PM Site

New to site and just wondering if anyone has had the same symptoms. I had my PM installed in Sept 2008 and everything went ok untill 2 days after the install. I have developed I believe frozen shoulder and am in the process of getting this looked after I hope.
My question is when I go to bed and after a few hours it seems I roll over or move and I have this pain from the the PM site almost like when you have a cut and the scab forms and you tear the scab. Is this from some healing that is around the PM and when you roll over or move the area gets pulled and hence the pain. Is this a normal thing that I will need to put up with or will this usually go away after a time? The PM is sure close to the surface and I can feel just about eeverything on the PM. I am not a very heavy person (Male 150lbs)
I will talk more later on the frozen shoulder issue but for now my concern is the issue at the pacemaker site.
Thanks Perry

6 Comments

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by pete - 2009-01-11 01:01:10

Its not abnormal to feel considerable pain for up to a fortnight after implantation. I found any movement very difficult for about a week. A lot of patients though seem to be let off lightly. If this continues for any length of time in excess of 14 days I should let the hospital know. Cheers Peter

Painful shoulder

by Blueaustralia - 2009-01-11 05:01:57

A lot of us seem to end up with a painful shoulder. I complained for four years. I had to see a sp about another problem and mentioned my shoulder. He gave me an injection. Now I have half the level of pain. I am going to ask him if another injection would be of any use.


I still, after four years, feel a slight pulling like sensation on my pm site if I lay on my left side. They do put a stitch in the pm to hold it in place and sometimes this breaks free. Mention it to your specialist.

Hope this helps and all the best.

It gets better!

by candi51 - 2009-01-11 07:01:40

Hello!
My ICD was implanted in June, 08.
For about 2 wks I had a hard time sleeping and tried to sleep on my back with my left arm propped up. It was hard because I am not a "back sleeper". After a few weeks though it was no problem to sleep any which way. I do still have some tenderness with clothes or the seat belt, etc but it is getting better all the time.
My doc said that it can take up to a year to completely heal. Every now and then I'll have a sharp pain in the device area but the Dr said that it is probably just nerves healing themselves and it takes time :-)

Now if you have constant pain in the area or it is red, swollen, or feels warm or if you develop a fever you definitely want to call the DR ASAP as those are all signs of possible infection.
Hang in there!
It will get alot better!
Cheers-
Candi

sleeping

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-11 09:01:36

You may be bumping or pulling it too much in your sleep. You might try sleeping on your back with your left arm hugging a pillow. This will keep you from moving the arm too much or rolling over on your left side. Squeezing the pillow will hold it in place if you want to try sleeping on your right side, though I didn't do that either for a few weeks because it pulled too much. It will get better!

Welcome

by bini - 2009-01-12 06:01:18

Welcome to the club. I too had frozen shoulder after my surgery. I had to do exercises to try to relieve it.

Anyway, It to me around a month before I could sleep on my PM side. Everyone's discomfort varies but it is normal, so don't worry. I felt my PM alot when I first got it, it felt like a weight. After 3 months I forgot it was there...and I am a 5'1 105 pound girl. Sometimes exercise can make me feel it more, but it's not painful anymore.
Good luck with everything

Christine

Thanks

by PC - 2009-01-15 03:01:45

Just like to thank everyone who has responded it sure is nice to have some place to go and be able to talk to people that are going thru the same issues. I now think that I must allow more time for the Pm site to heal and the pain I'm experiencing is due to the incision and healing which will take some time uwards of a yar maybe more.
As far has my frozen shoulder issue I see that everyone has had the frozen shoulder with their left arm. Well mine is on the right arm and I also have muscle loss on the right shoulder area. I also have a lot of pain and am presently on pain killer for this (Tramadol) I have had xrays, arthorgrams, Physio, Accupunture and the next tthing is a Ultrasound to try and determine the cause. The doctor thinks that when I fell I may have injured my shoulder but I did not have any pain until 2 days after the PM was installed?? Sure is a long process to go thru the medical system its been almost 4 months now since the PM put in and the ultra sound is scheduled for the end of January. One day at a time I guess. Has anyone elso out there had a problem with their right arm after surgery??
Thnaks Perry

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