Help!

Hi

I had a pacemaker inserted two years ago following complete heart block followed by multiple organ failure. I am now "well" The complete heart block was caused by medication so was put in as a precaution only and not expected to work but now I am told the pacemaker is working every now and then. Probably due to my heart rate falling below 50 which the pacemaker is set at. Also told not to worry!! I live in Spain.

Any one hear of this?



2 Comments

welcome

by Tracey_E - 2009-04-11 01:04:15

Hello Juliet!
Many of us here have complete heart blocks, it is not uncommon, and yes, a pacemaker can make us "well". I was born with a complete heart block and have had a pacemaker for 15 years now. I feel great and can do anything I want to do!

If you are only using your pacemaker some of the time, it is more likely your block is second degree rather than complete. It really doesn't matter which it is, if your heart rate is dropping below 50 enough to put you into organ failure, you need a pacemaker!

The atria of your heart is the brains. It monitors how much oxygen is in your blood. When you exert yourself and need more oxygen, it raises your rate. The ventricles are the brawn, they beat when the atria tell them to and create the heartbeat you feel as your pulse. When you have a block, that signal does not always get through so the ventricle doesn't get the message to go faster. A pacemaker sits back and watches. Every time your atria beats, it waits for the ventricle to beat. When it does not beat, it generates a pulse to cause a beat. So, our hearts are doing the work and our natural pacemaker- the SA node in the atria- is setting the pace, the pacemaker is just there to complete the circuit as needed. As heart problems go, this is one of the best to have because a pacemaker more or less completely fixes us.

Thanks

by juliet - 2009-04-18 03:04:08

Thanks to you all who answered my question!

It has really helped and I will now ask for printouts.

Juliet

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