Still having symptoms

I've had my PM for almost a year to treat bradycardia.  At my 3-month check-up, they adjusted my pacer to a slightly higher threshold for day time because I still felt syncope symptoms coming on (dejavu feeling, tingling in arms, nausea).  My doctor suggested putting me on beta-blockers as well, depsite the fact that the drug slows heart rates - this made me nervous so I declined and decided to see how the PM adjustment would go.  Well, I'm still having symptoms, even waking up at night with them.  I have a call out to my doctor now but was wondering if anyone has/is going through the same thing?

2 Comments

symptoms

by Tracey_E - 2020-09-02 11:42:29

Yes a beta blocker can slow your heart rate, but you have the pacer to make sure it doesn't get too slow. The meds can't overrule the pacer so your heart won't get too slow regardless of any meds you are on.

Could the symptoms be coming from blood pressure rather than heart rate?

May I ask why your doctor suggested a beta blocker ?

by Gemita - 2020-09-02 13:17:07

Hello Nicole,

Not sure why your doctor suggested putting you on a beta blocker unless you have a problem with a high heart rate or high blood pressure or, perhaps, you have an arrhythmia that your doctor wants to try to treat ?  Do you feel better during the day now that your heart rate has been increased ?

I also suffered from bradycardia prior to my pacemaker.  A minimum set heart rate of 70 bpm works for me fine and I am no longer prone to getting dizziness, pre syncope/syncope spells.   You could ask what your heart rate is set at and whether a higher rate might help prevent your continuing symptoms.  

I would also ask whether your pacemaker is detecting any arrhythmias which might be causing your symptoms because clearly it is not normal to keep coming over faint.  

Also as Tracey_E suggests, if your blood pressure is unstable (either too high or too low) this can cause similar symptoms.  A pacemaker unfortunately cannot prevent our blood pressure from falling as it does for heart rate.  I would go back to your doctors and ask what is going on and whether you could have some external monitoring carried out to get to the bottom of your problems.

I hope for the very best

You know you're wired when...

You can proudly say you’re energy efficient.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be here if it were not for this amazing technology inside of me.