Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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time zones

I am a 10 day out of emergency surgery pacemaker receiver. This summer we are travelling back home to the maritimes, which has a 4 hour time zone change. My settings allow my heart rate to drop to 50 between 11 pm and 5:30 am BC time. Does the pacemaker somehow change time zones or is this going to be a problem for me?

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First checkup

Yesterday, my 76th birthday, I had my first check up and all went well. Settings are 60 and 140. I pace the upper chamber 39% of the time and the lower chamber 57% of the time. Does this sound reasonable?

I feel ever so much better and one of the nurses thought that I was in my mid 50’s, of course I was flattered, but took it with a grain of salt.

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Periodic Check-ups in Australia

Have read with interest the practice with post PM insertion checkups in other countries, particularly the USA.

It seems that practices differ beteween countries and even within the same country.

I thought I would share my experience here in Melbourne, Australia.

I had a pacemaker inserted 22 months ago by a local cardiologist/electrophysiologist who is a Professor at a major university and attached to one of our major hospitals. He is a recognised authority here...

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Hung

Hi all
my name is Hung le, and I have a 3 year old son, who have a dilated heart. Rcently I have him implant a CRT. At the second check up, his doctor has increase dual chamber biventricular pacing AV interval to 100ms from 60ms. After that, it seems that he is quite more often tired and short breath. Should I wait for a next check up or keep on monitor and have it set back to what it was. Cuold anyone please tell me what is the "100ms fo AV interval would be different from the 6oms AV inte...

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What happens when the phone line is disconnected?

Greetings All,

Does anyone know what happens to the Merlin monitor when the phone lines are down?

The 1st time the line was down for just a few minutes, so I did not worry about it.  The other day my dear husband was backing up a large trailer into our drive way where the phone lines hang low. Not thinking about them, as he backed up he pulled the lines off the side of the house.  We are very blessed to have a retired telephone company employee living next door. Toge...

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Exactly What Does My St. Jude Merlin Report To Doc

I've had a St. Jude pacemaker for just a month. I am wondering exactly what information Merlin transmits to my doctor's office.

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short of breath & tired

First out of the hospital felt great and had plenty of go power...After first check up my tech made some 'minor' changes and I now have shortness of breath and loggyness after only minor efforts.

Will be going in shortly and wondering what questions I should be asking tech/doctor to get back on track

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Request Heads Up

I am scheduled to receive my second pacemaker, Adapta SR ADSR01, in two weeks. I currently have a depleted Kappa 701. Any suggestions regarding tweeking settings? I want to benefit from those who have gone before!

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Rate response poor, nearly always at 60

Hi

My 83 year old mum has just had a pacemaker fitted. A Medtronic, though I do not know the model (a recent one though). The reason was her heart rate was very low - it would drop to 45 at times - when doing moderate activity her heart rate would also drop, not rise, sometimes.

Initially the PM was just set to 60, and that is all it ever did. So we took her back to get it adjusted, because the rate response was not working. They said stuff about grey response and supposedl...

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DDD mode to AAI<=>DDD

I have a Medtronic Adapta, installed after valve surgery for heart block. 10 months post-op had a PM check up and nurse said I was not pacer dependent. For the whole time I was there I did my own AV conduction. Because of this the EP changed my programming from DDD to AAI<=>DDD. Basically when I have conduction the PM just watches the heart, if 2 ventricle beats are missed the PM switches to DDD mode to keep the ventricles going. The PM does periodic checks to see if conduction has returned.

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Hysteresis

Ok so last month I posted a question about a setting called restasis. Well I was wrong... it was hysteresis. Maybe that will make much more sense and someone can explain what it does. I went back to the doctor yesterday and since the setting change I had four episodes of atrial tach or afib they were not sure which so they want to change my medicine again and add another beta blocker to try to slow down rate further. I still think they just don't know what to do for me! It is very frustrating!

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Well, I went for the check up

Hello everyone,
I pray that you are having a good day. I measure my days as "my good heart days & my bad heart days", always praying that I will have more good days of course.
I got my St Jude PM 5 weeks ago. Yesterday was my first pm check-up. I was in and out in minutes. I was told to come back in a year. Is this normal?
They kept my rate set at 75 but changed some setting to make my battery last longer.
I took a list of questions with me and the guy sort of brushed me...

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breathing apparatus setting??

Hello all! I just went for my check-up after my 1 year anniversary with my pm. All has been great since I got my pm - and I am pacing at 68 percent. When I was in there, the tech told me that he wanted to adjust my pm b/c I have a breathing apparatus in my pm. He had me sit still, not talk, and breathe normal for 4 minutes while it took a baseline. Anyway, what it does is when my breathing gets more labored from working harder, etc, I have been feeling the pm kick in when I'm pacing above 60bpm....

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been upgraded

Well my appointment went well yesterday. Doc. concerned about the tiredness so has speeded up my settings and upped by pulse rate to 60 instead of 50 . Now I'm pacing at 70 -72. Guess upping the settings on the PM has something to do with this. If this doesn't work when I go back in a month we will start playing with the meds. Of course I have the blood test to do next Tues, and if nothing shows there than we experiment.
On another note I ask about the cost of the new meds to replace warfer...

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early check-up

On Monday I'm going for a PM check to see if the Doc. can find out why I'm so tired all the time . Think I sleep more than a new born. Family doc has me going for a whole bunch of blood test. My blood right now is to thin but he doesn't feel that is the cause. I hope it's just a matter of boosting up the power on the PM and setting my pulse rate higher than 50 as that is where is hangs around. Just so tired of being tired all the time so hope this check-up solves the problem Has anyone else had...

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Telephone follow ups

Hi! I'm a Cardiac Tech in NJ looking for some info on where everyone gets there follow ups done. Do you do them transtelephonically? ( that little box with the bracelets and magnet?) I've been checking them for 21 yrs and I'm looking to learn more. I'd really like to learn how to program. Any info will help!

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Pookie

Good gracious---6 years of suffering because of a setting? Do not see how in the world you were able to bear it. Glad it is now fixed.

Sally Fe

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Got Good News today

Went to cardiologist this morning for pacer check, Coumadin check and follow up visit. To my absolute joy I was taken off Coumadin. Doc told me what to look out for if clots return. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be rid of this drug. It served its purpose and now I can get on with my life. We discussed adjusting speed of pacer but that is not necessary. My upper and lower chambers are not exactly communicating in sync so that is why I have pacer. Upping the beats will not be helpful...

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Sara

Thanks Sara. This has been an unbelievable journey. So glad I found this site to talk with folks who have similar issues. Helps so much. Just got in from doing yard. Love gardening and I am the only one available to do it., Hard when you are a "one woman show" and you have to do everything. Hope to get all hard stuff done before it gets so hot. Usually go out EARLY Saturday mornings and come in before Noon. That's what happened last June. Got too hot outside, dehydrated and my world ch...

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pacer

well I was 29 when I got my pacer put in and now I am having some weird pain have any of you had that problem before

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You can hear your heartbeat in your cell phone.

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