potentially damaged leads?

hi all! for context i have an s-icd that i've had since march 2022. 

i was carrying some heavy groceries down the hallway for my mom this afternoon, and felt a strange tearing feeling inside of my lower chest near where one of my incisions was. ever since then i've felt sore and uncomfortable whenever i move my arm or my torso certain ways... it feels almost like a slight stabbing sensation, not enough for me to say ow but enough for me to be uncomfortable. my doctor cleared me for normal lifting about 2 months ago so i'm not sure exactly what happened. i'll be calling my doctor tomorrow morning to make an appointment to get it checked out, but in the meantime i was wondering if anyone has experienced this before? i'm not sure if maybe i just pulled a muscle, or irritated something or if some serious damage was done. i've lifted way heavier stuff greater distances before so i'm really confused as to if or why this would've harmed anything. if anyone has any insight or has experienced anything similar i'd love to hear it just to put my mind at ease because i'm going to be anxious and awake all night now with anxiety.

 

5 Comments

scar tissue

by Theknotguy - 2022-07-05 23:34:25

There is a lot of healing that goes on after the unit is implanted.  Even though the top skin is complete there can be tissue underneath that hasn't healed.   Also the tissue that has healed isn't as supple as the previous, undamaged tissue.  Some people report feeling like "ant bites" around the incision site.

For me, I was ok, then threw the ball a little too hard for the dog.  Really pulled some of the tissue and it really hurt.  What I did was to tear some of the scar tissue and it took weeks to heal.  Sounds like you did the same.  

Previous discussions on the forum have indicated that to pull a lead you have to do something really extreme like getting into a bad car accident.  In which case you'd have more serious problems than the pulled lead.  Worked with a security guy who had a pacemaker.  He was lifting weights and gradually worked up to 300 pounds.  Broke a lead lifting 300 pounds.  What you did was nowhere as extreme.  So while you may hurt you probably won't have to worry about the leads.

Hope your adjustment to your device goes well. 
 

Pulled cartilage?

by Lavender - 2022-07-06 10:22:48

Your doc can reassure you more, but it reminded me of when I had costochondritis. I've had it three times:

1. Mom was about to fall and I reached for her, pulling rib cartilage where it attaches to the sternum. 

2. Carrying a very fat cat in a cage, I pulled it again. 

3. Carrying in groceries. The doc said it wasn't the weight of what was carried, it was twisting when carrying. 

In any case, it's not life threatening and my leads weren't affected. 

If it's costochondritis, you can tell by going down your sternum from the top and pressing on the center. If one area is more tender, it could indicate pulled rib cartilage. Nothing is done but taking Tylenol (I can't take ibuprofen) and using a heating pad on the area. 

Lead dislodgement

by Selwyn - 2022-07-06 11:11:40

The longer leads are in place the more secure they become. In fact, after some weeks they are very hard to remove as they are fixed in the heart by fibrous tissue. 

If you have local tenderness of the upper chest, you can rest assured that this is a pull of some  part  of your body's anatomy  and not of the wires. It would be very difficult to fracture the leads with one single motion as described.

Boston Scientific S-ICD

by Good Dog - 2022-07-07 08:18:25

When responding here it is important to understand that her ICD is not conventional and does not have leads routed through the vascular system or attached to the heart.

Yeah, this new technology caught me by surprise too!

might be a stitch

by dwelch - 2022-07-09 07:51:03

there might be permanant stiches inside the pocket to keep the device in place and perhaps you tore one of those.

do you know your rate limits and if your rate before the device was outside that range? (mine was in the 40s or lower normally and my minimum is not 60 for example).  you can check your pulse (full minute, no cheating, no iwatches or anything, fingers on wrist or neck, look at a clock) and see if it is outside that range.

but you are already doing the right thing and just go see the doc.

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