Throat Pressure/ difficultly breathing

Hello! ( Apologies for the lengthy post)

I’m  a 33year old  female. I had a PM implanted (for a completely AV Block) about 8 months ago and things have been pretty stable since then (asides the post-op pericarditis which cleared up quickly).

However after a few months I started experiencing a pressure in my throat which comes with some difficulty breathing (especially when eating). I have discussed this at my follow visits to my cardiologist and cardio Nurse but they seem to make nothing of it since my PM seems to be working fine.  

I thought perhaps my body was just adjusting to the new status quo and it might  wear off...but this isn’t happening. Adding to this is the fact that my heart rate seems to be racing when I’m inactive (the doctors are still investigating this but they are certain it’s not connected to my PM).

I am hoping someone can give me a hint as to what can be going on so I can perhaps better articulate what I am feeling when I go back to the doctors. 

This platform has helped me a GREAT deal since I got my diagnosis. I can get advise from a recipient’s  perspective. The doctors know a lot about how PMs function but explaining a weird symptom to someone who hasn’t physically experienced it is a battle!

2 Comments

Throat Pressure on eating and breathing difficulty

by Selwyn - 2019-05-23 11:50:59

It is difficult to be exact.

Things to consider include reflux of food/acid after meals. The pain of this is referred to the throat in some. 

It may be that you have a hiatus hernia- big herniae can cause shortness of breath as the lungs are squashed during a meal. 

My advice would be to see a gastroenterologist to exclude the above conditions. 

Occasionally, anginal pain can occur at meal times. If your cardiologists are happy with your cardiac status,  I have a gut feeling you need to look at your upper gastrointestinal workings.

Thanks!

by O.Bab - 2019-05-29 13:32:29

Thanks for your response.

I will explore this at my next appointment.

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