Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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This is funny

I just found a small portable recorder that I thought I had lost. Put some batteries into it and played back my last recording. It was made while I was in the hospital waiting for my original implant. The conversation was with the cardiologist and started with my asking him questions about the surgery. He felt that the initial part of the surgery would be easy given my physical condition and being relatively thin. They he got into his concern about finding a place on my heart wall that would res...

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PJRT

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of changing EP's which required that I get a copy of my records from my old EP. So of course when I get home I read what was in my records and came across something that was never mentioned at any of my appts. Have any of the members here ever heard or been diagnosed with PJRT (Permanent Junctional Reciprocating Tachycardia) I was very surprised to find that I had that arrythmia as well as the others. I researched this PJRT and it is very uncommon (1...

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verapamil----FAIL!!!!

So I tried off of metoprolol for 2 weeks with transition to verapamil. Well I guess I can add this to the very long list of FAILED medications. Didnt control my heart rate, didnt control my blood pressure. You know I have been doing the "weight watching" for 3 weeks now and have actually gained weight the past two weeks which makes no sense whatsoever considering what I have been eating. Well I believe I got my answer today. I woke up today with swelling in the feet and my eyes felt like go...

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Home INR Monitoring

After finally getting this process set up I'm so pleased. Yes, under the Medicare guidelines I have to stick my finger weekly but I believe it will help keep my levels steady (all the studies show it's much better for managing INR levels) as I can adjust my diet some if needed so my level doesn't go from too high to too low! It's so much better than going to the clinic and sitting and waiting and they're always behind so you have to plan at least an hour. I'm in control of my time and yes, I hav...

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Scared!

Hi.Thank you for your replies to my post on Saturday, when I was finding it really hard to stay positive. It is reassuring to know I'm not alone & that others have felt the same way.

Today I received a copy of my clinic appointment letter, from when I saw my EP last week. Here in the UK a letter is sent to the GP & a copy to the patient. It really scared me to see written in black & white that my "condition has deteriorated & they have been unable to control my arrhythmia with medicat...

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Update on Rate Response

Hello to all,
My visit to the pacemaker clinic this morning was a huge success. This was a follow up to a treadmill test last week which revealed that although my pacemaker was working well and pacing the ventricle 100% of the time the atrium was not working well and was not able to keep up with the demands of exercise. The ECG showed that while I was on the treadmill my heart rate rose to 113bpm and then suddenly dropped to 60bpm (my lower limit). I managed 4 minutes on the treadmill and c...

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Radiation Rate from X-Rays and CT

I recently saw a report on radiation with a point system assigned to x-rays and CT Scans and the dangers. I mentally tried to count the number of x-rays and CT Scans I've had in just the past 11 months. I know of 7 x-rays and at least 4-5 CT scans. The report states there are no dangers from Echos and MRI (which we can no longer have). I have several different doctors and one never seems to know what the other has done or what tests have been ordered. I am being overly concerned? Anyone know an...

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verapamil

Are you.. or have you been... on verapamil before.. If so what dose and did it work for you?

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CT Scans

Does anyone recall my concerns about the CT scan? Well, I'm still not having one (can't take iodine) but I found some interesting information about the test and radiation! Here is the link.

copy and past in your browser to link to this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100614/ap_on_he_me/us_med_overtreated_radiation

I am going to question every medical test that requires radiation.

Have a great day!
Pacergirl

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Puzzled about rate response

Six months after having my pacemaker implanted for complete heart block I was still having difficulty exercising (swimming, walking and cycling) I was easily out of breath, often lightheaded and the most simple physical tasks like going upstairs or hanging out the washing left me exhausted. (I am 49 and otherwise very healthy!) I didn’t feel much better than before the PM, although there were some differences: my fingers and toes were warm for the first time in my life, my lips had lots more col...

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Outcome of EP Appointment Today

Hi. Thank you so much for all your support,prayers & encouragement regarding my EP appointment today. I saw my EP. He checked my ECG then arranged for an urgent exercise/treadmill test to be done while I was there. Normally you would wait weeks but it was done urgently within an hour. Very impressed. It showed my arrhythmia is still there, although suppressed to a degree with the Ivabradine, but not completely.

From the results he has decided to do another EP study & possibly an ablat...

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EP Appointment Tomorrow

Hi. Thank you for reading & replying to my post earlier in the week. I am seeing my EP tomorrow & I think he will be discussing the sinus node ablation + pacemaker. I have made a list of questions to ask him but I do feel quite anxious about the appointment as it is quite scary. On the other hand, I have felt so unwell since my IST symptoms came back 3 weeks ago that any help/advice he gives will be very welcome.

I live on the outskirts of London. I am being treated at a big London te...

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Rapid Pulse

Hi, everyone! This is my first post. I had a pacemaker implanted at the end of Jan. I was in 3rd degree heart block. Since then I have a rapid heart rate all the time. It runs from 90-115 all the time. The doctor has recently increased my beta blocker, but that makes my blood pressure really low. Has anyone else had this problem?

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Please Help!

Hi. I am new on here today. I live in the UK. I have been reading all your messages on here for a while, to try & learn more about my situation. It seems that some of you have been through similar, so I am writing in the hope some of you might be able to help me please.

I was diagnosed with IST 15 months ago. My EP has tried beta blockers & calcium channel blockers to try & control my symptoms, but they didn't work. He put me on Ivabradine in February, which did slow down my sinus nod...

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Feeling Rubbish

I stopped my beta blockers yesterday on my cardiologist's adivce. Both he and my family doctor think the dose I was on (1.25mg bisoprolol) was doing nothing.

Clearly they are wrong. I feel rubbish! My heart will race at anything. Last night, I woke up at 1am ready to run a marathon, and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm still full of adrenaline and can't sit still! This from someone who with the heart block fell asleep at 9pm whether they wanted to or not and didn't wake up until...

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Multaq Warning

I was hospitalized for a week recently for Congestive Heart Failure. My cardiologist told me that 50% of people taking Multaq experience Congestive Heart Failure.
Multaq never worked for me. I was taken off it for 3 days then put on Tikosyn and then a cardioversion. So far so good 4 days since they started me on Tikosyn and I'm still in sinus rythym.
I can breathe and sleep well. Wish they have given it to me before. I was in Atrial Fibrillation 100% of the time till about a week ago....

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Lack of energy!

Hi,
I'm just curious with all you pacers out there if any of you have had similar problems as I have had. I know I have a different story but gees this lack of energy stuff is getting old. My test results came back that my adrenal gland is not functioning still and I have been on steroids to produce cortisol since feb. No change. They have not given me any answers to as why they can figure out why this is happening. Also now my ACTH is coming back really low before it was not but now is....

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A-fib

I have a question, I received a pacemaker April 2009, love it! I have a history of A-fib, does the pacemaker stop that? Some times I feel the "flutter" Thanks, Mary Ann alohapumbaa@hotmail.com

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Mammogram

To Frank......was that comment sarcastic or just what you thought was funny????? If you've ever had a mammogram, which apparently you have not (and you better believe that men too get breast cancer), you'd not make a joke about it. Having a mammo is no fun, it normally hurts, a lot, and the scare of having your breast crushed under a heavy machine while you have a pacemaker and leads to worry about is not anything to make light of.

Marilyn

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inr 1.2

hi all hope everyone enjoying this nice weather ,may i ask does stress cause inr leavels to drop this last month hubbys inr has droped from 2.4 to 1.5 then yesterday had a call from them it now gone down to 1.2 yes he missed one dose about 3 weeks ago and the only other thing that has changed is we have had some dispute with daughter an hubby has been stressed this last 4 weeks i was woundering if this could cause it to go low his dose has been increased to 9mg a day and to c hematology doc on...

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