a pharmacy, I am really struggling as I’m standing and walking about most of the day. I don’t actually drive yet (which frustrates me a lot, I don’t like feeling dependent on public transport etc.) because I was too scared of accidentally causing harm to someone...I could never forgive myself. I do hope so much in my heart that they will just decide to give me this little helper...maybe I could have a life again. X 

you are ready NOW

by Tracey_E - 2018-02-20 12:44:01

Passing out is too late, unless you happen to have a crystal ball to let you know when it'll happen. We've had members pass out while driving or on stairs, then had to deal with injuries along with recovering from pacer surgery. You have lost quality of life and there is a fix, any doctor who doesn't think that's a no brainer is not the right doctor for you. If they don't schedule you, or if they want to think about it, don't be afraid to push for it. Sometimes we have to advocate for ourselves and take a firm stand.

Do you have a friend or family member who could go with you? Sometimes it's good to have two sets of ears and someone to back you up. Also, I like to write down my questions because there's nothing like a doctor asking if I have any more questions to give me instant amnesia. 

Good luck!!! Let us know how it goes. 

A well-timed faint...

by Gotrhythm - 2018-02-20 13:52:46

There is no "coping" with bradycardia. In effect, you're asking how to cope with being crippled instead getting the help you need. If you clearly need a pacemaker, and it sound like you do, there's no benefit to waiting.

About passing out. I would have been diagnosed much sooner, I believe, if I could have said yes to "Have you ever passed out?" 

I hadn't, but that's only because I would get a lot of warning that I was about to, so I would sit down.

I know it's counterintuitive, but if I had it to do over again, instead of sitting down, I would let myself pass out and make sure they saw it. Since I could feel when I was going to pass out, I would make sure I did--in a doctor's office, or better yet, in an emergency room.

You don't need to cope. You need a doctor's attention. Tracey's right. When you have bad brain fog, it can be hard to advocate for yourself. Get a family member or friend to go to the doctor with you and tell them you can't live like this.

You’re all so lovely!!!

by AceyRawlin - 2018-02-23 10:18:47

It’s so nice to have found this place. I live in Scotland on my own, far away from my family, so I gotta face all my appts alone, I hate being so far because I don’t want to worry then and don’t tell them half the stuff tbh...I wish I could pass out again, haven’t in years, I get the symptoms, but naturally just hold on and try not to...sometimes my heartrate goes into the 50s and I’m actually - as stupid as that sounds - worried because I want it to be low when I see the EP...I just want something done now. X

Acey

by Grateful Heart - 2018-02-23 12:45:29

When you have the conversation with the EP, tell him everything you told us here.

It can be common for some to have their HR be higher in the doctor's office.

Grateful Heart