Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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mammograms & Pacemakers

Hi, I have just found this page & it’s good to read some of your comments.
I was interested in reading about the women with pacemakers having mammograms. I told my technician that I had a pacemaker and it made not a scrap of difference. My mammogram took TWO hours and hurt like you could never believe. I left in tears. I was sore for 10 days after and when I phoned them to ask them about it they just said it was normal. I am a little (Actually a lot) stressed now because I have...

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fludrocortisone meds

Hi all,

It is now almost 12 months since the pacemaker implant. Everything is going very well and I am now back up to about 270 kilometres per week on the bike. With the world cycling champs on here in Australia at the moment I am even more motivated to get out and ride.

However I do have one question. The cardiologist has me on fludrocortisone medication each day and I seem to be suffering some ill effects of this. I notice that the skin is much more flakey and I regularl...

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What causes a complete heartblock?

What causes a complete heartblock? That is the question.

In my case no one knows why. Six months after my pacemaker implant my heart starting conducting again on its own. I found out yesterday, less than a week after pm settings were changed that so far I am pacing about 30%. Quite a change from the 100% only a month earlier.

The problem is that I am having other problems as well. I found out yesterday that those quick beats I have been feeling are called PACs. But don't kn...

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meds

I am back again i read that lipitor can cause liver and kidney damage . is there any one on here on lipitor and is there any one who has liver or kidney damage from lipitor if so I would like to hear from you. my doctor has me on lipitor, plavix, and
pantoprazole. he said this should unclog my blocked artery's
one 100% blocked and 2 other's 70% blocked.
gene.

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Loop Recorder

I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Second degree heart block occuring mainly at night. I have been told I will need a pacemaker in the future. In the meantime my cardiologist has recommended that I be fitted with a Loop Recorder to ascertain whether my light headedness is connected with the block. I have never fainted and the 'funny spells' last only seconds and are not on a regular basis. Of more concern to me is my erratic pulse rate which can go from 67 to 101 without excercise. Could this be...

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PVCs and Cardiac Abilation

Hi. I had a pacemaker implanted in August of 2008. I had PVCs afterwards, and after lots of trials, it is now lowered to 45 and is being used at less than 1% of the time.

Two weeks ago, I started getting PVCs VERY frequently. The typical heavy beating in my chest, pressure in my throat, etc. I was put on a 2 week event monitor. Showed I was definitely getting PVCs.

Went to see an electrophysiologist today and told me: 1) I could continue on my 25 mg. Metoprolol beta...

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What is neurocardiogenic syncope?

Hi all. Thank you so much for all your replies about the Tilt Table Test. The SpR phoned me today to say he has booked the test (plus another 24 hour ECG monitor) for 14th October. I feel a lot better about it after reading your personal experiences with it. It sounds less scary than when I had to go in for the ablation!

I noticed that quite a few of you were diagnosed with
neurocardiogenic syncope after the Tilt Table Test. What is this & does it always result in a pacemaker?

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AV Node Ablasion

I have chronic a-fib, I have taken every med. I'm am on Tikosyn, it's not working. The next step is an AV Node Ablasion. Is there anyone out there that has had this done. I am a male, 58 years old and would like some feedback on this procedure.

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Tilt Table Test: Question

Hi all. Further to my GP sending me off for lots of blood tests last Tuesday (went to see him about my dizziness & my BP was better at 100/70 from 80/50).....all the results came back normal. So he told me to contact my cardiac team & let them know about my dizziness. They already knew 4 weeks ago & did another ECG & exercise/treadmill test then, but they had told me to let them know if my dizziness got worse.

Anyway, I contacted my cardiac team & they are arranging for another 24 hou...

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Multaq

I had a pacemaker procedure in 2007 for my afib. In the past year, my afib has jumped from 20% to virtually 100% of the time. Rather than having a cardioversion, I was put on Multaq to try and see if it would work to put me back in rhythym. I have now been on Multaq for 3 months and my afib has gone back to the 20-30% level. Has anyone had any experience with Multag?

Stu

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Nadolol

Well my Doctor has changed my meds since I had the V-tach episodes and I am wondering if anyone else is on Nadolol. I am to take 80 mg twice a day. Just wondering if anyone has had any problems with it. Thanks

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Updated News...+ urgent question

Hi all. Further to my "concerned" post yesterday, I have just seen my GP. The good news is that my low BP has actually improved & is now 100/70....much better. However, as the GP says, the BP is probably not the cause of my dizziness (lightheadedness) as it is within the normal range now.

I told him that the cardiac team at the hospital told me to contact them if my dizziness got worse (which it has). My GP has said definately...but first he wants me to have a lot of blood tests this...

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Concerned/worried

Hi all. Thank you for your replies to my dizziness query the other day. I am quite concerned about it all now as this past week it has definately got worse & the last 2 days the dreaded chest pain has come back! Having had none since the ablation 8 weeks ago (except once about 2 weeks after), I am quite upset it has come back. I try & tell myself it could be indigestion but deep down I've had enough chest pain to know this probably isn't indigestion. I get lightheaded with the dizziness & feel f...

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don't stop coreg

this is a head's up to those who take coreg and have a defibilator as part of your pacemaker.

my prescription for coreg ran out around thursday before the memorial day holiday weekend. because i was busy, i decided to wait until the tuesday after memorial day to re-fill the coreg prescription. stupid idea.
at 5 a.m. on the weds after memorial day, my defibilator went off for the first time since it was implanted 26 months prior.
my cardiologist later told me that the abru...

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Intermittent multiple PVCs

I had a PM implanted one year ago and was doing exceptionally well until about one month ago.

At this time I reported fatigue and shortness of breath to my EP/Cardiologist. After an EKG, Echo-Cardiogram and Nuclear Stress Test he diagnosed my problem as having multiple PVCs with associated cardiomyopathy.

He then scheduled me for an EP Study, during which he hoped to ablate the arrythmia.

Surprisingly, the EP Study revealed no multiple PVCs. As a result no trea...

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intro - long!

Hi All,

I do not yet have a pacemaker - it's in the discussion stages, but two family members already have had them, so it's pretty likely I will too. Meanwhile, I am VERY confused about my condition, because one doctor becomes extremely alarmed by my ekg's and the next just shrugs and offers medications that A) never help, and B) make me too groggy to function. I've gone back and forth for years giving doctors these reactions and NO help. They tell me they don't know the cause and be...

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Must Read Books

There are two book that are must reads for all of us that are involved the medical community.

"How Doctors Think" by Jerome Groopman, MD

"The Treatment Trap" by Rosemary Gibson
(How the Overuse of Medical Care is Wrecking Your Health)

If you ignore the messages in these books you get what you deserve. They will open your mind to what is going on behind the scenes when you visit "Your Doctor", even the nice understanding ones.

frank

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Pheochromocytomas

For those who have been following what has been happening to me since August 25, 2010 this is an educational update,

While in the hospital this last time I had a CT scan of the chest done to check for clots. All was negative except for a 3mm mass on my adrenal gland that was picked up by the radiologist. They compared it against a CT scan I had in Feb 2010 and found it just on the edge of that film, but said the size had not increased in 6 months.

Luckily for m...

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Nerve conduction tests

Hi fellow pacers,

I have to have a nerve conduction test done sometime within the next week and since this test is new to me I started to read up on what to expect. As the word electrical kept popping up I stopped reading and came here instead. Has anyone on this site ever had one of these tests and did it interfere with your pm? I am a little nervous about the test so input would be very welcome. Hope everyone has had a nice week so far.

Mona

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Has anyone had this?

Hi everyone. Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who wrote back to me after our house was targeted by someone who threw a lump of concrete through our front door & living room door (both glass) & almost killed me, 2 weeks ago. All your kindness was very much appreciated by me & all my family. Thank you.

I have a problem I wonder if anyone could help me with.

I'm 7 weeks post ablation for focal atrial tachycardia. For those of you who have been following my story, I am no...

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