When Did You Know...

I am 30, and was diagnosed with complete heart block about 28 years ago. The doctors do not know if it was congenital, or the result of anesthesia which I was given at the age of 2 as the heart block was diagnosed a couple of months after that incident. When I was younger I was just monitored by a cardiologist to make sure I did not start showing symptoms. My question is, for those who were in my same situation, what was the point where you knew it was time for a pacemaker. I have been told all my life that I will eventually need one, but swam competitively through high school and never had any problems growing up. I still go to the gym on a regular basis, and am able to run on the treadmill for a half-hour or so. I also swam a mile race in the ocean about 6 months ago. There are some days though that I feel extremely worn out by the end of the day so I am wondering what that means. Also, I spent the night in the ER 3 months ago due to some dizzy spells. They got me on the treadmill though and stated that I was able to get my heart rate up to a decent pace and I didn't act like a person who was in complete heart block. So, just wanted to hear from some of you as it seems like there are some knowledgable individuals on this site. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

3 Comments

similar situation

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-04 06:03:19

I was diagnosed with complete block when I was 5 and also grew up knowing I'd eventually need a pm. I can't explain it better than Frank did! You really don't sound like someone with complete block because your rate goes up with exercise. It appears you are having the beginning symptoms, tho, and a Holter is the best way to find out for sure what's going on. Even if you can sustain activity, you don't want your hr getting too low because it's hard on your organs. It's time to get a pm when your rate gets lower than 40's or when you don't have the energy to do what you want to do- whichever comes first.

In my case, my hr never went above 45 my entire life and I wasn't able to be very active, but I was asymptomatic as long as I didn't overdo it. When I got out of college, the dizziness started and I started to get tired more easily. I let it go too long, the decline was so gradual that I didn't realize how bad I felt until after I got the pm and felt better. I got my first one when I was 27, my hr had dipped into the mid 20's, my lips and fingernails were blue, and I on the verge of cardiac arrest when I found myself in emergency surgery. Don't wait that long! :o) I'm 42 now and have had several replacements. I'm active and full of energy and most people don't know I have it.

If you have any questions about getting the pm, recovering or living with it, please ask away.

hi, its a mystery

by Hot Heart - 2009-03-04 09:03:48

I'll not bore you with all my details just read my profile. No one can tell me how long i was in total heart block, was it the surgery? who knows.

I'm 55 and 100% pacing since oct last year. I thought i felt fine before i had my pm but thinking back perhaps i didnt. I did the gym, treadmill for an hour or more at a time and walking swimming, 2 dogs, 2 kids and even 2 jobs but i did feel tired and cold, always cold feet. Just thought i was tired because id got a real busy life and was also going through the menapause.

I cant say that your body will tell you when its time because mine certainly didnt, i got the shock of my life when i was rushed to hospital and fitted with a pm.

I think that if you feel it may be time, then it is time, but this is one of the things that we have to take advice on.

Having a pm isnt going to change your life much really, its just a safeguard, think of it as an insurance policy.

My dad died aged 35, a long time ago, heart problem was put on his death certificate, too late to find out if he ttoo had needed a pm, dont think they did them back tthen, better to have one in place and be ready for the unexpected than not have one and take a risk.

I felt unfit and a bit down after getting my pm but i think that was more from the bad liposuction than the pm to be honest. I'm feeling so much better now, i can walk miles and miles again, havnt tried the treadmill yet, but danced to northern soul music last saturday night from 8pm till 2am, and that aint bad for a 55 year old.

Take care.

Complete heart block

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-04 12:03:13

Complete heart block (actually a bad name for it) is when the electrical conduction between the atrium and ventricles is completely blocked. The way the heart works is that your natural sinus pacemaker causes the atrium to contract at a rate related to your exercise level. This pumps blood into the ventrcles. Then the electrical signal goes down the AV bundle (I'm leaving out a bunch of complicated stuff) and stimulates the ventricles to contract pumping blood into the lungs and the rest of your body.

If the AV bundle is completely blocked the effect is to have the atrium beating at a normal rate and the ventricles beating at some low rate like 25-40. Since the ventricles are the main pumpers they are the ones you feel when you take your pulse. So the bottom line is that when you have complete block your HR doesn't respond to exercise. Since you have a normal response I would tend to think they are right and don't have complete block.

If you are starting to have symptoms like dizzy spells and even fatigue you may be developing intermittent block. One of the ways of checking it out is to wear a Holter Monitor for a few days. It records cardiac events which can be downloaded and analyzed. If you are developing a progressive block a pacemaker can reconnect your ventricles to the atrium and all works fine again. This is one of easiest types of arrhythmia's to deal with. It is what I have at 78yrs and am very active.

I would suggest checking it out since you are showing some symptoms. Being active and at your age you don't want to have your HR drop to 35 while swimming in the ocean, or driving.

If I can answer anything else drop me a note.

frank

You know you're wired when...

Your electric tooth brush interferes with your device.

Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.