Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

Blood Pressure 150/105

I am taking 40 mg of coreg (Beta Blocker) and my pressure is still high.

Prior to pacemaker implant I was taking Lotrel, which is a combo pill consisting of ace inhibitor and calcium channel Blocker kept my pressure around 130/80 which is good. However, my EP took me off it after implant.

Yesterday I went out to a golf event as a spectator. and
came home feeling funny. I checked my Blood pressure and it was 177/116.

I called my cardiologist who put me on L...

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How ofthen they check your pacemaker?

I change Doctors for obvious reasons. With the Doctor who implanted my pacemaker(and hurt my arm in the process)use to have me go every two months, with my new Dr. is every six months. Is that ok??? Can this be done with a phone line? I heard that some people just call in to have their pacemaker check....

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low heart rate post excercise

PM 3mos, r/r turned off one month ago. Now I have Fainting feeling while playing tennis or running,.. H/R does not increase with exercise. Setting moved up from 50 to 55 and stays there. When r/r was on H/R was 50 to 150. Have had several a/fribs as a result which last for 4-5 hours. Could B/B be problem as I am trying to wean off from 50mg to 25mg.
This a great, informative site and I thank you all for any thoughts.
-Philman

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heart rate too low during exercise

When we have a PM implant, is there a setting that could be in a constant position that would not allow the h/r to increase with exercise? If so, when rate response has been turned off, there would be problems . When I took my stress test it was with the r/r on, and with the good results I was cleared to turn off the r/r. I guess I'm thinking they should have checked me with it off during the test. Is it possible that any settings are off? Not that confident with Tech, and doc hard to get...

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Newbie

Hi all:
Tomorrow if will be two weeks since my pacemaker went in and wow what a ride. It came out of nowwhere. After I followed up a friend's suggestion that I consult a cardiologist for my symptoms. I went in for a consult and ended up in the hospital that day.Pulse 39 missed beats.. . No real preparation and I have gone through a gambit of emotions. All I can say is this website is wonderful. Because of some of the postings I read after getting dizzy in a presentation yesterday I followe...

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Interrogation/Fatigue

Hi!
I have had my PM for a little over a year now. I got the PM after a couple cardiac arrests caused by sick sinus syndrome. I've had very few problems since recovering from the initial implantation. I did have my PM moved under the muscle about 6 months ago and since then, I even forget I have it. I exercise regularly and am 40 years old, generally I've been feeling great.

I had my PM interrogated earlier today at my cardio's office. I only pace about 10% of the time in the atr...

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Should I go

Hi Everyone
I was wondering if you all think it would be a good idea for me to go a check up with my honey. He has a pm for 2 years now and I am not sure when his next check up is but would it be wise to go so I could see and hear what happens. We have not talked about it yet I was feeling you out first to see if I should ask or not. I have never been before but I feel that I need to be more proactive and supportive with this. I just was wondering....

God Bless
Betty Jo

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ICD Check

I had a ICD check on Tuesday. It should last until 2011. The next ICD I get should be the bi-ventricular one.

My cardiologist still keeps talking about trying to improve my condition and suggested a number of scenarios: different meds, altering the device pacing, and/or adding another lead into the bottom left side of her heart. Right now the lowest I pace is 90 bpm. It would be interesting to see what the lowest is for other people.

If they decide to put in another lead...

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EP wants to turn off rate response

During the first 2 weeks after PM implant I felt my heart speed up periodically, in addition I had frequent palpitations. It felt un natural so I became alarmed. I called my EP who insisted I wear the 24 hr holter. WHile wearing the holter I recorded 60
palpitations within the 24 hr period. I turned in the Holter on a Friday and called my General Practitioner who got me in immediately. He gave me a beta blocker and the palpitations went awa within a day.

On Monday my EP called...

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PM Phone Check

Hi, All, I was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome 8 years ago and had my second Medtronic pacemaker implanted January 2008. At this point, I'm doing phone checks every 2 months with the pacemaker center at my hospital. The problem is, these pacemaker checks are the only reason I need to have a home telephone. I'd much rather just have a cell phone and save $50/month, but I've been told the checks have to be done on a land line. Anyone have any experience with this or suggestions? Any comments w...

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Question about PM settings

just had my 3rd check up and everything seems to be on track. They changed 2 settings and am just wondering what they mean-the atrial lead and the ventricular lead had 'capture management' turned from off to adaptive. They also said they turned on the self check feature of the PM---what exactly does this do? it runs at 1 am everyday

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mode change

my pacer mode was changed to ddd i now seem to feel tired is thip possible

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7 weeks after my PM implantation

Hi my friends,

I was on another check-up yesterday, 7 weeks after my implantation. My doctor told me that I am pacing at 100% (V pacing). I have got third degree AV block - my atriums are still going very fast, but it never minds, because the ventricles are pacing by the PM.


My setting:

BASIC PARAMETERS:

Mode - VVIR
Base Rate - 60/min
Hysteresis Rate - Off
V. Refractory - 300 ms
V. AutoCapture - Off
E/R Sensitivity - 1,6...

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Check-up - 7 weeks after implantation my PM

Hi there,

I am going to go fo another check-up on Monday. I am quite curious... I would like to know how much I am pacing.

I know that my atriums are still running quite fast - when I was on my last check-up, I had on my ECG - HR of atrums more then 200/min.

... but because of my third degree AV block (RF ablation), my ventricles are pacing by my pacemaker now, so my real pulse is slower.

I would like to know if it is possible to feel when the atrium...

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My first checkup

Had my first device interrogation today, 1 week after surgery. they said I was A pacing at 51% and V pacing only a small amount. apparently my ventricle doesn't respond to the natural signals right away so the pacer gets it going. then it seems to catch up and respond properly so the pacer stops V pacing.

They said that is good because it could add years to the battery life.

forgive me if my terminology is not correct but I am a PM newbie.

so far so good,

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Second Check

Hi

Thought I would write to say how the second check went on the pacemaker. This is the first time the cardiologist took a print out. He said the pacemaker was working 1/3rd of the time, no percentage, but that sounded pretty good to me.

He also lowered the voltage to 1.5w so I do not feel the sensation in the stomach.

He has also turned the pacemaker down to 45 beats per minute as my base rate, and said that I could see how I go. Hopefully all will be well, if...

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First pacer check, pacing at 37%

I was wondering for all ya'll out there who've had pacers for a long time, I got this question. I asked it before in one of my other posts but didn't really get an answer. At my first check-up, 1 week post implant, I was pacing at 37%. I was sort of surprised at that number, because it seemed kind of high. I guess I just wasn't expecting the pacer to pace that much, just once in a while. 37% sounds more like once in a while. It must mean that I must have really needed the pacer in the first plac...

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Home Monitor

Just receeived a letter from My cardiologist indicating they are setting me up for home monitoring. How often is one usually checked? Just received my P/M 2 months ago.

Thanks to All.

Bob

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Check-up results

I had my semi-annual heart check-up last week. My pacemaker is working fine. My battery is estimated to last another 5 years. My ventricle is paced 100% of the time and atria 60%. My thyroid is back to normal and I’m feeling fine.

My doctors still tell me that I will need my pulmonary valve replaced (I call it a valve job) sometime in the future. They are paying close attention to my echo results to see if my heart function is worsening. When I have surgery will depend mainly...

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New PM

Hola, sorry for my english (I'm Spanish and I have some difficulties with the language)

Finally I got my PM 20 days ago! I have a Medtronic Kappa 703 and everything is running fine for the moment. I have a question; How long should I wait before start moving the arm?

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You know you're wired when...

You name your daughter “Synchronicity”.

Member Quotes

As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.