100% Paced

Is anybody else 100% paced? Probably a crazy question, but my PM was put in 12 years ago as an "on demand" PM. It has only been during my last few check ups that I have been told that I am 100% paced. When I asked what that meant, they said that if my PM every stopped working, I would be dead. During the early years, I never really worried about it because my PM just threw in an extra beat every now and then when my heart would slow down. No big deal really. In fact, I found out my first PM had to be changed out when I went for a routine appt, and my doctor told me that my PM's battery was dead and was not working. I guess I am worried now about that happening again, and me be "dead" as they put it. My doctor doesn't really act like it is a big deal, but it has me worried.

11 Comments

your rights

by sistermary7 - 2008-02-22 08:02:06

hey there, from what i understand you should have your battery changed every 4 -10 years depending on what kind of pm you have. you also need to ask you doctor how many leads you have and just exactly what kind of pm you have. most pt have their own intrensic rate to rely on (even if it goes real slow), If you are 100% paced now, ask your doctor what changed and why. don't let him get away with not discussing this with you. in fact ask to see your ekgs from prev. visits and have him point out the changes. if he refuses or brushes you off you tell him that it is important to you that you take an active role in your own care and knowledge is what is going to keep you alive. it is your life not his and actually he has a duty to educate you appop. on your condition and any changes, especially if you are now 100% paced and you were not before. you also should let him know of any changes you feel, if your bp changes or have any other symptoms that were not there before. I am a cardiac nurse and just got my pm 2 weeks ago. I know from a nurses point of view and a pt's point of view that some of these doctors have to be pushed. they may not like it but who cares. they are being paid well to do their jobs and we put our lives in their hands. pt's deserve more respect than that. I fight for my pt's rights everyday that i work and really don't care if the doctor gets ticked off. i remind them the pt has the right to ask questions regarding their condtions and get answers and if they can't answer to please refer them to some one that can . Again that is a pt right!!
good luck. would love to hear the results if you try this

sistermary@bellsouth.net

just because...

by heckboy - 2008-02-22 08:02:25

... You pace at 100% doesn't mean that you'd be dead without a pm. I pace at close to that, but that's because my heart needs help to respond to physical activity. I pace fine on my own as long as I'm relatively sedentary. I'll get winded climbing stairs as my HR will stay around 50 BPM.

So what you were told may be true and it may not. The nurse practitioner who did my checkups swore that leads were never replaced or reused with new pms I was using my battery faster than normal and she painted a picture of my veins clogged with leads by the time I was 60... Needing a pm and no more room for new leads. She had me plenty worried.... My faulty lead was extracted and replaced 4 weeks ago. Im never going back to her.

Yep, I'm a 100 Percenter

by TwoCents - 2008-02-22 08:02:35

I also pace 100% in my heart's upper right chamber (atrium), and I pace 40% in my right ventricle (on the bottom). If my pacer were to go completely out I would indeed be in serious trouble. However, this is EXTREMELY rare that the entire generator would just quit working. Since I am pacemaker dependent that would be a bummer though. However, since I have a dual lead pacemaker my ventricle lead would keep me going if my upper lead had a problem. Granted I would feel pretty bad, but at least it wouldn't be the end of the road. Yikes! You need to find out whether you have a single lead or dual lead pacemaker for starters. Then you need to have someone, completely and in language you can wrap your mind around, explain to you you're particular condition. Be insistent. If you don't understand, ask them to explain again until you do. It is important that you know "pacemaker basics", so that you can get unnecessary worrying out of your mind. You can search the internet for information also which will lead to questions for you to ask. Rest assured that even if you are pacemaker dependent as I am, it would be more likely that you would have an elm tree fall on you than to have an entire generator (what they call a pacemaker) fail. Rest easy and ask questions. Just my Two Cents.

Forgive my typos

by heckboy - 2008-02-22 08:02:54

It's hard to proof using an iPhone.

100% Paced

by janetinak - 2008-02-23 03:02:04

I am 100%-er with a single ventricle (septum/middle) lead after an AV ablation. My ventricles beat about 40 beats/min w/o pacer. I believe I'd pass out if PM quits as I had a tech turn it down too low/fast before he asked or realized I was a 100%-er. Felt like the world coming to an end but reversed really fast when turned up again. Anyhow, I am on my 2nd PM & when 1st PM was running low on battery I got SOB with minimal activity & was told that is how PM conserves itself so I can keep on going. The EP replaced the PM within days of that episode as they dodn't want to fool around with it. MY EP's staff check it more frequently (than usual 3 months check-up) when message received that I am running low on battery life.

Hope that helps & relieves your mind a little bit. As others above have said. Get the folks to explain it to you until you understand it. No sense being in the dark, its our body/life.

Good luck,

Janet

100% totally

by Lotti - 2008-02-23 08:02:54

Hi there. I am 100% paced due to an very unfortunate heart surgery. If my PM stops I stop.
I knew this as it was all explained to me while I was waiting for it to be put in. (while carrying round a huge external pacing box with the leads sticking out of my stomach as a temporary measure to keep me alive).
It took me a long time to be comfortable with this idea that my life was dependant on this little battery, but now I don't really think about it. I get the thing checked out each year and they expect it to last another 12 years or so (had it 2 already). That's pretty good for a battery. I have no idea what would happen if it went wrong...i.e. A timescale of whether I would have time to call 999 or not. I think I don't want to know as it might start me off worrying again and I'm past that now.
Take heart (no pun intended) that you are not alone and that these little gadgets are pretty good things.
Lotti

100%

by pacerpacer - 2008-02-26 10:02:34

Hi,

Pacing 100% does not mean u will die without PM. U should understand the basic fuctionallity of electric mechanism of heart.

Sinus node produces impluse which travels via AV node to lower chambers. If there is 100% blockage at AV node (As i hv) then u are 100% dependent on pm for electric impluse. However even if PM fails our lower chambers have safety mechanism below AV node which can create electric impulse. they pace at 40-45 beats per min at rest and can go higher in case of higher activities. But these are not 100% releible. Many ppl are known to live on this"secondary natural Pacemaker" for years (including me). Even with normal ppl these secondary mechanism provides safety in case of brief disorder in AV node. There are tertiary pacemakers in our heart as well (that is below secondary), but that is very unreliable. Location of block determines the capacity of heart to pace.

Sudden death is a possibility but in but has very less chances. When there is complete removal/failure of electric conduction system then only death is more likely.

You are always welcome to send me private mail. will be very happy if i could help...

Also 100 percent paced

by gmnordy - 2008-02-27 10:02:43

I am 100 percent paced. It was explained to me by the doctor that put mine in 4 year agos that even though it was an on demand PM, I would more than likely be 100 percent paced in a matter of years. Electrical system I guess got used to having it. My battery is draining more quickly now also that I am 100 % and only have 3 years to go on it.
Debbi

That Sure Sounds Good

by ewbankmp - 2008-03-02 04:03:50

PacerPacer and Heckboy,
Thanks for the feedback, and that sure does sound good, but my cardiologist and medtronic technicians tell me that my heart is only working at all because the pacemaker is telling it to work. During my checkups when they briefly turn off the PM, I flatline everytime. I can actually feel my heart stop and I always get very lightheaded and begin to blackout, but then they quickly kick it (the PM) back in. They have told me that if my PM ever stopped working, that my heart would not work at all on it's own. Please don't misundersand me, I hope you are right and they are wrong, but....

CHF

by Silvia - 2009-07-30 11:07:57

My mom is 92 years old and only recently (2008) got a pacemaker. She is 99 and 100 % paced. She also has congestive heart failure. I'm wondering if anyone out there knows how the pm will affect her declining health with her congestive heart or visa versa

100 % paced

by Jenniffer005 - 2018-01-06 21:12:28

May 2, 2017 I had a pacemaker put in due to after having open heart surgery to replace the outer line of the heart with cow skin and replaced. The aortic valve with a cow valve. I flat lined 5 days after surgery.  I been now pacing at 100% with a 5% outage. Was told battery was only going to last 2 yrs .. it’s a new way of living. With things you have to be aware of now. I’m 41 yrs old.. I try not to think about this little battery is what is keeping me alive. .. There are things I can’t do anymore with out getting very tired or having like this bee stings feelings around my pacemaker area. Does anyone else get this? Also since after the surgery and this pacemaker went in. I can’t sleep at night. I wake up all hours of the night.. is anyone else having this? 

You know you're wired when...

You participate in the Pacer Olympics.

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