Tachycardia with PM

Has anyone heard of someone having tachycardia or Wolff Parkinsons White Syndrone with a PM? I just can't understand how a person with a PM can still have these after having an ablation and now had to have a PM for bradycardia. I am 100% PM dependant because my heart won't hit a lick without it. So how can it be beating over 180 BPM (so my PM has recorded) when all of the routes in my heart have been destroyed? I'm confused......
Pacie

9 Comments

Flip of a Switch

by ewbankmp - 2008-03-02 04:03:13

I am sure this is not exactly the same thing, but I will tell you that I used to have "high rate episodes" quite often, that my cardiologist assumed was Atrial Flutter. He had me undergo an ablation procedure, but I still had the same problems. I then moved, and continued to have the same problems. My new cardiologist suggested another ablation procedure, but when the doctor who would be doing the procedure said it may work or it may not, I decided not to go through with it again. At my next check up, a guy from Medtronic was there, and he said the problem was the cardiologist(s) did not have a particular switch on my pacemaker in the "on" position like it should be. He made the change and I never had another high rate episode again. That was about three years ago. Basically I had the ablation done for no reason, and then they wanted to do another one!! The whole problem (it would seem) was a simple flip of a switch the docs didn't know to do. I also have recently become 100% PM dependent in the past couple years. They say my heart just got lazy, and now lets the PM do all the work by itself.

Easy!

by ElectricFrank - 2008-03-02 12:03:42

Pacie,
It is unlikely that all the routes in your heart have been destroyed. Even if that were true the nerve endings could be irritable and cause all sorts of problems. Sort of like the phantom limb pain that amputees have. All the nerves to the amputated limb have have been severed, but the ends continue to fire and produce feelings. Your heart may not beat without the pacer, but it may still fibrillate. At this point another ablation might stop the errant signals or an ICD might stop them.

frank

Same Thing

by sohare - 2008-03-03 04:03:42

Okay that makes me alittle nervous, they have never said anything like that. So I would think then I would be 100% paced. I think I need to ask next time i have a appointment, Thanks Stacy

Same thing

by sohare - 2008-03-03 10:03:14

I have the same problem. Had a ablation to get rid of the high fast heart rate came out with a pm and still have the fast heart rate. I'm also 100% dependent. I'm confused aliitle over the whole thing, so if you find out anything let us know. Stacy

Same Thing

by sohare - 2008-03-03 10:03:42

Thats a good question. They just said at my last appointment that its working at a 100% maybe that means its pacing whats the difference? Stacy

Dependent?

by Suze - 2008-03-03 10:03:57

I'm curious if the last two people replying (Stacey and ewbankmp) are just 100% paced - or really 100% dependent on the pacemaker. It's not the same thing. At least, that's what my EP and cardiologist have explained to me.

100% dependant

by pacie - 2008-03-03 12:03:45

My doc explained to me that if my PM malfunctioned, (which the chances of that are second to none, so I was told),or was damaged in any way that I would have time to get to the ER but with no fooling around. I would need to go by ambulance so they could keep me going until I got to the hospital. He said that I would not survive very long if I didn't get there ASAP because my heart won't do anything without it. To me, that is what he means by 100% dependant. Hope that helps.
Pacie

Tachyardia with PM

by pacie - 2008-03-04 12:03:47

I'm supposed to go to the dr. in June. I will let you know what they say then, Stacy. He told me that he wished they would have showed up while he was doing the ablation (he's not the only one!). Of course the tachys that I went in for the first time were alot worse than these are, they were so fast I couldn't count them. But these are bad enough to make me feel terrible. I just wish it would all go away...

P.S. I didn't mean to scare you, sohare. Even though it's pretty scarey to me too. I try not to think about it very much but it's hard not to.

Pacie

Tachycardia w/ PM

by Dani - 2008-03-05 11:03:25

I have had Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome since birth. I had many episodes as a child but they seemed to subside in adulthood. Last year I had a Pacemaker put in on emergency after an event monitor showed I had 2nd degree heartblock and my heart was pausing for 6-8 secs every 10 or so beats. Felt fine first 3 months now I get up to 180 several times a day. My WPW hadn't acted up for years and WPW episodes I would need to have adenesine given in ER to slow down. Doc wants to do EP but he told me I have good chance of being PM dependent. So I have an idea of how you feel. Dani

You know you're wired when...

Three months of free Internet comes with each device.

Member Quotes

We are very lucky to have these devices.