Is Exhaustion normal after pacemaker

I am a 71 years old male and have had an active healthy life.  This past summer I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease called Sarcoidosis. This is a misunderstood disease that I won’t go into here, but it has no cure. It typically affects the lungs and can spread to other organs or lie dormant. In my case it affected my hearts electrical system by disrupting the pulse rhythm. My Symptoms were pulse in the low 30’s and exhaustion when doing just about anything. I had a 2 lead pacemaker/icd inserted 4 months ago. I am 100% pacemaker dependent according to my 

I feel somewhat normal after 4 months, but if I follow my old (pre-pacemaker) daily activities, I start to feel exerted and somewhat short of breath. Pulse rate will increase into the 90-115 range and will settle back to 60-70’s when at rest.    My concern is should this exerted feeling could be normal having a PM,  or possibly caused by the meds that I now take after the pacemaker...50 Mg Metoprolol Tartrate 2 times daily, 10mg Simvistaton daily, 81 mg aspirin, and 20 Mg prednisone daily (for Sarcoidosis). Just looking for information. Thanks for reading. 

3 Comments

Lots of reasons for exhaustion

by Gotrhythm - 2018-04-11 14:51:25

You have a lot going on, but let's start with the pacemaker. Just having a pacemaker will not in itself make you feel exhausted. However, it's possible that the settings on your pacemaker are not optimal for you. It can take a few tries to get the settings adjusted so that you feel the best you can.

Having your heart rate go up when you exercise is normal, but being short of breath with minimum exertion isn't. Being short of breath will make you feel exhausted, and I understand that shortness of breath can be a symptom of sarcoidosis.

I have no experience with the other drugs but Metoprolol will definitely cause feelings of tiredness.

It would be good to have a frank talk with your EP about how you are feeling, and what if anything can be done to help youi feel better.

Followup

by Buddyn - 2018-04-12 12:13:12

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I will schdule an EP appointment. Fortunately, my normal “arround the house” activity is ok...it’s when I get outside to do the heavier property work that the exhaustion occurs. Maybe it’s time to just resign that I am not 25 YO now!

Shortness of Breath.

by BigKeyLargoHeart - 2018-05-06 13:20:04

Maybe consult a Pulmontary Specialist I see one every few months for my CPAP but I know they treat many other types of Pulmonary Lung Conditions besides CPAP.

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My eight year old son had a pacemaker since he was 6 months old. He does very well, plays soccer, baseball, and rides his bike. I am so glad he is not ashamed of his pacemaker. He will proudly show his "battery" to anyone.