Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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)...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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

Read More...

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

Read More...

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...

Read More...

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...

Read More...

Adjustment put to the test

Hi,

I posted a while back about getting a PM adjustment while in Israel on business. I thought about waiting until I got back to the states, but am glad I took the advice offered and made a tweek.

The new settings were out to the test this past weekend as I took a trip to Jordan and went hiking in Petra, the 2000 year old city carved out of stone and featured in Indiana Jones and the last Crusade. We only had a day there and wanted to see as much as possible and I was abl...

Read More...

long term effects of having a pacemaker

Hi,
I'm a 49 year old woman that has had a dual pacemaker for a little over 2 years now. I was told that I have 3rd degree heart block. I just had an it checked yesterday and the nurse said I was pacing 94% in my ventricals. I asked if that was a bad thing and she said well, over time it can be because ventrical pacing that high over years is not a good thing.
She told me to ask the doctor more about it when I see him in June. She aslo said that because of my condition (heart block...

Read More...

What is this?

So I go for my 5th PM check, just had my little buddy installed 12-15-07, and I am told that they are going to turn on my ECG recorder beacuse I have several, more then 10, atrial tachy episodes of more then 260 bpm - OH MY GOD!! I feel little hick ups here and there but I thought it was just PVC's or something. Any one else with a run away atria? What do I do? What questions should I ask next time? They are checking me in 3 months again to see what it shows, should I wait that long?

Read More...

Rate Response Switch

Hi

Would really appreciate someone explaining to me what this switch is and what it does? I have a Medtronic dual chamber PM. Seeing my cardiologist for 5 week check up and am very breathless (wasn't before the PM) and would just like to understand a bit more about this particular setting. It is often mentioned in postings so it seems to be important. I am seeing him midday London UK time tomorrow, Tuesday 11th - sorry I only just thought of this.

Thanks.

Susa...

Read More...

Not up to par: Part II

I told the producer of the film I'm on in Israel (an old friend) that I had a PM (he was shocked) and would like to check/tweak the settings. After assuring him that I wasn't about to drop dead, they found me an EP in Jerusalem and confirmed that everything was working alright. He did make a little tweak to shorten the time between my atrial and ventricle to see if that would help. Time will tell, but I'm glad I went.

Read More...

Not up to par

So here I am in Israel on a 4 week consulting trip. I'm 5 weeks out from my second PM implant and I'm just not feeling great. The PM is working insofar as I can tell my checking my pulse, but it doesn't seem to have given me my endurance back for climbing uphill or fast walking. My pulse is pumping away, but I still feel out of breath. My last PM had me feeling so normal that I forgot about it. My settings must be off from what I had before.

My question is, should I wait anoth...

Read More...

You know you're wired when...

You have a little piece of high-tech in your chest.

Member Quotes

My pacemaker was installed in 1998 and I have not felt better. The mental part is the toughest.