One week in and not doing as expected

Don't give up!

by AgentX86 - 2018-08-14 10:50:08

It's only been a week! But what does "BP been over 20 points higher" mean? 170/110? 120/80?

There are many things that could make you feel tired,  including a reaction to the anesthesia or even depression. It could easily be your heart not being used to being paced. If there's nothing else I've learned here,  it's that we're all different and react to being paced, and surgery itself, differently.

Most pacemakers are about quality of life, not just sustaining it, so don't let your doctors off easily. You're paying them to feel better,  not to put you out to pasture.

tired

by jessie - 2018-08-14 14:04:34

i had braddychardia and i slept for 4 months after. then i got my energy back. 

Questions: we all have them

by Gotrhythm - 2018-08-14 14:36:46

It's not uncommon for people to have changes--up and down--in their bp post pacemaker. My bp went up about 20 pts too, but since it was in the toilet before, that was a good thing. I took it as a sign that my heart was now beating frequently enough to keep the pressure up.

You say you're looking for questions. I don't know a lot about CHF, but I do know a pacemaker doesn't cure it, doesn't take it away. So I would want to know exactly what the pacemaker was expected to do for me, how it would do it, and what could it not be expected to do. That way I would be better able to assess for myself how I was doing.

From what I have seen, many people with CHF are also being treated with several drugs, in addition to the pacemaker. I would also want to know the same things about any drugs I was given.

A Thank you for your comments

by azosonegro - 2018-08-16 00:22:01

In my first meeting since surgery the cardiologist stated over 50% of his patients feel serious fatigue for up to a couple months.  Hope not but I needed you guys comments and his to have correct expecations.

My bp went for 120/60 to 140/85.  Hard to believe given I'm on 2 drugs to reduce it, they want to stay 120 or under.  I'm not at an emergency stage by any means but need to watch it.  I've also just been given antibiotics for a sinus infection, that probably has increased my bp.

Gotrythym, love the name, the biventricular pacemaker is considered by many to be the only treatment that can increase heart ejection fractions back to normal in people with CHF.  It only works if one of the primary causes of CHF is electrical, the ventricles not beating in rhythm.  That is my case.  It works in 50% of those that receive it, I hope I'm one of those 50%.