Tachy - brady syndrome , Do i have to get a pacemaker ?

Hey guys, 

Im a 19 years old girls, last year i was diagnosed with cancer... so because of that i spent quite much time at the hospital.... so during the controls and treatments  ... they found out that my heart is not okay....  my doctor just told me that i have tachy brady syndrome... they didn't tell me too much about this.. my next appointment is in two weeks ... but im tooo curious to wait until that so.... i started searching  on the internet how they treat this... So is it sure that i will have to get a pacemaker.... my lowest heart rate is 40... and it goes up to 225.... quite fast... 

So if anybody suffers from this syndrome and could answer me a few questions that would be really great.. :) 

ps. sorry if my english is not correct, that not my mother tounge :) 

Have a nice week!! 


5 Comments

welcome

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-12 13:42:16

Glad you found us!

First, let me say your English is excellent, would never have guessed it was not your first language if you hadn't said so.

Second, I'm so sorry you are dealing with so much at such a young age, as if the cancer wasn't enough. :o(

Dr. Google has not been to medical school so try not to jump to conclusions until you see what your doctors say. But, yes, tachy/brady can be a reason to need a pacemaker. Anything under 60 is considered bradycardia and hard on the body because we are not getting the oxgyen we need.

Are you having symptoms? If you are tired and dizzy, have trouble exercising or being active, if you are passing out, then your rate is too low and a pacemaker will help you feel better. How low you get, how long you stay there, how symptomatic you are will all help decide when is the right time to get it. Everyone is different and there is no one perfect time. 

The tachy half of the problem makes the brady more complicated because it's treated with medication. A side effect of these medications is often a slower heart rate. How high you get and how long you stay there will determine if you need those medications now or if you can wait and see. Once you start taking them, it may make the brady worse so you need the pacer sooner. Or with some people, the doctors prefer to pace before they start the medications so they can treat the tachy appropriately without putting you in danger of your rate getting too low. 

I was your age when I was first told I would eventually need a pacemaker (different conditions). I was petrified and determined to wait as long as humanly possible. I waited so long I almost died and ended up in emergency surgery, so that was not a smart choice! I was 27. Knowing what I know now, I should have had it as soon as I was no longer up to doing things I wanted to do, when I couldn't keep up with my friends, which was my early 20's. It would have benefited in my teens, because I would have felt so much better. That's the thing I did not understand and no one explained to me! I thought I had to wait until I needed it for safety reasons, but long before that time it would have helped me feel better. And it turns out having it is no big deal. I'm 51 now and have two daughters your age. I'm healthy and active, and no one looks at me and sees a heart patient. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. There were several years that I watched life go by when I could have been participating had I not been so afraid of the pacer. 

It's all so scary now, but it will be ok! Do you know the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"? It takes on a new meaning when we are young and facing health challenges our friends can't even begin to imagine. But it really does make us stronger, good can come from hard times. You are a fighter. Don't let this get you down. Learn what you can, talk it over with your doctor, then do what you need to do and get back to being a teenager. 

Tracey - Very well written

by donr - 2018-07-12 14:42:38


essay on why people, especially the young among us, need to understand the threats to our lives.  They know all about the cxhildhood diseases,broken bones & a myriad of other maladies.  It's time that heart problens, especially the electrical ones that can affect people of any age became wider understood.

BTW,  even though Dr. Google has not been to Med School, like Ghostbusters, he's the guy most doctors call first when they are looking for info on something strange.  On at least two occasions I've been lying on an ER bed & had the doctor tell me he had to do a quick Google search to find out something.  
Donr 

Thank you

by BEBO - 2018-07-12 16:37:22

Thank you for the quick, and for the long answers... It really helped a lot!!!

If the doctor offers the oppurtunity of the pacemaker i will probably choose it, cause i cant run like that, i fell asleep during the day on the couch , and im short of the breath when i walk up on the stairs... 

so thank you for both of your advices :) !!!
 

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-13 10:17:58

It sounds like you would probably feel better with it, low rate causes everything you mentioned. If you have questions or just want to chat, feel free to message me any time! It's not as scary as it sounds. Struggling to get by without it, to me, was a lot worse than having the surgery and living with a pacemaker. 

Thank you :)

by BEBO - 2018-07-13 12:20:13

Thank you :)), I will definitly write, when i have more questions :)

 

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