Most Recent Messages

Post op instructions?

I have decided to get the pacemaker implanted so I am scheduled in about 1 week. My second opinion doc is doing the procedure but I have not gotten much in the way of info on how much time off (if any) I should take off of work. I am a dog sport trainer and competitor (agility, competitive obedience, etc) and teach several classes (about 50 students) per week. I also need to run and train my own dogs, plus maintain about 5 acres of property. I have gotten no solid feedback on necessary, reas...

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Anyone else dizzy?

I'm writing on behalf of my husband who is an early Alzheimer's patient. For more than two years, he has experienced dizziness, sometimes fainting, and profuse sweating. He has had every test imaginable, been hospitalized for complete workup twice, monitors, etc. In August he received a PM, (Boston) and still the symptoms continued...no fainting, but frequent dizzy spells and sweating. On Oct. 8, he received two stents in an artery, which everyone believed would eliminate the symptoms. Not so. I...

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pictures of jessica and michael jessie's grandchil

i just posted their pictures on our gallery. recent pictures. his birthday august 10th jessie

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Breathless!!

Hello everyone, just go a question if anyone can help, I get breathless out of the blue, there is no patten with it, i can be on my computer at work or relaxing at home.

I never had this before my PM, Dr thinks it's anxiety and PM nurse said it's nothing to do with my PM.

I have a dual lead Medtronic, it was fitted April'09 for Sick Sinus Syndrome, it has only worked 0.1% and doesn't kick in in the day, only when my heart drops low occasionly at night.

Should i b...

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rifle

Thanks deerehunter, Will keep your suggestions in mind. But being righthanded, with the PM on the right, it is beginning to look less and less that I will hunt- at least not this fall. I have a carbine- and if I move to the left shoulder ( which would be uncomfortable at best), the bolt would tear up my face. Not an option! We have heard, as you may have read, that body armor (kevlar) is more than likely not the answer. I may try out the stand at a local shooting range, but am getting les...

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Pookie's Back

Hi Everyone.

I've not been around lately as there has been a lot going on in my life. But I'm okay....I think :)

Today, however, is a VERY emotional day for me as 5 years ago today I received my pacemaker....which didn't go too well, but I'm still here!!!

And today I spent most of the morning at the pacemaker clinic as I've been set up with yet another one of those blasted Holter Monitors, then they changed my settings from Bipolar to Unipolar so they can "get...

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pacemaker after NCS/vasovagal

Does anyone have this problem - have had a PM for almost 4 years. Lifetime of vaso vagals but every 4-6 weeks I get periods of what I call brownouts (I dont blackout) It is like Im going to crash and then it passes off lasts about 1 minute.
They usually start in the early morning (wakening me from sleep) and continue on a roughly hourly basis and then just disappear sometimes only 4-5 sometimes more No idea what precipitates them or why they just go. Drs are stumped

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Wrong Device Installed?

I feel fortunate to have discovered this forum and the people on it. There are few people who you can talk with about pacemakers, and, it seems, almost none who have had two entirely different models. As background, I am a male in his late ‘60s who was healthy until January of 2008, when I contracted MRSA. I stayed there for about one month and was released with both lung and heart problems. The lungs have cleared, but the heart has gotten worse. I was diagnosed with atrial fib and CHF. I follow...

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How long on leads?

My husband was told he had to wait 6 weeks for the leads to be solidly in his heart with scar tissue. It will be 3 weeks next week and just wondering how restricted he needs to be for the next 3 weeks? And, unrelated to leads, how soon after the pacemaker does one usually get involved in the "pacemaker clinic" and start to get adjustments? We have an appt. after Thanksgiving, but that seems pretty far out...
thanks!

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loose lead

i have loose lead what do they do to repair?? I go back to dr in the morning thanks

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HELP

got pm 1 week ago last night started getting a thumping in my lower chers only when bending, like tying shoes. called Dr. said sounded like a lead came loose and to come to the office on Monday, this was Sat. well all night the thumping kept upin any position sometime a soft jolt sometimes a Hard one never painfull, does anyone know anything. on top of it all I am not a complainer and the Dr. is new to me.don't want him to get bothered with me, and just brush me off thank you

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New PM and diabetic

I am new to this area, got my ICD-CRT (Medtronic Consulta) installed 10/14/09. It was originally supposed to be just a defibulator, but the electrophysiologist said I had some left branch bundle block and thought the PM part would help that. I have not gotten that magic burst of energy that some have spoken of. I continue to be dizzy and short of breath, especially in the morning, am still sore and swollen, though the clinic says I am healing well with no signs of infection. I feel thumping in m...

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Totally Off Topic

My question actually has absolutely nothing to do with matters of the heart errr, pacemaker. So, if yo want to skip over this posting, I won't hold it against you.

I have recently officially been welcomed into the The Red Hat Society! Yes, I am a little excited about this. =) I've found that they are a great group of women.

Here is my question/request.... for those of you who know me and those of you that know of me and for all of you that might like to help me out...

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blood pressure increase post PM

for 2 mo. after pm placement, I (who have never had high bp in my life)had my bp spike, like in the 170's over 99-102.
the pm was for a bradycardiac heart rate only (32-33 bpm) , no other cardiac problems... 2 internists said it was to be expected as my body gets used to the increased hr (now 60 bpm, like clockwork), but the surgeon and my cardiologist said there should be no connection between the pm and the spike in bp...
has anyone had this problem, or heard of it, or can explain me...

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Dazed and confused

Hi everyone,
I just found this site and im really hopin someone can help me. I had a biventricular pacemaker/defibulator implanted on Oct 14 2009 i am 30 yrs old i have Marfans syndrome, mitro valve rugurg and just told that i have congestive heart failure This was my 3rd heart surgery in 6 months. My main concern/question is i have been havin alot of pain discomfort around the implant sit. I was told its most likely due to my very tall,thin stature and it would get better but the past t...

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RE: first week with PM

I have posted here before this is my first week with my PM to be exact 8 days out. I just had a strange experience. Does anyone know is it possible to have some of the same symptoms post PM as previous, near fainting, palpatations etc. could this mean that the PM needs additonal tuning and should I be worried? I thought I felt the PM kick in a few seconds durring the event and it did clear up in a few seconds.

thanks for any help.

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Lead Replacement

Hi everyone
I'm new to this site, but have had a Medtronic Versa DR pacemaker since November of 2007. The other day I noticed that my HR was around 40bpm while my threshold is in the 60's. I went to the ER and they said that my one lead wasn't capturing. They switched my leads from bipolar pacing to unipolar pacing, and that has gotten my heart rate back up. Every three hours though I feel a jolt around my generator, I guess it's called pocket simulation. My chest is a little sore also,...

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2nd shock in 5 hrs

got another shock. going in to va hospital in lexington, ky.
my daughter is enroute to take me in. will post more later hopefully...

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Cath Scheduled

After seven trips to the ER for rapid heartbeat in the last year, my EP thinks he should have a look and maybe do some zapping. It's much too often so I'm going in in a couple of weeks. The ER doc says it is an SVT, not AFIB. Needless to say I am apprehensive about anything that invasive. Seems like most of the posts here and in other forums are from people who had unsuccessful ablations. BTW, I'm on sotalol and a small amount of Norvasc (amlopidine.)
Besides that fast HR, I have what I th...

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new pacemaker

hi everyone
new to this i have had my pm just 2 weeks now and still feeling strange but most of all i can hear my heart beating in my head or ears. it's 3:30 in the morning and can't sleep because of it my heart beats from one extreem to another what is a normal hr for a women. i still get that feeling that my heart has stopped or miss a beat.just like it did before the pm.is that normal?


thank you dizzy

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You know you're wired when...

You participate in the Pacer Olympics.

Member Quotes

I am no expert, but I believe that without the defibrillator that I have, I would be dead.