Feel uncomfortable after pm check

I was supposed to have my first telephone pacemaker check today, but I had to get mt pro time checked anyway, so they did it while I was in the office. I find the feeling that I get when the magnet is used to speed up my heart uncomfortable. It's been a few hours and my chest still doesn't normal - not real bad, but still uncomfortable. Anybody else experience this?
Vonnie

4 Comments

Yeppers

by sweetkozy - 2008-03-05 01:03:17

Everytime the magnet is placed over my PM it feels really weird and uncomfortable. It feels almost like my heart is in my throat and is going to come out my mouth at any moment. I hate the feeling! My heart usually speeds up too with the magnet. The only thing that is different is that after the magnet is off, my heart feels normal again within 1 minute of removing it. I would call your tech or Dr. if you aren't feeling better. It's always better to ask than not ask and you shouldn't have an uncomfortable feeling.

---At my telephone checks they just started to check to make sure your PM goes back to normal after the magnet is removed. So that leads me to believe that sometimes it it might not go back to normal for some people.

Cheers :)
Jenny

oops

by sugarmagnolia - 2008-03-05 02:03:06

fell out of the chair, not feel out.. sorry.
steve

oh yes!

by sugarmagnolia - 2008-03-05 02:03:26

greetings:
i can relate to that feeling. i have the opposite idea though. i have sick sinus syndrome and when the medtronics tech deactivated the PM my pulse and BP dropped dramatically and i almost feel out of the chair. i did not "feel right" for many hours after-a bit mentally cloudy and slow. it cleared up by the next day though.
steve

Checkup feelings

by ElectricFrank - 2008-03-05 03:03:06

The sensations you get when the pacer makes a sudden change in HR are normal. They aren't a sign of anything serious. The feelings that remain afterward are the effects of anxiety. It's the same way we often feel after a close call while driving. Talk it over with your EP and ask him/her to let you know when changes are going to happen.
I know the whole routine the programming test goes through and expect each one. There is going to be a section called the "Magnet test" where the pacemaker changes to its failsafe program. This is to be sure that you will do OK if something goes wrong. Then there is a capture voltage test where the pacer increases the HR to a higher rate (100 in my case). The voltage is slowly decreased until capture is lost which means your heart will skip a beat, and then raised until capture is regained. This may be repeated several times for different pulse widths.
The whole test may be repeated twice if you are pacing both atrium and ventricles, and maybe again for a biventricular pacer.
The only thing that could affect how you feel after the magnet is removed is any changes in programming that were made.
Be sure and ask for a pre and post printout of checkup. Compare it with your last one and if there are any changes post a question here. There are several of us who may be able to help you understand it.

best,
frank

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