All in my head.........or in my heart ?
- by Carla2004
- 2018-02-20 14:04:41
- General Posting
- 1162 views
- 5 comments
Had my PM/CRT implanted on 12/12/17. New lead fell out. Had new lead installed on 12/28. Felt great the first few days.....but now, I'm going out of my mind. I have had a tremendous amount of stress in my personal life recently and have been probably over-doing it. But, we have a very small family and I have to step up to the plate. Liquidating a 3000 sq ft home !
My heart feels like it's pounding out of my chest. Have gone back to my EP, just this past Friday in fact. EKG is good, lead has moved "some" so they have tinkered with my settings.
I am not short of breath, or unbelievably exhausted as I was before implantation or the 2nd time when my new lead fell out. But this POUNDING is driving me crazy. I feel like I have 2 squirrels fighting in my chest.
This is just so different for me. I had my defib installed in 2010 and never felt a thing. I realize this is different, in that the device is trying to resyncronize my heart, but should I be feeling it ?
Taking Xanax helps some, but I think it may just mask the issue.
5 Comments
Resynchronization
by The real Patch - 2018-02-20 15:37:17
Since the EP checked your device, and all looks well, my guess is that what you are experiencing is the pacing. It can be uncomfortable and even feel like palpitations (strong beats) until you acclimate to the pacing in both chambers. I've been experiencing PMT with my CRT so they keep adjusting my base rate upward to overcome the problem. Each time they increase the pacing I feel like you are describing until I acclimate.
Have some patience, sometimes that's all we can do. Good luck
Voltage?
by Grateful Heart - 2018-02-23 13:31:34
When the device is first installed, the voltage is set high until the leads embed and the heart gets used to being paced. After a couple of months, they can lower the voltage so it is comfortable for you and works best with your heart.
The squirrel analogy is perfect!
Grateful Heart
Following up......
by Carla2004 - 2018-02-23 18:29:35
Went back in yesterday, as my EP requested a chest xray to see if I'm still connected ? Of course, it's Friday afternoon.........and I haven't heard from them. Gonna be a great weekend. I have a couple of Xanax lying around somewhere :-) What are the odd's of it coming out twice ????? Why can't I win the lotto ?
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The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.
Chill
by Gotrhythm - 2018-02-20 15:15:07
I know nothing about CRTs, but I have noticed that with every adjustment of my pacemaker, my heart seems to feel different.
When I first got the pacemaker, for the first time in years, I couldn't feel my heart pounding. I never knew everybody wasn't aware at all times of what their heart was doing. A few months ago, the ventricle lead was turned back on, and now I feel it beating again, and when I have palpitations, well, two squirrels fighting sounds like an accurate description.
I have found that if anything is going to make my heart pound, it's getting overtired. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's not what sensations I feel coming from my heart that matters. It's how I feel. If I feel okay, normal energy, no poin, no SOB, everything is good.
For now, I expect the most useful thing you can do is try to relax and try to get some rest. Getting upset about the move or anything else won't help, and getting upset about a pounding heart will only make the pounding worse.
If at any point you start feeling bad, let your doctor know.