Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

Medtronic Carelink Questions

I received my Carelink monitor in April of this year and was able to successfully sync it with my ICD. Since then I have been able to transmit successfully to my care provider.Once after the initial syncing and then my 1st quarterly transmission. It would seem all is well.

When I got the monitor, the nurse did not give me much information about the device and attempts to talk with her since have proved futile. Perhaps someone here can provide me some information.

1. Does th...

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Pacemaker renew

I'm am due to have another pacemaker fitted, in a year or two..
I've had my pacemaker in for 6 years.
I was wondering the recovery time for it, and is it the same when you first get it implanted...?

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follow up

Not a question, just a complaint. I was supposed to go for my 4 week follow up on Monday. I had to call and reschedule because I have to go to a funeral. They only do checks 2ce a week and the next appointment I could get is Oct. 7. Ridiculous!  I feel fine so took it.  Everything looks good to me. The only things I don’t like is it looks like this scar is going to be longer and you can really see the outline of the pm this time. (even my son commented on it) Last one you couldn&...

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Settings Adjustment

I had posted about a month ago about wanting my upper limit raised as it was set very low. It was set to track to 100 and sense to 105! Super low!
My Cardio –who actually listened to me – contacted the EP and they agreed that I needed to have it changed. It took awhile to get an appt at the PM clinic but I had my usual technician and 2 other women (think they were nurses that work with my EP team). It was a long appointment that involved me literally running around the hospital and up an...

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Cost of Clinic pacer check

I live in So CA where every thing is expensive.
I wanted to share with you the cost of a pacemaker check up at hospital.
The charge in March (every three months) was $204.75
Since some parts of Obamacare is already in place the cost in June was $438.06 . Same type of check up. Nurse said price up because of new health rules.
I didn’t think the Obama care was in place until Jan 1 but some parts start when the bill was signed.
When I transmit by computer...

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NEW Guy

Just got pacer to avoid pauses and avoid passing out ......
passed out once at home and dropped like a ton of poop. Scared the heck out of my family....
Still have arythmia problem, pacer is just to avoid passing out.

Lots of fun so far .... 4 ablations and still comes back..

Tim

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If all is well??

Here is probably a very stupid question but I have never been afraid of asking stupid questions.
If you have a pm and you have not had problems for a very long time ( i assume we would know if something wasn't right) why do we have to go for pacer check ups. I can understand needing to get the battery life check but my pacer is only a little over 2 yrs. old.I have not had my pm checked in a year and 4 months. I do have an appt. with a new EP doctor on Thursday to establish a doctor-patien...

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ICD Beeps

Hi All,

I had my ICD Medtronic Virtuoso II implanted on 27 Oct 2009 and recently had the device checked on June 11 2010. In the last check, it was picked up that my heart rate on one ocassion went up to 182 bpm. This was due to the fact that I was exercising. I do exercise (cardio and weights) on a regular basis.

Last night (07 Aug 2010). I started to hear beeping sounds, that lasted up to 10 secs but didn't realise that it was from my ICD. Today while chatting with a frien...

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Hardly seems worth the effort

Last Thursday, I had my first check-up since implantation (May 25th). For the first time, I've learned what my settings were: max 180, min 50. I've paced only 2% of the time, apparently at night.
OK, so I know that the last time I fainted, it had consequences (busted face & ribs), and that I haven't really done any strenuous exercise since the incident.
Nevertheless, I'm kind of wondering what the fuss was all about and if I wasn't too quick to accepting the procedure.

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pacemaker settings

Thanks for the response regarding heavy and tired legs after PM
I think it could be the setting it was paced 50 then 75 and legs nearly collapsed, doc then paced to 60 which seemed okay but heavy legs returned. I try to really exercise ,bike ride etc but that doesn't seem to help much.I have always been energetic but this has stopped me doing things even walking.

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Phone Check Thingy

Hi everyone,
I'm leaving for vacation in the morning and wondering if it's a good idea to bring my phone check thingy. I have one in a gray box with wires for my wrist and the round magnet and phone cutouts.

I just thought of bringing it now. What does the phone checker actually tell them? Is it worth bringing?

Thanks for your speedy replies....running around packing!

Wenditt

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PM checkup

Just wondering if it is normal to not see the doctor when you go in for a PM check? This is the first time I have not seen him on a visit and I have had my PM for over a year. The tech said he was at the hosptial. She did not know anything and could not answer any of my questions! It was very frustrating.
My main concern right now is that I can not sleep. I found out from the tech that when I went in two months ago to see the doctor when he changed my RR he also raised my lower limit to 80...

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turned the beats down now lighthead and dizzy

I only had the pacemaker a week.....when to check up and found out the top is still beating to fast so they turned it down the bpm. Now i am feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded. They did say I will need meds to help with the top half of the heart. They slow it down so it dont race so much. But dont like this dizziness and light headiness. Anyone ele had this or have any suggestions.....I think I was in the 80 and now in the 60. Before this I was in the low 30.

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First check-up

Went for 6 week PM check-up today and there were a few surprises.
Firstly, I didn't see the cardiologist who implanted the pacemaker - my check-up was in the "diagnostics unit" (where they do treadmill/ECG, etc tests).
In the atrium, my PM is just "sensing" (i.e. not pacing) meaning my heart is initiating beats correctly in the top. The ventricle is being paced 99% (hence my condition - 2nd degree heart block - beats are not efficiently relayed top-to-bottom).
I said I was still...

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6 month check up

Hello to everyone
I haven't posted anything in a long time but always stop in and read the posts most every day and I wanted to give an update on my condition.
Had my 6 month check up on Thursday and it was not one of my better ones. The lead from my pacemaker to my upper chamber is giving off some different readings and is probably going to need to be replaced. The pacemaker made corrections and it is working ok. We are going to monitor it for the next 3 months and see what happens an...

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Thanks Pookie

I posted a message about 3 weeks ago with my concerns qbout an upcoming MIBI test. I thanked Frank for his response but was saving my response to you Pookie until I got the results. I had the test on July 7 & 8 and have been awaiting the results. I have called the cardio. 3 times telling the nurse that I am still having dizzy spells and would like the results of my MIBI. She tells me she will look up my file and call me back. No such luck. I had such a dizzy spell last week in a store and had t...

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HAD MY INTERROGATION - WHOOPIE!!

Hi guys, had my 6th month check up yesterday, brilliant news, afib episodes 11,000 first 6 months, 920 second six months, none at all this six months, I never took the medication but have a glass of red every day, have no idea if this has had an effect, wouldnt recommend it though unless doc says ok.

Vent pacing went from 84% then to 32% and this time only 6.5% fantastic news.

Atr pacing about 82%.

Told them I loved rate response on and how well I feel so they di...

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what does pacing mean

oh one more thing....what does pacing mean? i think at my check up they said I was pacing at 20% .....is this referring to my natural heartbeat or the beats the pacemaker is causing? Can someone explain this to me too?

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how do i know what settings i have?

OMG! I am so scared. I haave had my PM for just over a week. First time ever and I just happen to find this website. The more I read others posts the more questions I have. I know my PM is rate responsive and dual chamber. I don't know what all this setting stuff means. All I was told was its rate responsive and it won't go above a certain amount or ever drop below 60. Does this mean that if my high is 150 then my pulse will not go above that? I want to try to get back into my workout routine an...

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PM settings & Blood pressure

Hi all :)
I have a question about the PM settings and ones BP
this confuses me and so I thought I would ask :)
my top setting on my PM is 120 bottom is 50...my BP usually is 120/78 pulse is usually 62 or so... okay so yesterday I was outside with hubby doing yardwork and weed wacking,mowing etc etc.... I sometimes feel sob so yesterday when I did I came in and took my BP oh and throw in some PVC's too anyways, my BP was 130/83 pulse 78... so would the low setting of 120 on...

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Member Quotes

I am just grateful to God that I lived long enough to have my ICD put in. So many people are not as lucky as us; even though we sometimes don't feel lucky.