New pacemaker problem

Hi everyone,

I've had my replacement PM for a month now. Getting episodes of Pacemaker premeditated tachycardia. They tweaked a few things yesterday, but I don't feel quite right. 
Don't feel as good as I did with the old one. Anyone else get this problem.

Lizzie in Oz

1 Comments

What bad luck

by Gemita - 2021-11-09 04:39:14

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560831/

Lizzie, since you felt better with your old device, the first question might be, did your doctors transfer all your previous pacemaker settings to your new device, where possible?  

I found the above link helpful in explaining pacemaker mediated tachycardia (PMT).  When I first got my pacemaker I experienced worsening tachycardia and it was initially thought to be due to my pacemaker.  Fortunately I still had my Reveal Linq implant monitor in place and the cause was eventually traced to the tracking of my atrial tachyarrhythmias.  My Medtronic Mode Switch setting helps with this.  Mode Switch is a rate control feature designed to prevent the tracking of paroxysmal atrial tachycardias.  This switches my AAIR mode to DDIR mode until the episode is over, preventing a rapid ventricular paced rate in response to the rapid atrial rate.  I presume you have Mode Switch feature too?

No doubt you are being closely monitored by your doctors and that the diagnosis of PMT has been confirmed and that the tachycardia is not caused by anything else (as you will read in link given above - see differential diagnosis), including Rate Response setting being over sensitive?   If PMT is the cause, I see it is treatable with pacemaker adjustments, although I appreciate this may take time to find the right settings for you particularly as you have arrhythmias which may require better treatment too, to help relieve your symptoms.  I think if we can understand what seems to be happening, it might help us to ask the right questions and get a better outcome. I hope this will be sorted quickly Lizzie. 

By the way, how is your husband getting on with his new pacemaker?

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