Most Recent Messages in Conditions, Meds & Tests

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Medical Event that Led to Hospital Emergency Room

Hello,

We are from Israel. My elderly mom had AICD Endurity DR PM2162 pacemaker installed 7 years ago. She's been on checkups twice a year until recent two years when they made it annual checkup. Her doctor recommended her pacemaker after an event when she started feeling unwell and fainted. She believes that hospital's intern did the implantation under the surgeon's supervision. On the night after the implantation her condition became bad which prompted the near p...

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Intermittent AV block, what actually is it?

I have an intermittent AV block known since my early twenties with no specific identified cause. Ultrasounds and MRI have shown no structural abormalities. My extended family also has an abundance of pacemakers and one person requiring an ablation so it seems likely this is a genetic predisposition.

I've now had a pacemaker for a bit over 2 weeks and have been able to feel it kick in as discussed elsewhere. This means that I get real time feedback on when this occurs and a...

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Metamucil and prescription drugs.

Do you wash your drugs down with Metamucil at the same time every day?

I used to, but was talking to my brother in law at his time share couple of weeks ago  

He said i should not to do that, but delay one or the other by 2 hours.  Did a quick check, and he was right. So I switched and now I noticed that my BP is now a bit lower and steadier also the blood thinner I take is working better. Now I just look at my skin and just sprout a new bruise.  

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Spiroolactone

Is anyone on the med spironolatone? My doctor wanted me to take it but I had bad side effects! What is it for?  Did it help you? 

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Ejection fraction

In April, an echocardiogram said my ejection fraction was 30-35%. The doctors prescribed valsartan 160mg twice a day, amlodepine 5 mg twice a day, Coreg 12.5 twice a day and rosuvastatin 5mg before bedtime.   Spirinolactone was also prescribed but I could not take it because of bad reactions to it.  The doctors also extracted my old pacemaker and gave me an ICD with defibrillator with 3 leads.  Now both ventricles are in synch.   Yesterday I had another echo...

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Things go wrong

After 18-years of trouble-free pacemaker support, things started to go wrong in January 2023.

First came the erratic pulse rate from 60 to 70bpm as set (raised to 70bpm from 60) down to episodes of half that.

Accompanied by lightheadedness and dizziness. A rerun of the pre-PM symptoms of Complete Heart Block, Mobitz.

Then came the first blackout.

The consultant had diagnosed, remotely, ectopy and took me off Atenolol 50-mg daily to 1.25-mg Bisoprolol.

Nothing muc...

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blood pressure meds Valsarten

Has anyone had or taking the medicine Valsarten 80 mg. (to reduce blood pressure)

I have been told that I will need this.

 

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SVT

Hi,

Hope everyone here is doing well.  I wanted to share an update on my SSS. I just had another two week Zio patch that showed no worsening of my Sick Sinus Syndrome in two years. A few more pauses, but longest one 3.5 in the middle of the night. No symptoms, and I feel great. Resting heart rate is 56 and continues to respond to exercise. One question I have is the report noted 42 episodes of SVT. The doctor did not say anything about them. They are short and don't b...

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Weight loss with new pacemaker

I received a 3 lead ICD with defibulator for heart failure on April 4, 2023. When I was discharged from hospital, I was told to log my blood pressure and weight daily and to alert them if I GAINED more than 5 pounds a week! They said nothing about weight loss.  Weight loss has always been difficult for me. I was 196 when defibulator was implanted on 4/5/23.  I've noticed a slow but steady weight loss since my defibulator was implanted. I now weigh 189. I really haven't...

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Pacemaker and TAVR

Had my pacemaker in Feb.  no problems,  all was well until I had my TAVR heart valve on May 17th.  During my recovery I had a bleed and they had to do another surgery to put in a stent to stop the bleed.  After that, all was well.  When I went home the heart doctor changed my blood thinner because of the bleed and worry of blood clots.  Stopped my Eliquis and changed to Plavix, also changed blood pressure meds and added something for heart burn due to one of the...

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Myocarditis

Do any of you know anything about  or anyone who developed myocarditis after the covid vaccine? I'm suspecting my decline in EF from 60-65 to 35-40 within a year and 3 months was due to the covid shot! I had  heart flutters, breathlessness after the shot but many of my complaints were dismissed because some tests at the time came back normal. Now I'm dealing with heart failure, cardiomyopathy , low EF and left ventricular dysfunction , this all happened in a y...

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MRI with PACEMAKER

I am so thankful I found this resource.  When I received my PM all I was told was this is a common proceedure.  It was common to those who do this proceedure but i felt very unprepared for what was going to happen.  There was no one to talk to who had a PM, what did they feel, how did they cope and I was scared and felt so alone.  About 8 months ago I found this club.  You all provided the help and support I so needed to come to terms with this new situation.  I...

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concerns about high level of C-Reactive Proteins, Cardiac

Thought  i should post an update from my lastest blood checkup.  Have been doing them monthly since starting new supplement of Agal Oil.(similair to fish oil).  After the really lower rate last month had reduced the amount I was taking from 4 a day to 2 a day.  Now realize that was not a good idea as this is reading was 5.22 and the previous month 2.03.  Now back up to taking 4 a day and 2 nightly of the Red Yeast Rice supplement.

 The diagos...

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MRI

Last night I was searching here for information concerning MRI scans (with a pacemaker) as for so long one has been instructed to avoid magnets, not go through metal detectors etc etc, so I  was, naturally, concerned about a magnetic scan. I was told my unit was MRI  compatible and nothing to worry about. This forum was encouraging, as several members had come through scans unscathed, and I did feel a little reassured. I was, nevertheless, a very nervous patient as I sat in a w...

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Flacainide with pacemaker

I have been on Flacainide 50 mg 2x daily for 2 years. Pacemaker for 2 years! I am trying to stop Flacainide and am trying pill in pocket! Seems like I feel awful about one day  after I stop Flacainide! Then Intake one and am ok in an hour or so. I am hoping I can reduce to one 50 mg in am. I have read that taking Flacainide with a pacemaker is risky! I am on eliquis and Toprol xl 100 am and 50 pm! I get weak and short of breath on and off  Imam wondering if anyone else has...

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Sub optimal window quality with Transthoracic Echocardiograms

Hello my friends, I will ask my EP this question in a letter, since it does concern me, but thought I would ask you first for your opinion.  

Often when I get a Transthoracic Echocardiogram, I see low parasternal window or sub optimal window quality printed on my results, although generally my Echocardiograms have always been reported as normal with regards to my Ejection Fraction and Chamber sizes.  

I noticed on my last Echocardiogram th...

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Medtronic Azure Dual Chamber Pacemaker and no other medication

Hello everyone,

Me and 'Gerry' are rubbing along, ( almost literally because of the thin skin 'which is moveable' over Gerry  and according to U.K. docs doesn't need correcting.) Yeah OK.

Anyway, I've made many pacemaker friends both online and in the village where I live. Cannot believe, or so it seems there are so many of us.

One of the first questions we get to after exhausting all our pacemaker history is ... and what medication do you t...

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MRI and modern technology

This morning had an MRI to check on how badly i had torn my left elbow bicep.  In 1980 had shattered my left elbow and was replaced with hinges and screws.

About a couple of years ago when i was first told i have Osteroporis, thought i should have an x-ray done to make sure the bones were still intact.  The orthro  doc at that time mentioned maybe i would want the long screw removed.  In my mind that sounded like much pain and crunchy sounds.

Now it seems that...

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Ejection Fraction

Hello everyone,

Hope you all are having a good day. I am using a different account to post this as my last account is having some issue while logging in.

This is on behalf of my mother who is 55 yrs old. On December 1st she had her st jude's dual pacemaker inserted due to bradycardia. She did end up with frozen shoulder which has almost recovered now. For the past month she said she felt a bit uncomfortable due to feeling a sort of pressure and tingle in her legs and hands fro...

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Question posted for a friend: bradycardia

Hey y'all,

My friend had a halter monitor a while back and it shows her HR dropping to low 40s.  She's young and healthy etc.  The originally suggested she follow up with a specialist but I guess she didn't.  I am not super familiar with pacemakers for Brady when your otherwise healthy?  I also know sometimes different blocks can show up later and slowly over time but as my case was so different not super familiar with the conditions.  You guys alway...

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Member Quotes

Hi, I am 47 and have had a pacemaker for 7 months and I’m doing great with it.