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Newbie

Hi all:
Tomorrow if will be two weeks since my pacemaker went in and wow what a ride. It came out of nowwhere. After I followed up a friend's suggestion that I consult a cardiologist for my symptoms. I went in for a consult and ended up in the hospital that day.Pulse 39 missed beats.. . No real preparation and I have gone through a gambit of emotions. All I can say is this website is wonderful. Because of some of the postings I read after getting dizzy in a presentation yesterday I followe...

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Heart industry abbreviations

It has been a little over a month since I last posted this list.
Comments, corrections and revisions are welcome.
This is a club list, so copy and use it.

Charlie

Heart Industry Abbreviations

ACE inhibitor = A C E , ACE inhibitors are a type of medication that dilates (widens) the blood vessels to improve the amount of blood the heart pumps.?
AF or A Fib = Atrial Fibrillation
ApVp = Atrial Paced Ventricle Paced, This is the rate re...

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Antibiotic Envelope

To Bobad...this might help, I posted it a couple of weeks ago:

Holy Mackerel....what a smart idea.

Interventional cardiologist Ali Massumi, MD was the first physician in the U.S. to replace a pacemaker enclosed in a mesh envelope. The envelope, made of standard surgical mesh, is embedded with two antibiotic agents that provide site-specific antibiotic protection for the pacemaker, which is implanted just below the collarbone. This prevents the need for systemic antibiotics...

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I'm doing wonderful but.....

does anyone ever get the short lived desire to rip this clunk of metal out from underneath their skin?
Just wondering if these temporary bouts of insanity ever disipate?
Don't get me wrong, ya'll. I love my new life. It feels wonderful to feel well and "my age" again. I'm slowly picking up the pieces of things I missed out on the last 8 years. I now feel like I have my life back....somewhat.
It feels like I have a small deck of cards under my shoulder, and it's horrible when I cr...

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Tachy-bradycardia

Hi everyone, I have not been on for a while as all has been going well. Tonight for some reason my tachy-brady is back. I have such an irregular funny heartbeat tonight and quite frankly it is scaring me. I have not felt scared like this since getting my pm on July 3rd.Does anyone else out there have tachy-brady with a pm and should I be concerned. I took an adivan tonight which usually helps settle things but so far nothing is happening. Any comments.
Thanks, Jean

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Sudden Brady Response

My EP wants to disable the Sudden Brady Response. AFter wearing the Holter and having Palpitations, he recommends disabling the feature.

Any thoughts?

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Is This Normal?

HI everyone,

I wanted to start by thanking everyone for there response to my newbie post about a month ago. To be honest I'm still HATING having a Pacemaker but at some point I think I may accept it.

I have a question for all you though. I called my Dr. and am going in monday because of this. For the past few weeks I've been getting this popping sensation under my breast. It feels like someone is snapping their fingers inside my chest. I can feel it through my chest, I fee...

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Update

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to give an update and ask that you please remember me today.

Last Sunday I posted a message about some scary new symptoms that I was experiancing. Well, I ended up going to the ER and was admitted because of my irregular heart rate. After a day at our local hospital, my EP in another city asked to have me transfered to a larger hospital where he could keep a close eye on me.

I have been at the hospital ever since! They finally dec...

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Holter Monitor Test

The holter monitor is a good test to have done when you have heart problems. I've had no problems with my pacemaker and I've been a runner for about 23 years.

eraggedy

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update on lryegbert

HELLO, sunday went to the ER when I got there I could not get my breath HR 120 a few ekg , much blood they said i was congested agin well they gave me 3x the med dose I take bumax for that. hold the river well 4-5 hr and i felt much better the next day felt good no problems they sent me home Well I went to bed about 10 pm woke at 2 am cold not breath i went to 8am and hadn't peeded oh no went back toER and now i was dry no fluids .... story watch your fluids it a fine line we walk.. this took...

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Interrogation/Fatigue

Hi!
I have had my PM for a little over a year now. I got the PM after a couple cardiac arrests caused by sick sinus syndrome. I've had very few problems since recovering from the initial implantation. I did have my PM moved under the muscle about 6 months ago and since then, I even forget I have it. I exercise regularly and am 40 years old, generally I've been feeling great.

I had my PM interrogated earlier today at my cardio's office. I only pace about 10% of the time in the atr...

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What does this mean?

I got 2 of my old pacer check reports and would like to know if anyone knows what it means. My pacer is in the ERI mode right now and I need to know if I am indeed need the replacement based on the percentage of how much I am pacing.


On the 2003 report:

Mode: DDDR
Mode Switch: On 175bpm
Minimum rate: 60 BPM
Maximum rate: 140 BPM
P-Wave Amplitude: 2.0-2.8 mV Impedence: 580
Atrial Pacing Threshold: 1.5 V @ 0.06 ms
R-Wave Amplitude: 11.2 – 1...

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Will it ever end!?!?

THIS IS MY 3RD TRIP TO THE CARDIOLOGIST THIS YEAR!!! I am sick of the one I saw the last 2 times- he has a one-track mind and can only focus on one symptom at a time despite the fact that I HAVE MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS. My parents have to drive 2.5 hours down and 2.5 back and waste all that gas just for him to tell me to suck it up and take Tylenol (that was last time). Yesterday, he ordered a blood test to check my thyroid and then he put me on a Holter moniter, which is the worst thing mankind has e...

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interfearence

Went to my cardi. last week, she checked my ICD/PM.
She said something about some whisling sound while on the computer, what was that all about. She really didn't. She also told me I had interference. Three times, does if anyone else had this happen to them. Thanks for all you did for me.
rayan

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Chi Kung (qigong) and PMs

Wasn't quite sure where to post this. Chi Kung isn't really an exercise in the traditional sense or a sport (unless you count the martial arts).

Does anyone here practice chi kung? I read somewhere that firing up the heart energy might not be good for the pacer. Anyone have any info on this?

Thanks.

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Can they move it easily?

Hi all I have missed you guys lately. I was hoping for somebody's opinion. Lately I have just been wanting to have my pm taken completely out and never deal with it again. I know not a good attitude and I am working on its just shes been giving me hell for so long.
I thought it was so much better after they turned off the bottom lead and then a month ago when I went into the hospital they turned it back on. My spasms have gotten worse and I feel as my pm moves around and presses on a ne...

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Trying to Cope

Hi everyone. I'm 34 and I just got a defib implant on August 8th. I had been diagnosed with SVT for the past 13 years - but the past couple of months it turned into v-tach and atrial fib. HR would top out at 240 or so. My dr discovered it when he did an event monitor after i told him my symptoms - tunnel vision, blacking out. He admitted me immediately into the ICU to run more tests.Two days later, I had the defib.
The problem is I hate it. I know - it could and probably will save my...

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Dual Lead PMs

Greetings:

Well, I am finally getting my PM on October 24th. I've had 2 more fainting episodes since my last post. One, I was 8 weeks pregnant. I had a seizure during that episode and was out for about a minute.

I'm worried about surgery. How long does the whole process take? I would like to be completely asleep... is this the process?

Any advise is helpful. Thanks guys!
Sarah

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A bit of fun

Good day everyone. I would like to applaud the pacer/ICD men on the Pacemaker Club for open minds. We Pacer Chicks were just having a bit of fun.

New members, please know that we are a very caring bunch, both men, women, children and teens! We are serious most of the time but also enjoy a bit of lighthearted giggles every once in awhile.

I can't help but wonder if it were nurses and ladies in the medical profession that the men were discussing if the women here would have...

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Book Recommendation

Just thought I'd share a book recommendation with you guys (aimed primarily at anyone with panic and anxiety concerns). I've posted here several times with questions about panic attacks and crippling anxiety and am glad to report that I have discovered a wonderful source of relief! The book I used is called "When Panic Attacks" and it's written by Dr. David Burns. This book has helped me solve problems that go far beyond my anxiety, and I really feel I've learned a lot about myself. It's a workb...

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You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

Member Quotes

Life does not stop with a pacemaker, even though it caught me off guard.