Driving after a pm?

Another concerned question. I know I'll find out tomorrow after they put the pm in but kinda what to know what to expect now. If everything goes smoothy tomorrow when you thing I will be able to drive? When I had the loop recorded they stated 3 days. The anxiety is getting to me and lots of questions are going through my mind. Okay here is another one. Does anyone know what causes syncope? I am told my heart stops every so often for some seconds...what causes that....

Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and explainations. You are all like my bffs...your making me feel calmer as I read your posts. Really! I'm the type of person that really freaks out on stuff. My family members always tell me last and wait until they know everything before they tell me so I don't have to freak out for nothing...yeah I'm a worry wort!

4 Comments

questions

by Tracey_E - 2009-02-05 06:02:10

A whole lot of things can cause syncope... like your heart pausing! Sometimes electrical short circuits just happen, the why isn't as important as knowing the pm can fix it easily.

As Sue said, driving is up to your doctor. Some are more conservative than others. I never asked, and my doctor never said I couldn't drive. He he he, not sure what he might have said had I asked! I waited about a week, if I remember correctly.

Did they give you a mild tranquilizer you can take tonight? I can feel your anxiety growing in your post. Sending you calming thoughts and prayers for a uneventful surgery and fast recovery. I'll try to pop in the chat room after dinner if you want to talk.

Driving one of these days

by abreaux - 2009-02-05 08:02:20

Hi there - hope all goes well. I've had my PM 2 1/2 weeks now, and saw my cardiologist today. The PM nurse told me earlier this week I could start driving, but the doctor today said 6 more weeks. I negotiated him down to 4.

I had syncope/passed out when I was driving in December, and I would have died if the guy driving behind me hadn't gotten me out of the car before it burned up. I'm beyond frustrated not driving, but I owe it to the guy who saved my life and everyone else on the roadnot to drive until I'm sure that the PM has fixed everything and I won't pass out.

Besides the PM and skipping beats and syncope, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm not on any medication, and never spent a night in the hospital in my life until the day I had the heart cath and the PM installed. It's been one of the more frustrating parts of my life relying on my Dad to drive me around again and having to move back in with the parents for many weeks. But it'll be over soon and I'll be whole soon.

So all of that to say - do what the doctor tells you, and if you've been passing out, be glad it hasn't happened (yet) while you've been driving.

Hope that's not too frustrating of a post - remember it's just my opinion...

Driving

by rozybud - 2009-02-06 11:02:14

I had my pm put in 9 days ago and was told I could do anything I want after just 3 days...that was a phyician's assistant. My cardio told me 2 wks or more due to discomfort and weakness.

I was having long heart pauses only while sleeping, I woke up two wknds ago feeling nauseus and tried to walk to get help and passed out twice in one weekend.
They recorded an EIGHT second pause and a FIFTEEN second pause. (echo perfectly normal)

Syncope in my situation was caused by long heart pauses...

The pm will correct this for me..I was told!

Syncope

by Sandee - 2009-02-21 09:02:38

It is true that syncope has many causes. Once your doctor knows the cause s/he can determine your need for a pacemaker.

For me, I have malignant vasovagal syncope, mixed type, with asystole (over 30 sec. pause) and convulsion. As explained to me, it means that mine is caused by profoundly high tone in my vagus nerves. They run from the base of the brain and down through your shoulders to regulate the "thoughtless" actions in your body (sweat, heartbeat, digestion and so on). When the toned nerves overreact it knocks out my heart completely and blood pressure can't be detected. It happens through a series of events that doctors call a "cascade".

In some people with vasovagal syncope they only get lowered heart rate or lowered blood pressure. I get both. If I were you, I would schedule a consultation visit with your cardiologist. It is an office visit that you make just to talk. Take a list of your questions and perhaps send the MD your questions ahead of the visit so s/he can be prepared.

My cardiologist spent an hour and ten minutes answering my questions. His staff scheduled me to be the last appointment in his day so he could take his time. It was really nice and well worth the $30.00 copay!

You know you're wired when...

You have a little piece of high-tech in your chest.

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I'm 35 and got my pacemaker a little over a year ago. It definitely is not a burden to me. In fact, I have more energy (which my husband enjoys), can do more things with my kids and have weight because of having the energy.