Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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Mammogram

Had a Medtronic pacemaker installed 11/19/09, went for my 6 month checkup yesterday and apparently all if well. Aside from the fact that the pocket has shifted, which is ok with me, because I do not want another surgery. Hopefully the danged thing will settle into one place within a year, so I am told by the cardiologist. My mammogram was due in February but being the chicken that I am and having this PM shifted a bit, I wonder if it is too soon to have a mammogram. I reluctantly made an...

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Heart pumps slowly

Hi, everyone!
I was wondering if you can give me some information ... I have just returned from a visit to my cardiologist who said my pacemaker is working fine but my heart is pumping only at 50%. What does this mean? Wouldn't my pacemaker take care of my heart pumping? Is this a serious condition? Thank you so much for reading my post and hopefully, giving me some answers! Ariela

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Atrial Fib concern and medication

Are there medications other than Amiodorone to control A-Fib? After 5 yrs of Ami, I had a cardiac arrest and the thought was that the med might have had something to do with it...I went from a PM to an ICD and have done well since 2006 until about 1 week ago when I started up with A-Fib again...Would like to know how other's are being controlled with medications other than what I was on. Has it helped you? I'm having an EKG this afternoon at the Cardiologist office...I know what it feels like...

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Ginkgo Biloba

Hi all, Anyone know if it is safe to take Ginkgo Biloba supplement after having a Pm, I have been told it could help with memory loss recovery and possibly with finger and toe tingling. Best wishes to all on this brilliant site.

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Vasovagal Syncope

Hello everyone.

I was wondering if anyone else on the site has had a PM implanted due to vasovagal syncope?

I had my first PM put in a week ago today, and I'm recovery fairly well compared to other heart procedures I've had done.

I had a PFO closure with cardio seal implant 4 years ago. After the device was implanted my heart "paused" for 14 seconds in the hospital. Which lead my cardiologist to believe that I have vasovagal responses.

With that said...

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PT's for Coumadin done at home?

I read an advertisement on this site from Phillips re "PT (Pro-tine) blood tests done at home rather than having to travel miles to a lab to be drawn. I think they are similiar to testing your blood sugars with a "finger stick".
Is anyone using this method? It would sure make things easier . I responded to their ad and they are suppose to contact your Dr. for approval.
Currently it's a 70 mile round trip to the nearest lab. Often the day I'm supppose to drive there, I don't feel well e...

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Echo

I had an echocardiogram done in September when I got my PM. Something I've been thinking about and that remains confusing to me is that the EP who put in the PM said she never actually looked at any of my valves etc.... that she was just looking for electrical functioning.

From what I understand...the echo looks at your valves. Is that correct? I was told the echo in combination with blood work (cholesterol) and a stress test were all the information they needed to determine if my hea...

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Heart Rate

Another problem, aside from my not finding a bra to wear. My pacemaker is set at 60 beats per minute, however, when I walk up the stairs or down the stairs or for that matter, just walk, my pulse rate sky rockets. I've asked the doc about this and they say its normal. When I sit down the pulse rate goes back to 60 or 61. I never had this problem before the pacemaker was installed. I also used to exercise with weights every day and haven't done so because my pacemaker pocket shifted, which th...

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fish oil

i was just wondering,if people tried diferent brands of fish oiland had any prolbems,going to the bathroom thanks

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Ticosyn

Has anyone used Ticosyn? Thats the next step for my AF.
Can't do an ablation for 4 more months because of my last surgery so a hospital stay for 3 days to try Ticosyn then another cardioversion and have been told by my new cardiologist who is a gem it might help me get out of AF for a little while till I can have an ablation. I have been in AF 100% of the time since my surgery in March.
Thanks for any help.

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inr came back as droped to 1.5

hi everyone its me again my husband has mitral merchanicl valve and a pm had them nearly 2 yrs this week his inr has droped to 1.5 we had the slip come this morning with this on as from tonight he starts a higher dose ive hear that a inr of 1.5 is not safe can any one tell me if there is sumat more we should do as well as start the new doseage tonight and what can a inr of this low can cause still getting my head round all this inr thing thanx for any advice

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Tachycardias

I am 26 yrs old and I just had a pacemaker put in on April1 due to total heart block. My heart was skipping 6 beats at a time, sometimes more, on a daily basis. Since I had the pacer put in, I have developed even more problems. I now have a fast heartrate (at rest it has been as high as 160+ beats per minute) and have been put on betablockers. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? I am a little worried that I went in with one problem, had it fixed and now have another problem that I ne...

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Food poisoning & now a-fib

Any tips to get back to normal HR? A-fib started May 10, 1 day after I was in ER out of town for diarrhea/vomiting. That has settled down. Spent 2 days in local hospital and got out yesterday and they excused me with my HR still anywhere from 80 to 115 bpm. I feel ok. As of March 15, began taking 25 mg. Metoprolol Tartrate while weining off Sotalol. So now taking 80 mg. Sotalol with the MT. The hospital I don't really trust for several other reasons. They pushed me up to 50 MT along with the 80...

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Ambian

Anyone here take Ambian who is in Atrial Fibrillation?
Any side effects.

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Fish Oil?

Does anyone out there take fish oil supplements? I know these are not recommended for VT or ICDs, but I have read some reports that say they lower heart rate. Since lowering my beta-blocker dosage last week my pulse is starting to be a bit erratic (still resting fine, between 70 and 80), but definitely over responsive to everything!

I used to take fish oil before the heart block, but stopped it because it lowers heart rate, Now I want to lower it (the irony!), and was just wonderin...

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Anyone else with a "buzz"

I know I'm not imagining it, but I find it hard to describe. I can be sleeping and will have this sensation of a tiny little motor running (no noise) at the site of implant/heart area. I can't figure out if it's the defib/PM or my heart racing. It lasts less than minute but has me wide awake and it takes a while to settle back down. It's happened when I'm awake and I'm no better at getting a handle on how to describe this to my doctor. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Anyone...

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My baby has Complete Heart Block

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and we were just told 2 weeks ago after my monthly regular check-up (which ended up to be 6 hours of additional hospital visits) that my baby has complete heart block.
She will require a pacemaker for the rest of her life.

They have already started me with a 4 mg dexamethasone steroid/day to help improve and protect the heart from further damage and monitored the heart rate of my baby weekly. So far the steroid has managed to help increase the heart rate bu...

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Stopping Beta Blockers

Hi Everyone,

I am about (tomorrow) to cut the dosage of beta blockers I have been on since the post-PM tachycardia 5 weeks ago in half (1.25 mg bisoprolol instead of 2.5mg bisoprolol). The aim is get off them completely (I want to have a baby!).

My doctor thinks I won't notice the dosage change because it is such a low dose to start with, but I'm anxious because the lower dose didn't do anything when I initially had the problem. If anyone has any positive stories of reduc...

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FYI = Warning it's long

I have been reading a nymber of posts in which arguments ensue regarding what are arrhythmias and what tests should be perfomed based on symptoms. I have found this info on the American Heart Association site, which or any layperson can understand. Only an ECG/EKG can determine if a person has an arrhythmia. A qualified doctor can read and interpret an ECG as to what is going on with the heart's electrical system.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3

E...

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Hi Everyone...should I get a PM ?

Hi Everyone....

I am 25 years old man from norway and I have today been diagnosed with second degree heart block. i dont know yet whether it is type 1 or 2. But i am hoping it is type 1 as i have read that this is the less serious one and more common. My young Doctor told me my hard had stopped about 1 second after I have been monitored in hospital four days due dizziness and slow heart beat which cause a skip. Anyways he told that this could be nothing serious and we wait for furthe...

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You know you're wired when...

You can finally prove that you have a heart.

Member Quotes

The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.