Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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phone monitoring

hello just been reading about phone monitoring is this service available in uk as all the peoples comments were from the us and i only see my doctor once a year for a check up

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phone line montor

Hi everybody,
This is my first posting although I've had my pacemaker since December 2005.

I just recently received my CareLink home monitor and sent off my first transmission to my cardiologist's office about a week ago. Does anybody use this method of reporting rather than an in-person evaluation? And, if so, do you feel it is as effective as in-person visits? Makes me a little nervous for some reason.
Phyllis

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Should I be worried about ectopic beats

Hi to the ectopic beat experts

Had to go back for a PM check yesterday at 10 weeks as I am having problems with my heart pounding in my neck - easy to see at times. The technician made some very small adjustments which she thought might help and again told me that I am only pacing less than 6% of the time. I have second degree heart block and a Medtronic Adapta dual chamber PM fitted on Feb 4. The dreadful breathlessness that I was having from day one of the pacemaker was cured whe...

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Confused About Rate Response

Hi

I have my interrogation report in front of me and wondered how I could tell from the print out that the rate response is off. Unfortunately I don't have the report from my first visit three weeks ago when the rate response was turned off (which completely cured my breathlessness which started as soon as the PM was fitted). Under the section headed rate response, it says:
Rate Response
Optimization - On
ADL Response - 3
Exertion Response 3
ADLR Percent - 2...

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PM Check

I recently had my 4th PM check. The St. Jude rep did the check this time instead of the Guidant(which is what I have) rep.

If I can keep on seeing this one rep, I won't worry about my checks making me feel horrible. He really was very gentle in the tests and I hardly felt anything. Whew!

Ok. He told me that my check wasn't as accurate as it could have been because the rep that checked my PM in December didn't erase the data that was downloaded from my PM.

Usually...

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Lightheadedness

I am 6 weeks post PM instillation. Back to work and mostly getting by, but still find that I do not have stamina. I tire easily and, in fact, I am expereincing lightheadedness(slight dizziness). I am walking 45-60 min. (sometimes more) everyday and find that if I walk briskly I feel lightheaded. Is anyone else dealing with this? I am thinking that this lightheadedness might have something to do with my lower chamber pace rate? I am wanting to tell my pacemaker team that maybe I do not need my v...

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My checkup today

Today was checkup day for me. As NASA would put it all was nominal. The only change we made was to reduce my ventricle pacing voltage from 3.75V to 2.5V. This is where it was before my problem back in November when I was losing capture of ventricle pacing intermittently. At that time we turned the voltage up to 5.0V to assure that I would remain one of the living! Both the cardiologist and the Medtronic rep agree that I probably had a virus that was causing irritation of my heart tissue. During...

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Four Months

I had an appointment yesterday with my EP - it was basically to discuss recent changes to my medication but of course we also downloaded my PM and did a bit of data examination. It is advantageous to the patient if you can somehow position yourself so you can see the computer screen. My EP is more than willing to discuss what we see, but if only he has access to the screen he tends to get lost in the data and stops communicating with me. Almost all features of my PM are turned off. It is bas...

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Test of Effort today

Hi

Thought I would let you know how my Test of Effort (riding a cycle whilst wearing an ECG) went.

Apparently, my cardiologist said that I was fine and in fact I had improved from my first check up. Good news. I asked about the ectopic or missed beats which I felt whilst exercising or sometimes just sitting. He said that everyone suffered with these, they were innocent and that I should ignore it.

I also asked what percentage was I making use of the PM. He s...

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Opti Vol on Medtronic Concerto ICD

G'day Readers
I have a bedside monitor which recently showed an alarm. My cardiologist reset the trigger bar but it has since gone off again.
My fluid trend graph shows fluid build but I have no other signs and, besides tiredness, I actually feel pretty good.
I'm told that this particular feature in this remarkable technology does not suit everyone and in my case has been turned off. Blood tests have confirmed all OK.
I have a leukemia related issue (polycythema Vera), plus d...

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Rate drop response

A couple of months ago I had the rate drop response turned on. I am due for my next check up to see how things are going. Since then I don't seem to have had any more event days so hopefully it is working. I was wondering if at the next check up will the pacemaker have recorded any activation of this feature.
Also I don't understand how this can work. If say my heart rate was 75 and it tried to drop to zero (as it would before the PM) and the PM kicked in at 60 bpm (my bottom rate setting)...

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Thanaks to all who responded about Biotronik PM

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post about the Biotronik pm. Just knowing how to contact Biotronik reps that you recommend, and then knowing others have had trouble/success with cardiologists who do or don't know these machines helps. I suppose I was under the impression a pacer was a pacer and anyone could basically do the correct settings. That was then this is now after almost $20,00.000 later. I appreciate all the help all of you have so graciously taken time to give me. Also, I...

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Biotronick

Hi everyone this is only my second post but I would like to say THANKS. First of all I could kick myself in the booty for not getting all the info I could about the type of pacer I have, and just blindly accepting that cardiologists would know everything about PM...unbelievable gullibility. Well here is my long story short version. In May of 2004 I had a biotronick pm put in everything was fine with me and the pm until this summer and I had moved to AR from Calif. needed a cardio dr so I fou...

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Frequency of Checkups?

Howdy,

Since I won the lottery in having the recalled Medtronic leads my EP doc has put me on a 2 month checkup schedule from the previous 3 month appt. schedule. They also had me setup a wireless monitor in my bedroom that phones in the ICD readings once a month. I had the ICD implanted in April of '07 and was assuming that the checkup frequency would get longer over time to say once every 6 months or so. I'm wondering how frequently others are going to see their EP docs and I'm also...

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Bells and Whistles

Hi all. It's been 10 week since my Medtronic Symphony defibrialltor/pacemaker was put in. For several weeks after the surgery I felt worse than I did before - and not just from typical surgery recovery issues. My heart would race to over 100 when I was simply walking on a flat surface. Anything with an incline was much worse. I was exhausted all the time. Granted I didn't feel 100% before the surgery due to heart failure, but you're not supposed to feel worse, right?

Come to find out...

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First PM Check Up - medics on the defensive again!

I don't think I am very good at appointments - I have come away with very few answers to my questions and am not terriby clear about the changes that were made.

What I do know is that my pacemaker has been working less than 5% of the time (I think I should be pleased) between the two chambers. For a short time he turned the settings right down and I felt completely different. He didn't actually say he had done this but as I no longer felt my heart beating and my breathing felt bette...

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First PM Check Up Tomorrow

Thanks Kaka, Vai and Harley63 for your input. I feel I am much more able to deal with my appointment tomorrow. I do hope I have someone who doesn't think "oh here we go - I've got a fussy one!" Will keep you posted. And thanks to the good looking camel for the extra help - oh sorry, I mean Heckboy!
Sue

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Interrogation today

Hello Friends,

For those interested, I had my interrogation today. PM was implanted May 2006. This is 7 months after the last checkup. I am pacing 100% in the ventricle, same as last time. Pacing 74% in the atrium compared to 54% 7 mos. ago. Leads are good and stable, life left on pacer is 5.8 yrs. We talked a bit about atenolol and some of the side effects but overall I am doing very well.

Sharon

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First PM Check Up

Hi Everyone

I have my first PM check up this Thursday - 6 weeks post op. As I am still really breathless - I really would like to have a bit of understanding about the settings and what might help me. I have a Medtronic Dual Chamber PM and the rate response switch is on. I found that out when I saw my cadiologist last week. He is taking this problem seriously and is doing all sorts of tests - so far everything is normal and I am awaiting the results of the CT scan of my lungs - he...

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Arm pains

Hi,

I have had my second pacemaker for 3 1/2 years and everything has been fine til my pacemaker check 2 weeks ago. The technicians said there was some atrial fibrillation and have referred me to a Consultant to do some tests and they also switched on a mode function on the PM which stops the ventricles being paced to keep up with the AF. Since then I have had chest pain (which I thought was indigestion to start with), aches and heaviness in my arms (both arms but not at the same time...

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