Shocking, Just Shocking

I have had this Pacemaker only, no Defibrillator, for almost 6 years now.  I have gone to a new Cardiologist for about a year now.  My last check up I was told I am at  2.77 volts, and will be changed out at 2.7 volts. Told me to come see him in 6 months.

During this time, I had the " Magic Mouse " put over my PM while they were taking the readings. During this time it is hard for me because of the pain, of all the shocks, because the Medtronic’s laptop keeps my heart pacing. The Tech saw my face and how I was in pain. I told her I feel my pacemaker pacing, and it hurts.  She told me I am not feeling the pacemaker, but I told her to stop doing what she is doing, she did, and the shocks stopped.  I told her I would tell her when she started again, so I turned around and told her when she flipped the switch.

She told me no one feels the shocks, I told her I had some stupid test that would take place at 4:07 am EVERY morning. Most mornings I would be woken up during the test. I saw what time it was, and was so worried about it that I would be awake before the test and would feel it take place. My old cardiologist told me I was imaging it, but when the Medtronic tech came into the room and I told him, he told me it was a test and that I did not need it living in the city, so he turned it off. 

My question is ( finally ) Do you feel the shocks from your PM?  What voltage did your pacemaker get changed at?  I know I do, feels like a 9 volt battery shocking in my heart area. After a few minutes, my chest will hurt for a period of time.  What should I do, I know I will get a new one soon, but will this continue?

5 Comments

Shocks

by SMITTY - 2010-12-26 06:12:08

Hello Bigtex,

I'll try to give what I think are at least partial answers to your questions.

"Do you feel the shocks from your PM?" Under normal operating conditions you should not feel your pacemaker. That pacemaker is supposed to be replacing the electrical impulse that your heart's natural PM supplies to make your heart beat. Since we don't feel those impulses I think we should not be feeling the impulse from the manmade PM. However since the intensity of impulse from the manmade PM is adjustable I can see how one could be set high enough to be felt.

While I on this subject the statement the tech made about you are not feeling the pacemaker is nothing short of a bucket-mouth lie. Or to be more polite that tech doesn't know what she is talking about.

As for what you were feeling when the magic mouse was placed over you PM, that was caused by was the impulses from your PM. When the magic mouse or the magnet is placed over the PM it shifts into a totally different operating mode than the one it normally operates in. The mode is called the "magnet mode" regardless of whether a magnet or magic mouse is used. This mode of operation is separate from the "every day" mode you live with. It is a fixed rate mode with its own BPM setting and can have higher or lower impulse intensity settings. I am guessing that what you have is much higher than necessary intensity setting in the magnet mode and that is the reason it hurts you when they place the magic mouse over your pacemaker. All setting in this mode are adjustable.

On about my second check up (I got my first PM in 2000) I had a sadistic tech that increased the intensity of the impulses on my PM while it was in the magnet mode until I was hurting. I said had to tell her that is enough and you stop it or I leave right now. At that time I did not know what was going on, other than I could see her making changes and my feeing the discomfort.

When you get a new PM the Dr should put in the settings you need and these may be based on your old settings. Tell the Dr about the discomfort you have experienced during checkups so that the correct settings can be put in.

The voltage at which your pacemaker will replaced will depend on what voltage is required by the upper and lower chambers to get your heart to beat. For example, when my first PM was reported to be 2.5 years away from replacement the battery voltage was 2.73 V. The power required for the lead going to the upper chamber was 2.65 V. and the power required for the lead going to the lower chamber was 2.67 V. That gave me safety margins of .06 and .08 V. Now these readings were about 15 months before replacement and while I can't find my last report before replacement, I'm sure the safety margins were much smaller at replacement time.

Good luck to you,

Smitty

See an EP

by boatman50 - 2010-12-26 11:12:11

I suggest you go see an EP. They are specialists in the electrical system of the heart and know how to fine tune the pacer for you and what functions can be turned on or off.

Shocks and Hurts

by oleblu - 2010-12-28 02:12:47

High Bigtex,
I got my PM, Medtronic Adapta DM, on 10/28/10 and when it paces I "REALLY" can feel it. Sometimes it takes my breath away. They had my lead test set to go off at 2:24 AM and like you It always woke me and seemed like it would take forever to finish the test. I was expeirencing some chest pain last week just a few days after the VA cardiologist started me on digoxin so I stopped by and let them no and they admitted me. They did a cardio on my heart and determined I had no blockage. They determined that it was my PM so they called in a Medtronic rep and she proceded to make some adjustments. When she placed the magnet I jumped and she asked if I felt that. I told her I feel it everytime it paces. When they first implanted the PM and when they did the interrogation in the operating room it felt like I was being electracuted. I just shook It was brutal. I think they tried different leads but got the same results and the surgeon was getting agrivated and said "we need to make a decision here". I don't know what that meant but I said I thought we already made a decision. They then closed me up and ever since I feel the pacing and it drives me crazy. Even though I have been complaining about how I can feel it on every doctor visit when the rep started testing me the cardiolist was amazed that I could really feel that. He told her to turn off the lead test ( the 2:24 AM test) and they made a few adjustments but I can still feel it. I still am getting short of breath at times and I am wondering if there is something a matter with the PM. I asked the Medtronic rep if this was normal and did other people feel it like this and she kind of sidestepped the question. If you figure something out let me know. Shocked in Arizona,
Mike

Shocked

by oleblu - 2011-01-23 11:01:36

BigTex I was wondering if they ever figured out anything about how you feel your pacemaker when pacing. I'm still shocked in Arizona.
Mike

The lucky few

by Bigtex1622 - 2011-01-24 01:01:44

Was told that I was " one of the lucky few " that feels it pacing. They made a adjustment, but now get a little dizzy and start to feel faint again. Then PM kicks in.
I am seeing him again in Feb. I have to get this changed before my Insurance change in April.
Oh Joy !
Something else to stress about!

You know you're wired when...

You read consumer reports before upgrading to a new model.

Member Quotes

I consider my device to be so reliable, that I never think about a failure.