Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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Short of Breath

After suffering from very shortness of breath climbing the 3 stories to my condo I recently changed Cardio Doctors. New clinic nurse told me to slap my chest 4 or 5 times as I was approaching the stairs. She said it would alert defib/pace I was upper body exercising?

Anyway ir seems to work. I get to the condo without feeling like I just crossed the finish line of a marathon.

Anybody else ever heard of this?

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Any suggestions?

My pm was put in because of total av block 1,5 years ago, but the reason for the block remains unknown. The doctors tested a lot of things including hemocromatosis, lyme's disease, sarcoidosis, dcm, connective tissue diseases, systemic (or systematic, don't know the correct term in english) diseases and rheumatic diseases, but everything was (fortunately) negative. I was wondering if anyone has initially had a block for unknown reason and found out the reason later (if so, what was it?), or has...

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new med to come on the market soon

A new medication Multaq will be coming on the market within the next several months. It will take the place of Amiodarone for many people. Amiodarone is an effective drug but has several long terms very serious side effects. It seems that Multaq will not have the same side effects and all the trials point to it as being as effective as Amidarone. Good news for those taking that drug.

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couris

i was wondering ,if any one takes all there meds at once,like beta,blocker,digoxen,water pills ,and hig blood pressure,or do we space them out.i know when your in the hospital they give you them al at once

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Our Friend Bunnykin

Hello All:

Just wanted to let you know that I have chatted with Bunnykin and she sounds a little weary. Still having many palpitations and the doctors are continuing to adjust medications. Next week she is going in for some testing and it sounds like in the near future she may be upgraded to a BIV ICD in the near future. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

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hat dance in my chest

I've recently received my pacemaker/defib 2 weeks ago and when i get active my heart seems to be doing the cha cha i can feel a very strong beat in my chest i've been interrogated and its perfect does anyone else have it i've been told i have to get use to it its unnerving to say the least and it scares me to death........

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Expeimental drugs and surgury

Has anybody here been enrolled in experimental drug trials or had experimental surgery. How do you get into these programs?

My doctor ran out of drugs to try for Atrial Fibulation and the drugs I am using make me sick to my stomach and too tired to walk.

For experimental surgery I noticed Stanford University had a trial where they were using a cryogenic method of Ablation surgery. That trial is complete so the aren't taking new patients.

Is there a good website...

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AV node ablation

Hi

I'm a recent member of the club.Hope to find some answers to a few questions I have.
I'm considering having an AV ablation because medication isn't working properly and I'm having problems with them (kidney problems etc.)
Has anyone any first-hand experiences on how the pacemaker (Dddr) works after the ablation has been done? In exercise for example. Does it take time to react to the required heartbeat switches? How long does it take to get back to normal? What is the qu...

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New & Itchy!

Hello fellow pacers!
I received my PM just this past Friday, and several hours after the procedure, I started to develop a rash on my chest. They gave me Benedril, which seemed to help...I guess. By Sunday morning my rash had spread to my neck and jaw line, and is very red and itchy. I went to see the doctor (his PA, actually) on Monday, and she felt is was a reaction to the paper tape on the bandage covering my incision site. It has been removed and I am taking Benedril orally and usin...

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CPAP

Okay, I go next month to be "fitted" for my CPAP machine. I am really dreading it. My doctor keeps telling me how good I will feel, but I feel good now! Is it really going to be that wonderful?
What exactly (other than better sleep) is going to change for me?

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occasional tachycardia with exertion

Hello everyone. I have a dual chamber pacemaker for over 2 years now. Only one episode of complete AV block with no other heart issues except a very slight thickening of muscle in right ventricle. This does not result in any restriction of blood flow. All tests and checkups show only 3-4% PM usage. So really not relying on it at all. I do have these occasional runs of tachycardia with sometimes only slight exertion. I sometimes even notice it when I experience really hot weather or hot wa...

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celebrity deaths

this is in reponse the person that posted their negative outweigh there positive on celebrity deaths. my words to you is ONLY GOD HAS THE POWER TO JUDGE. According to the bible, sin is sin, one is not bigger than the other, and some of apostles were drunks and thieves and murderes, i wonder what sin u have in your closet. You should have symathy for the families not judgement.

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Pacer or Something Else

It has been a while since I have posted here. I am a proud owner of a Medtronic Pacemaker at this time and have been since 2003. For about a month and a half or maybe a little longer now I have been having problems. When I lay down and still awake, or about to fall asleep and when I am asleep I get hit with an attack that feels like I have stopped breathing and I start gasping for my breath. My heart will either beat very hard or it will race. My Primary doctor had me wear a halter monitor for 2...

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ablations

Hi Kym,Nov.2006 I was to get an ablation but while on the table the machinery did not work,so cardio version was given in its place which is electric shock that did not help my flutters
Sept 2007 I had Transsepal Ablation and I find that has helped me very much.
Hope this info helps you.

Lloyd

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cholesterol medicines...

My pacemaker is FINE, and no AFib problems !

But I've had muscle pain and weakness, arthritis-like joint pains, fatigue and low energy, "senior moments", etc...

Several times I've quit the statins (Crestor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, etc.) but went back on them because the symptoms didn't improve. And then things always got worse !

So I've quit the statins again, and am taking CoQ10 in hope of keeping things from deteriorating. My current suspicion is that stat...

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Who knows?

Hello all you wonderful people.I have a Medtronic addroi that was implanted on the 27thJune 07 for neuro cardiogenic syncope.On a few occasions my heart rate has gone up to 180 without me doing very much.Once even while i was sleeping.My cardiologist put me on two separate medications but neither of them agreed with me.Last week i had a Holter and tomorrow i go for an Echo.I'm a 34 year old male and want to know if anyone else out there has experienced this and what has been done to rectify the...

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Needed Support

Hey Fellow clubbers:

Just wanted to let you know that Bunnykin is having some challenges right now and could use some extra prayers. Just keep her in your thoughts, she hasn't be up to posting much lately but is going though a bumpy ride right now.

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confused about PM

Hello. I am new to this board and new to the pacemaker world so please bare with me. I am a 30 year old who just had a PM implanted last week. I have atrial tachycardia. I have had 3 failed ablations and can no longer get my tachycardia controlled with medications. They placed a Kappa dual lead PM. In 5 weeks I am going back in for them to totally ablate the AV node. I am very confused about this. I dont understand why they dont ablate my SA node instead of the AV node. He told me that...

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antibiotics at the dentist

Just found this updated list of who needs antibiotics before dental procedures. Transplants, valve replacements, shunts are still on the list that DO need it, most other conditions have been removed from the list and no longer need to pretreat.
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/antibiotics.asp

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syncope bradycardia - like IBS but for the heart?

A few months ago I had an episode where I passed out for no known reason and with no warning. Went to the ER (I am a 50 year old male, very good cholesterol, good stress tests and ekg's, slightly elevated bp (130-80) and need to lose about 20 lbs. I did have Rheumatic Fever at age 7 but was told there was no heart damage. Also have intermittently been diagnosed with an RBBB which sometimes is there and sometimes isn't but when they first noticed it they put me through everything up to and inc...

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You know you're wired when...

You prefer rechargeable batteries.

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.