Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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breathing

hi while i was at my cardiologist on friday i told him about my condition breathing wise and the number of antibiotics i have been on. he took pity and ordered a pulmonary function test for monday and he put me on a new inhalor which has done wonders in one dose. i can't hear the wheezing. he thinks i may have asthma. we will see . i am just so relieved i am getting some help in the right direction. we are also dealing with imminent death from cancer in the next few days for my sister-in-law. sh...

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Info on Amiodarone

Is anyone taking amiodarone for v-tach, and if so has anyone suffered it's side effects (such as lung problems)? I know the drug has some other nasty side effects, but it appears to be working to control my wife's tachycardia....

Update......my wife is doing much better and had her two week incision check yesterday.....all is well so far.....

Blnmakerr

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Consultation on June 5th

Hi everyone, thanks for your support lately. Yes I have an appointment on Tuesday morning June 5th to consult about and schedule my pacemaker implant surgery. I wish it were here already, I am so more than ready to feel better and hopefully wean off of these medications. They make me feel terrible (Midodrine 10mg 3 times per day and Toprol XL 50mg once per day at night). If they want to do it to me that day I say do it. I'm ready. Thanks y'all again and I'll keep you posted. Just trying t...

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Praying for relief

Hi everyone, my head and heart and body have been really awful to me these past few days, and I am just praying that I will wake up and it be June 5th so I can schedule the pacemaker implant. I am about to be driven crazy by the medications. Midodrine and Toprol XL. I over-did it with trying to be a good mom this past Memorial Day weekend and doing stuff with my 2 kiddos. I collapsed on Sunday at the park. Monday I woke up and cooked a big breakfast but I felt so bad all I could do was slee...

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colds

hi i hope this is not a stupid question to ask. i have been since christmas congested and wheezy. it has been in my chest and a head cold too. it never really seems to leave. i am wheezy as well and have some inhalors but the antibiotics seem to help for a few days and then bamm back again. lately i have been a bit panicky about this. i go to my cardiologist friday.i hope it can be helped. anyone else had anything similar? my pulse is fine regular and i seem okay otherwise. so thanks ahead of ti...

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Ablation Update

Only time will tell if my ablation was a success. I traveled four hours from my hometown to the hospital on Tuesday and returned home Friday evening. The procedure was on Wednesday and took over seven hours. I was heavily drugged, but was not put to sleep. What a feeling! Even with narcotics, it felt like my chest was on fire.

Three bad electrical circuits were found. The doctors tell me two of the three are corrected, but only time will tell if the third will cause atrial flut...

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Bradycardia and atenolol

After a routine check up revealed Afib, I saw a cardiologist who put me on Atenolol to slow the heart 50mgs. A week later I was having dizzy spells, went in to emergency at Brigham and Women's where it was confirmed that my heart beat was slowing down to as low as 7 beats per minute at times.The Dr. recommended a pacemaker and I reluctantly agreed. Now I am starting to wonder, if I had gone off the atenolol long enough, would the bradycardia have stopped. In other words was the pacemaker necessa...

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Questions for Dr.

Hi Everyone,
I have my first Dr. appt with the electrophysiologist since she put in my pacemaker for bradycardia. She is with Brigam and Women's Hospital and not a Doctorr on my Heath Plan (I was originally diagnosed for Afrib heartbeat speed up after a routine checkup and had one appt. with my Health Plan Cardiologist before the bradycardia started)
The pacemaker seems fine and no problems with bradycardia.
However even though I can't seem to feel any heart speedup, I do noticed...

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Bradycardia Part II

Hi,
Has anyone ever decided they did not need the pacemaker after they got one and took it out? Jim

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Heeeelp! Squeezing in throat...

I recieved my PM two weeks ago after a Holter test showed a sick sinus problem (Mobitz I & II). All went very well with the implant.
Prior to getting the PM, I would get a strange squeezing or pressure sensation in the hollow of my throat (just below the adams apple). I don't get pain in my chest though.
I have had 24 hr pH tests, X-rays, scopes, you name it - all negative. Of course, in readin many of the postings here, after a while they say it must be in your head, anxiety, panic, e...

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Read this, pretty interesting!

Hello everyone!
I was searching on the internet and found this imformation. I hope you take the time and read this. I was going to have this done at the hospital when I had my DVT ( blood clot ). The doctors decided not to, why, I don't know. Sounds pretty interesting.
HEART FAILURE: Congestive Heart failure affects about 4.6 million Americans and kills nearly 45,000 people each year. When the heart is weakened, either by disease or defect, it can't move blood through the body...

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family matters

another quick question...my cousin who is 3 years younger than me (she's 19, i'm 22) did a tilt table test yesterday and the dr. thinks she has a lighter version of my condition (vaso-depressor syncope) (during the tilt table test i passed out and flatlined for a few seconds, my cousin did the same thing except the dr. had to give her a drug to induce her passing out.) he put her on beta blockers, which i am also on, but told her that eventually she may need a pacemaker, which i just had put in...

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PM and AF

Hi All,
I had a pm implant 2 weeks ago for because of low pulse problems.I also have AF but I thought the pm did not help with AF but at least one posting indicated that the pm was helping with AF.So I'm confused. Jim

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Stroke fears

Hi All,
I keep reading how we who have AF are more vulnerable (higher risk) to stroke from Blood clots.What I don't understand is how much of a higher risk are we and what factors figure into the risk. When my original fibulation did not show up on the EKG when I finally had my cardiology appt (my heart appears fine otherwise based on echocard) my Dr. took me of wafarin/coumitin and put me on 325 mg of asprin.(i'm also on 37.5 of atonol?). At first I was glad to get off the wafarin but now...

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new to all this

Hi Everyone,

1. Two weeks ago I had a pacemaker implant due to low blood pressure issues.(i'm 60) However I was still having atrial fibulation periodically, so I am on meds for that.I still seem to have episodes.My question..from what I have been reading is it true that certain things can trigger fibulation episodes such as caffine so hypothetically if I become aware of what is triggering me, I might be able to control theses episodes andd decrease them or even stop them?

2...

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Beta Blockers

I was wondering if anyone out there is on a beta blocker. I have been on one since my pacemaker for SSS was implanted in 2004. I was wondering if anyone else was having problems with their weight because of the beta blocker. Also I have talked to other people who are on a beta blocker and they have been placed on a diurectic as well. But my doctor hasn't done that. I exercise, watch what I eat and I can't lose the weight.

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SVC syndrome and pacemaker syndrome

hi everyone,

i am new to this group. i have learned a lot by just reading a few messages already! you are all so supportive of eachother. i have a recalled guidant defib with pacemaker function turned on. i am almost to ERI.

has anyone ever had SVC syndrome? my complaints are tight, full feeling in neck and face. eyes hurt and i have a constant headache behind my eyes. when i lay down it gets much worse. i get a stuffy nose with it and it gets difficult to swallow....

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Sleep Apnea - high vagal tone

Hey guys,

I don't know if you recall but about a month ago I was told I needed a pacemaker by my cardiologist and then saw a specialist (EP) who said I didn't need one. My heart would stop beating for 3 seconds at times but only during the night..he said this was due to high vagal tone. I was also diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea and he believed that this may be contributing to that pausing and high vagal tone along with excessive physical activity.

I just wanted to let...

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Muscle Spasms.

Hi,

Today, for most of the day, I was feeling spasms just under my PM. Has anyone else felt this and what did the Doc say about it. Still can't get my head around the whole PM thing. I mean, I am 37 years old and all.

Clark

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re atrial fibrillation

ive recently read some posts about atrial fibrillation where the top of the heart beats fast and the bottom beats slow and aspirin has been mentioned. i was investigated for a fast heart rate initially and second degree heart block was picked up and pacemaker inserted. im still being investigated for episodes of fast heart rate and am waiting for a patient activated monitor(credit card side devise apparently) to see if the episodes can be monitored should i be taking aspirin? thanks

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You know you're wired when...

Your device makes you win at the slot machines.

Member Quotes

I've seen many posts about people being concerned about exercise after having a device so thought I would let you know that yesterday I raced my first marathon since having my pacemaker fitted in fall 2004.