Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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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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Stopped my PVC's

A couple of weeks ago I started taking an NSAID (Naproxen Sodium OTC 200 mg twice a day for an inflamed shoulder. Within a few days my PVC's completely stopped as near as I can tell. This fits with my feeling the the PVC's were caused by some sort of systemic inflammation. We'll see if it continues to work.

Before trying it be sure you are not taking any other similar med, especially blood thinners. For anyone already on a diet of pills, I would check with your doc or maybe pharmacist...

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great av block explanation

I thought this was very nicely explained. It tells how the heart beats and what the different types of av block are in plain english
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4611

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scaredycat

Thank you to those who posted replies. They have made me feel a lot better about having a PM and the procedure itself.
I think that the main reason my cardiologist wants me to have one is so I can take some medication for AF. My pulse is slow averaging 54 and when I take AF med it goes too slow and I feel terrible.
We want to travel in outback Australia, so it is a preventative measure. I perform really well on a stress test (except for my knees :-), have trouble getting the pulse rat...

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Labs

Hey there Guys: Just wanting to bounce a few things around and hoping maybe some of the mid west folks will have some input. Have had issue with labs being out of wack for awhile, since this wonderful heat and humidity has hit have been having some issue, waking in the morning with a most cough and by the end of the day I have baby elephant legs and am having a few more palps than normal. Currently on Lasix 60mg, spironolactone 50mg, Coreg 12.5mg and Dofeditilide 500mg daily. Called the doc...

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living with RA and a PM

Hello!

I am new to this board as of yesterday. I had a pacemaker put in last Friday. I als have RA for most of my life~I am in my 50's. Finally solved the problem after two years of looking, tests, and Drs. I am glad to have an answer to why I felt so miserable after surgery in 2007. I was supposed to feel good not passing out, lightheaded, dizzy and rejecting RA meds etc...

My question is I have RA and a pacemaker, what are some options to safely treat RA? My right h...

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30 Day Monitoring

I got a cigarette pack sized monitor through the mail (ordered by Dr.) on Friday. I have to apply the leads, record anytime I feel "funny", keep a journal of those times, change the lead adhesive stickers, and call in to download the info every day or two.
The unit makes a "ringing" sound (like a telephone) every 1/2 hour, so that you know that it is working, and has a flashing light for those who can't hear the ringing.
The first night, I awoke, and realized that I hadn't he...

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Curious about CELIAC

Are there many people out there who have celiac disease (gluten intolerance) or family members who do? I read something about it being linked to heart defects but I don't know if there is much proof. Just curious!

Thanks!

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Unusual heart rate

Failed a 4mph stress test in under 3 min with severe shortness of breath and exhaustion, led to a cath which was clear, and lung function studies which were normal, next had a cardio-pulmonary stress test, speed set at 1mph which showed heart rate with exercise started normal went from 90 to 110, then jumped to 150 for from 15 to 30 seconds then fell to a resting rate of 80-90 while I was starved for oxygen. Test results were validated three times. I have a medtronic bi v with defib pacer, cardi...

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Lower Blood Pressure

Hi,

Recently I have had a drop in blood pressure. Normally I was about 110/67. This past week it has fluctuated from 119/71 to 91/51 and heart rate from 98 to 50. PM is set from 50.

I am not on any heart meds. Only antidepressant.

Has anyone else experienced this?


Thank you,
CJ

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Sick to stomach all the time

With my current medications I feel nausea and sick to my stomach all the time. I am currently taking 6mg Warfarin, 360mg Diatoazem, 0.25mg Digoxin, 150mg Toprol daily. 37.5mg Trimaterene is taken 3 days a week.

Which one I these medicines is most likely to cause nausea and stomach problems? I am currently too sick to go work because of the side effects.

I took Amiodarone for three years and stopped taking it one year ago because if was affecting my eyes. Since them...

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Effects of an electrical shock

Well, I finally tested my pacemakers reaction to a shock this afternoon. I wasn’t planning on it, but my Jeep battery went dead so I fished an old battery charger out of the garage.

To make a long story short (short circuit?) I didn’t notice that the power cord insulation was damaged leaving a bare conductor. When I plugged it in I had one hand on the box and the other touched the bare wire. I got a really good? arm to arm jolt, which is the worse kind cardiac-wise. A...

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afib and diltiazem

I had an afib episode Thursday. I called my cardiologist's office, they sent me to the ER. They gave me diltiazem IV until they got my heart rate down, then prescribed oral diltiazem XR 300 mg to replace Diovan for HBP. Since then, I've had sensations in my chest that vary from pounding to fluttering. My pulse has ranged from 48-51 (pacemaker is set at 50), and my bp has ranged from 107/60 to 148/84 but just a little exertion (e.g. taking out the garbage) causes my chest to feel uncomfortable...

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Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl side effects

With all the advertising for Aricept the following might be worth knowing about. I've copied just the part that concerns HR and pacemaker implants as the article was rather long.

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Patients taking a class of medications for Alzheimer's disease and dementia are at greater risk of side effects than many doctors realize, a new study suggests.

The drugs - Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl - are known as cholinesterase inhibitors. As an uninte...

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stress test

hey all I have my first ever stress test tommorow. What should I expect? All I know is that I will be on a treadmill. What are they looking for?

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retrograde VA conduction

Complete blockers out there:

Do any of ya'll have this or know what this means?
I'm trying to decipher my post ablation measurements which state:

AVBCL- block in the AV node
VABCL- midline and decremental

Basically, what I've learned is that post ablation I had Ventriculoatrial block which, in better understood terms, is decremental retrograde VA conduction.

From what I can understand it's when the electrical signal moves backwards from the v...

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Holster

Tomorrow I am going to be set up with the 24 hour holster. Boy, in the last few years, the equipment has really gotten smaller. The first one I had was about the size of a regular cordless phone hand set, and impossible to hide/disguise.

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Flecainide acetate/Tambocor 50mg

Hi pacers!!!

Went to hospital today, had been feeling strange last few days. Had pm interrogation and echocardiagram and the consultant checked me over.

He said that the feelings of whooziness had been caused by the top part of my heart fluttering at up to 300 beats per min for up to 3 mins at a time. Is this what you all call A fib??

Doc said that if it was in the lower chamber I would be a gonner, but in the top it isnt so dangerous. He told me to take half...

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Midodrine...

Hello, everyone! I haven't posted in a few weeks, but am having some troubling issues. I wonder if there are any others on Midodrine that can share any experiences they have had. I have been going along for five weeks post op taking Midodrine 2.5mg three times daily. I have felt better than ever, then all of a sudden, my blood pressure was 162/122 today at work. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, and wondered if anyone found that Midodrine was boosting their BP way too high. My card...

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MRI s

Has anyone had an MRI after having their pacemaker implanted? I had heard there was no "safe" way one coudl be performed on us, however my Oncologist wants me to have a brain MRI. Worried about the possibility of some issue he has ordered a CT and PET for tomorrow. In the mean time, he is contacting my Cardio to see if there is a safe way to perform an MRI.
Thanks for any comments or suggestions, Jean

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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.