Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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follow-up

I went in for a follow-up today and left crying. I could not be more frustrated with everything. I went in because of a new symptom of high blood pressure issues and my doctor said well maybe you have a nervous system disorder that is causing all of your problems. He suggested an antidepressant to help stop nerve responses or something. What??? I feel like he is just grasping at this point because he just doesn't know why I am having the arrythmias and other issues. He told me he has never seen...

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Multiple Episodes.....

I just went for my pacemaker reading a couple of days ago and was told that I had a total of 21 episodes over the last 2 1/2 months. I thought this was quite a lot for me since the prior 3 months when I was checked was only a total of 5.  My pacemaker was installed in Nov. of 2005. This is disturbing to me, but not to my technician/cardiologist. Is there anyone else who has this number of episodes on a regular basis???  I appreciate any feedback on similar cases.  Thanks

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what are you?????

Hi don,
thanks for your post. Before I got the PM my HR was 68-72. I phoned the doc today and no answer. I asked to come down and have it set to 70 but silence today. If I don't hear from him tomorrow, I will phone again and again. Just one more question: My BP shot up into the 170/99+ after he turned "up the heat" to 80. He wants me to be a BetaBlocker, but I wonder if my BP would come down naturally if my HR would be lowered. I really try to be upbeat but sometimes it is difficult. even...

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If there are issues

Good Afternoon to everyone......greetings from the frozen tundra here in NE Ohio....brrrrrrrr. I have a question in reference to my PM. I had it "installed" on 16 Nov 2010, dual lead for Bradycardia (SSS) I go for my initial 90 day check up next month and was just wondering if something wasn't right would I have known by now? i.e..leads are implanted good? PM doing what it is designed to do....etc...etc. I really dont know what to expect other than it keeps my HR from dropping. I feel just like...

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you guys are great

thank you all for your comments. you give me courage. tomorrow I will phone and ask to come in and have it "turned down" to 70. This will be a "happy medium" between the 60 I had and the 80 the EP set last week. It's really 'propelling" me all day and especially in the night. I yearn for some "slow" time where I can relax. it needs to be delt with. It is so good to just get it off your chest. it was 4 in the morning when I wrote and my husband was snoring happily. I could not sleep and started t...

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how long?

hi experienced ones,
what is a "reasonable" time to go back to your EP and ask if he can change your HR from 80 to maybe 70? I find the HR of 80 too fast and I feel like I am in a state of "being propelled" for most of the time, especially at night. It's only a few days but my BP has "shot up" and he wants me to be on a beta blocker. Even if my BP comes down, would 80 still be o.k. or should it be lowered?. I am so tired of "bugging" the doc and wonder if he gets sick of me. but i need to g...

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PM Checkup update

Have had my PM since Sept 2010. While I am out walking I have been SOB and have a lot of chest pressure. At my appointment yesterday I had a tech from Boston Scientific working with me to figure what settings are best for me. He listened to my concerns and took the time to try some settings out and having me walk down the hall to try them out. I was anxious to try out my new settings today for a long walk and was very disappointed to again experience SOB and a lot of discomfort in my chest....

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Yay

I just had an appointment with my cardiologist, and apparently, my pm is only kicking in about 1% of the time. I think the technician made some adjustment to reduce the drain on the battery, and he predicted that at that rate, the pm would last me around 10 years. What a relief.

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extra heart beat

Hello! Thank you for the messages concerning my PM, especially the use of the left arm - still a problem but getting better, just as it is supposed to.

My PM, which was inserted on Dec. 22, 2010, is not because I have a low heart rate, but a high one. I also have Afib, and my blood pressure is already low enough, so I had trouble tolerating the heart rate lowering drugs. I had an avnode ablation, and a pace maker put in. The rate is pretty high but will be lowered after three mo...

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affected by change?

hI all,
I was "tweaked" yesterday from a HR of 60 to 80 and found this change significant. When the EP did it in the office I was fine, but coming home and especially during the night, I could feel the difference. I found the heart "too fast". Do I need to get used to the higher HR for a while. it seemed I could not relax or slow down. It was a "weird" feeling. Anyone else is affected by change of HR?
Maybe I am just oversensitive and "looking" for things. All I want to be is "normal"...

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You never know

My last post was several months ago wherein I was having problems with rapid heart rate. Well since then I learned that it was the rapid response. The tech that was checking my PM had a major attitude problem. She did not take the time to explain anything, had a problem when she finally did and when I asked about the problem she said it was PVCs and without asking, turned the rate response back on. I had major problems, thinking there was something wrong and finally after checking with my ca...

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well I did it

hi everyone,
it feels like having new friends writing to you. Went to the EP today. It was the first time I saw him after I collapsed and got the second PM 3 weeks ago. the EP and another cardiologist did the testing and "tweaked" the PM. I am pacing 61% in the atrium and 100% in the ventricle. I told them about the "hell" I went trough and want to start a "normal" life. Ask for the report of the implantation and what the surgeon found out about the damaged leads when he removed the first P...

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Interrogation

Hello everyone! I have an appointment on Friday with an EP tech to have my PM checked, which I had implanted Sept 2010. (This may seem like a dumb question to most of you). I read many posts on this site about PM checks and PM interrogations. Are these two different types of PM checks or is it just a matter of wording? If there is a difference, could someone explain it to me? As always, thanks for your support and knowledge.

Cathy

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Appointment

I had my first appointment after my PM placement. The appoinment went well. I went to the PM clinic first and they tweeked me up or down, whichever it is. They took me out of the 80’s and put me into the 70’s. Told me the leads did not come loose.

Then it was over to the doctor’s appointment.  He told me I did well. He’s taking me off  coumadin and giving me that new drug Pradaxa. He will see me in 6 months. I will get tweeked again in 2 or...

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Anybody actually speak up to their doctor??

It's been a couple of months since I was last on this site. I didn't find too many answers to my questions or comfort for my fears. I guess I just needed to come to terms with how my life had suddenly been changed overnight. Of course, I told my doctor a couple of weeks ago that "My pacemaker and I have not become friends yet." My friend suggested I should take it out for a stiff drink, talk to it and get to know it better.

I had my 3 month check-up a couple of weeks ago and I had...

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Confused

Recently had PM re-set (Medtronic SEDR01) Then felt great, more energy, less shortness of breath, BUT I am concerned about unexplainable rapid pulse, i.e. 84 just walking across the room, lightheaded at times.

So much energy that I overdo things and then have joint problems.

How is the proper setting determined?

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low heart beat

I had a pacemaker/defib installed in October of 2010.  They set it at 60 for the low.  I take a reading every day and it was at 60 in the am and would go up to 61-64 during the day.  This was every day since October.  All of a sudden I start getting readings as low as 55 - is this thing out of adjustment or broke?  I don’t need to get cut again to replace it, also the insurance company won’t be happy, I’m 60 yrs old, I...

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breast x-ray... a funny story

Ok, so this is what happened today,

I have a "mass" in my left breast and for the last 3 months it has been being monitored. I didn't know if I had a serious problem or not. I just had to wait to find out if it had grown. I am fine. I still have the mass but we are waiting again. Oh well, I don't care... No worries! I am fine.

Now this is the funny part. This is what happened during the mammogram today.... The room was a bit tense. Very serious, especially me. I was actua...

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Interrogations causing a-fib?

I got a Medtronic pacemaker put in a month ago for sick sinus syndrome. Still suffer with a-fib, but Multaq (after first two weeks) brought it down to 2.5%. Question: after interrogation yesterday (and how they mess around with your heart rate, I am guessing) I have been in a-fib probably 50% or so. I seem to be sensitive to being paced and having them speed me up and slow me down, and it may be anxiety/adenaline after the fact? (Another time I went into a-fib for 14 hours post-interrogatio...

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Dr. appt.

I go for my 2 week f/u tomarrow. Does anyone know what I'm to expect? When they check my pm do they set it for how many beats? What the normal range?

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You know you're wired when...

You have a T-shirt that reads “Wired4Sound”.

Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.