Heart beats

This is my 3rd pacemaker, and my heart stopped when they were changing it. Ever since I can feel every heart beat 24/7 and my palpitations are more intense is this normal please help


3 Comments

settings?

by Tracey_E - 2020-04-15 09:10:03

It's more likely either the settings aren't the same as the old one or the new one has settings the old one did not. I would ask to be seen. 

Get some answers

by Gotrhythm - 2020-04-15 14:42:46

You've had 2 pacemakers before so you know it's not "normal" for you. Feeling one's heart beating all the time is unsettling. I know because it's how I felt before I got a pacemaker. When your heart beats hard all the time, it's hard to know if you're upset or not. And it's very hard to feel like you're resting even when you are. I'm with Tracey. Ask to be seen.

About your heart stopping. If the thought of your heart "stopping" upsets you, instead of worrying about what consequences you might hsve to face, have a talk with your doctor about what happened and what it means going forward.

It just makes sense if you're going to worry--and most of us do--to make sure you are worried about the right things.

Palpitations

by Selwyn - 2020-04-16 08:03:04

It is normal to have increased awareness of body sensations after having a PM inserted ( however do see what follows below).

The mental trauma focuses the mind on body sensations, no matter how prepared you are, and you have have mental trauma! 

This is something I did not appreciate until it happened to me. I remember feeling the pulse in my big toe! I did ask my attending hospital doctor at the time and was not offered any reasonable explanation. It is a direct effect of stress/trauma of the event. 

Stress itself caused palpitations and arrhythmias. I was perfectly fine once I was active, however I had to walk up the stairs to for my first pacemaker check  and as I did so could feel the stress mount and I knew when I got to the top of the single flight of steps I had develped atrial fibrillation with palpitations.

As Tracy says, you do need to be reassured that your new settings aren't responsible.  I think a check-up is in order, sooner than envisaged by your pacemaker team in view of your symptoms.  If they say everything is OK, you can put this down to your trauma and try to come to terms with the reassurance of the technology that keeps well over 1 million people living active lives with normal life expectancy - this is your third one after all.  

You know you're wired when...

You know the difference between hardware and software.

Member Quotes

A properly implanted and adjusted pacemaker will not even be noticeable after you get over the surgery.