Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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Cleveland Clinic

Does anyone know who I would get in touch with to get an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland? I have been having problems with Vtach and PVCs after my 2nd pacemaker in a year, and no one has been able to help me here in Pittsburgh, and I was told I should go to the Cleveland Clinic. I have been off work alot in the past 2 years, and it has been financially struggling for me, and I need to find help to get back into shape & back into regular life again. Thanks in advance.

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sleepless

Hi all,

Another sleepless night. My thoughts are like "a hamster in a cage" going round and round. I try to meditate, pray, count sheep, etc. but sleep will not come. Anybody out there has any suggestions how to get to sleep???   I don’t like medications, anything natural?

Also, has anyone had more tests done (either angiogram, echocardiogram, etc.) when different problems arise?  I wonder sometimes if it is my heart itself that is &quo...

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Atrial flutter treated by atrial override pacing?

Hi there,
It's not been a good week finding myself in atrial flutter, thankfully with my sick sinus and block, the resting rate is 62/min, increasing to 150/min on exercise termination (Guess who swam a mile and a half in 55 minutes 3 days ago?).

I think the whole thing started last weekend when I detected my pulse at 140/min, quite irregular, after dancing Samba.

If anyone has any advice about atrial flutter suppression by using atrioventricular override on my DDDR...

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I would like to know

I have had my pacemaker a year this past September.  The other night, while in bed, I expierenced a feeling that sounded like a hard beating of the heart; it did it twice during the night. Could this have been my pacemaker kicking in, my pulse was about 64. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks Pam

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blood pressure

Hello Everyone. Hope the New Year is starting out well for you all!
I have a question about blood pressure. I have been on Sotalol for a while now. I am taking 80mg three times a day. Well the last five or six days I have felt awful. I have been getting lightheaded with really bad headaches. I was just thinking it was the arrythmia but I took my blood pressure a few times and it was 140/90 which usually mine is 100/60 and very consistent. Should I be concerned about the big jump?

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How hard is it to get a diagnosis?

I am a 21 year old athlete (NCAA swimmer and runner) who had a pm placed in Sep '10. I first saw cardio when I was 17 due to many fainting episodes during my childhood/teenage years. I was diagnosed with vaso-vagal syncope, and put on a bcp to help with the hormonal imbalances that they thought were making it so bad (at one point i was fainting more than once a month). This helped for several years, but at 20 the fainting returned. Although this time it was quite different. I was literally just...

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HELP

I have/had Afib. I started having chest pain, SOB, and palpitations in May of 2010. It had been 3 years since my last AFib episode. My docs headed straight to an ablation in June 2010. Since then, I cannot get my heart rate to increase appropriately with exercise. My max heart rate in March 2010 was 171 and in December 2010 it was 115. One doc says I have sick sinus syndrome and another one says I don’t. I have been home for work for 4 months now and I am going crazy. My resting pulse befo...

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Has anyone had this?

Hi all. Can anyone help with this? For the last few weeks I've been getting these very strange episodes. I'm sitting at my desk at work when suddenly my heart starts racing & I get really fast palpitations. Each episode lasts a few minutes. Never experienced this before (I don't have a pacemaker -yet).

My EP thinks my arrhythmia may be coming back & is investigating but with that I usually get a fast heart rate on exertion (I had an ablation for atrial tachycardia last July). These ep...

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Will I need meds after getting a pacemaker

I am 19 and have a complete heart block and plan on getting a duel or biventicular pacemaker late jan or very early feb. Will i need meds or something I have read a few post about people taking meds after a pacemaker

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Medication dosage

Hey guys;

Have a question to anyone who has been on Tikosyn. I am currently on 250mg BID, had been doing ok with it but am now having breakthrough issue on a daily basis. The Doc and I are discussing the possibility of whether or not uping it to TID would be a possibility since the only other option is to go up to 500mg BID and that would be too much for a tiny build. I called and talked to Phizer but they didn't have any data

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To Pookie + Update

Hi all & Happy New Year

Dear Pookie- Just wanted to say thank you for posting the excellent article on Vaso-Vagal Reflex, Neurocardiogenic Syncope a few days ago. I saw my EP on Dec 17th & although my Tilt Test was negative, he told me he thinks I have a problem with low BP & he wants me to drink 2-3 litres of water a day plus increase the salt in my diet. So when I read your article....wow....it all made sense to me. It says in it about drinking the water & increasing salt. I haven't...

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antihistimines and beta blockers

Has anyone noticed increased side effects when taking an antihistimine and beta blocker at the same time? I read both labels carefully and there are no indications that one can't be taken with the other. I usually choose tavist because it doesn't have side effects for me but this is the first I've taken it since I've been on the atenolol and it knocked me right out. I thought I was just tired from being sick so I took it again the next day, slept most of the day. Haven't tried it again! Just wo...

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darvocette

what is the "skinny" on people who take Darvocette occasionally ,have a dual chamber pacer in place, and can they continue the drug

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Amlodipine

Anybody taking Amlodipine? Now Doc gave me a diuretic since the Aml.. has caused water retention. Am beginning to feel like a guinea pig- testing new combos that make me feel worse. Suggestions welcome!

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what were your symptoms for needing a pacemaker


My pulse has been hovering between 49 and 65, and when I left my doctors office last week, she told me that I may need a pacemaker. I've also been sort of lightheaded.

I wanted to know what someone else's symptoms were, when they first gave you a pacemaker, because I don't know anyone who has one.

I am a 77 year old woman, who lives alone, and I am very frightened.

Thanks

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About Pradaxa

Hi, i started Preadaxa 1 week and 1/2 ago, and iam having abdominal pain, dark urine, i was in ER and they Dx with abdominal pain and told me that can be pradaxa but is a new med and they dont know. Is incredible... Iam continue taking this one. 150mg bid. Please i would like to know if another person feel the same abdominal pain etc.

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advice needed

I currently have had an ablation and now have a PM but am still having problems. I keep having issues with atrial tachycardia, and now starting to have what I suspect to be TIAs. My cardiologists want to keep medicating me and keep increasing my dosages. They are only treating symptoms and they have admitted that there are more complications that could happen if they do more ablation. The first time, they hit my phrenic nerve and paralyzed my diaphragm. They are fairly certain that they wil...

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Is it Shingles or cardiac related?

Hey everyone, Hope everyone is having a good week! For the last 6 days I have been having what is my 3rd flare-up with Shingles. It is not fun :( Two of the medications I have taken with previous flare- ups so I am a little puzzled with some symptoms that I have not had while dealing with Shingles. For the last 2 days I have been suffering with constant cold sweats, dizziness and a unrelenting nausea. I have not felt like this before and I am just a little concerned. I have fainted once in my wh...

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MRI question

Recently, (Oct.) I had an annual mammogram. It was determined that there is a problem in my left armpit/left breast area. The dr. ordered an ultrasound to be done which I did a week later. It was then determined that I have a "mass" that needs to be checked closer. My Dr. ordered a MRI for the same afternoon. Then he told me about it. I asked how is this going to work with my pacemaker. That is when everything stopped! Dr. said to me "this test could save your life... but you can't have it".

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Worsening Condition

Hi all. Just to update you. As some of you may remember, I've been having lots of dizziness problems since my ablation in July. My EP has been investigating. I am waiting to have a 24 hour BP monitor test in January.

However, in the last 2 weeks my condition has suddenly worsened & I have an urgent appointment to see my EP tomorrow.

I have had bad chest pain for the past week & terrible palpitations again for 2 weeks. Also feel exhausted all the time.
The Dr's think my...

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