sharp heart pain

Okay, I am about 7 weeks post implant and over the last couple of days I have started having sharp pains in my heart at seemingly random times. I felt a PVC earlier today and I go into a-fib for at least a few minutes every day now. I haven't caught my heart going to slow, just this sharp stabbing pain right in my heart. After this long, could one of the leads be pushing further into my heart or something? Any ideas anyone?

thank-you,
Michael

7 Comments

update

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-05-18 03:05:07

Well, today I passed out for the first time in 8 weeks. :( Not sure what is going on. There are no tender spots to be found and the pain that I feel is to deep to be surface related.

As far as healing, I guess it could be, but I have already healed up from everything (or so it has seemed). I heal extremely fast so I would be very surprised if that is the case. Example, I broke my hand once (bone in pinkie broke in half in middle of my hand) and it set wrong but completely fused back together and healed in one week. This tends to be a norm for me to heal at that rate. Had an ulner nerve transposition where they had to go through the muscle (1 1/2 year recovery time is normal for that) and completely healed in 2 months. So, could be due to healing, but like I said, that would be very surprising.

call!!!!

by Tracey_E - 2009-05-18 04:05:37

If you have not already done so, please call your doctor, or go to the er!!!!!! Passing out is not normal.

call

by Tracey_E - 2009-05-18 06:05:46

It's probably just a part of healing, but I'd call and ask to be checked.

Sharp Pain

by bobad - 2009-05-18 09:05:42


Heart pain is usually not sharp. Doing a little gentle poking and prodding will usually reveal a sore spot.

If it keeps up, do see about it.


Best of luck and health,,,

C'est la vie

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-05-19 06:05:36

Well, I didn't go to the ER or anything, although I have now been chewed out for not doing so by a local pharmacist. lol I don't know, to me if I wake up, it just wasn't that serious. I know they say it is and I am sure they are right, but I woke right back up, only a skinned knee to show for it. I was only out for a couple seconds. If it gets any worse, I will call the doctor about it. Other then that though, I have an appointment next month and am sure I can make it until then.

Honestly, I am still learning what things are going to be normal for my life now. I have pretty much accepted that I will have chest pain the rest of my life due to the PM kicking on and off and me going into a-fib nearly daily. I just don't know if this is one of those things or just a reaction to the meds meant to keep my heart from beating to fast as much as possible. Either way, I will talk to my doc about it when I see him or earlier if it gets any worse.

sheesh, you are stubborn :o)

by Tracey_E - 2009-05-20 01:05:13

Do you drive? You'll get more than a skinned knee if you pass out behind the wheel. At least call your doctor and ask if he wants to see you sooner than next month, something is not right. And you should not have to live with chest pain for the rest of your life, there's no reason to think you will. You need to find out what's causing it. But you won't find out if you don't call!

Can I tell you a story? Debbie, a very sweet lady who was an active member here, was young and otherwise healthy. She got her pm and felt fine, was recuperating well. A few weeks later, she posted that she was getting sharp pains and it was hard to breath. At the urging of us here, she finally went to the ER. Two weeks later (after a gazillion "anyone heard from debbie" posts) she came back to say her lead had pierced her heart and she'd been in the hospital all that time with pericarditis. A week later, her sister posted to tell us that she died.

Is that rare? Of course. Piercing the heart is rare, and dying from the fluid build up caused by it is even more rare, but do you want to take a chance of having an infection/fluid build up that could get out of control? I sure wouldn't. I don't know how many ways to tell you, but a sharp pain in your heart is not a normal part of having a pm. You need an xray to make sure your leads are where they're supposed to be. If they are not, waiting can kill you.

I called the doc

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-05-22 03:05:41

Okay, I called my doctor's office today and the nurse will tell the doctor. She stated that as the sharp pains have stopped and with only the one pass out event with no other major symptoms at the time, that it is probably okay. She will tell the doctor about it however and will call back if there is anything that he wants me to do about it (ex. get an x-ray or whatever).

The sharp pain is unusual for me, but there is an amount of chest pain that I always feel with the PM due to that I feel it kick on and off. I presume that is normal, just most may not feel it just due to not being in tune with their own bodies that much. Due to being in martial arts as long as I have, I tend to know very well what every part of my body is doing and when it is doing it so I tend to notice things that most don't. Ironically, I figure that is probably why I can feel the PM kick on and off.

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

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