Second Lead Just Placed and having problems

Im 38 and had my first pm when I was 33 due to SVT. Had to ablations and then the pm. the battery was changed in December 08 and this past Monday they had to add a second lead to my bottom chamber. I was feeling wonderful when I went on Wednesday but on on Thursday morning I was waking up with a thumbing feeling at first and then pounding shock feelings around the mid to lower part of my large breast. I called the on call dr. and they sent me to the ER. A rep from the dr office came over and checked my pacemaker and made a few adjustment that slowed this feeling down but told me it was probably due to where the lead was placed and would probabloy have to be removed and that the Dr. would see me in the office today. However, when I got my discharge papers it said he wouldn't see me until next week. I called and confirmed. I'm concerned about going on with this until next week considering that I almost died the first time I received my pacemaker because I had undiagnosed pericarditis. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this. I'm very concerned.

2 Comments

Wait?

by Angelie - 2009-03-05 09:03:01

Did you say that the docs added another lead to your bottom chamber? I'm curious, did you already have one there in the bottom chamber and this would be an additional one, or did you only have one lead in your top chamber?
I'm very curious, because I've been searching for people with only one lead in their right atrium.
As for the tech telling you that you need a new lead, let me remind you that they are not doctors. I'm surprised that he/she even said that to you because "diagnosing" like that is way beyond their expertise.
If I had a dollar for everytime I heard my technician say, "I'm not a doctor, but I would guess........".
Sometimes, pacemaker techs can get you unecessarily hyped up about nothing.
In the end, I guess what I'm trying to say is find a cardiologist/EP that you trust and, although it's important to have good rapport with the pacer tech- in the end it's your doctor that should make final diagnosis'.
I'd still be interested in hearing your lead configuration, that is, if you don't mind sharing. You can send me a private message if you'd like.

Hope you get to feeling better soon, and welcome.
Angelie

Pain From Pacemaker

by SMITTY - 2009-03-05 10:03:43

Hello Patricia,

If you can live with the pain it is probably (I repeat, PROBABLY) harmless. I went through something that sounds very similar for too many years to talk about before I got help. During that time I was told that the lead to the ventricle "is stimulating a nerve" and that was what was causing my shock type pain. I was offered the options of having the lead relocated or trying for an injection to deaden the nerve.

I'm guessing, but the adjustments on yours that were made and gave some relief may have included lowering the power output or voltage, if you prefer, of the pacemaker. I learned a few years after the fact that this was tried to give me some relief and it did help, but it took the nerve deadening to solve my problem.

I should add here for you or anyone else having a similar problem to mine, everything comes with a price. My nerve deadening took place in '05 or '06 and apparently at least one of the nerves deadened was the phrenic nerve which is very important to the function of the diaphragm. A few months after I had the nerve deadening procedure I started having a problem that was later diagnosed as a paralyzed diaphragm on the right side. The result to me, at least, is nerve deadening should be used only as a last resort fix. I'm of the opinion that pacemakers operation should be absolutley painless and people that claim to be experts in their operation should be able to make the necessary settings to stop one from causing pain.

Good luck,

Smitty

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