Most Recent Messages

Hashimoto's Disease & PM

$6Mman asked about Hashimoto's & problems with lab tests.I was unable to post until now because I wasn't recognized, but I have a comment.If you have Hash, it is not good enough to rely upon the TSH value when determining exogenous levothyroid.Hash is a condition in which the body itself destroys the circulating levothyroid. Therefore, the appropriate blood tests should focus on the amount of thyroid hormone actually circulating in the blood. To do this, you must be tested for Free T3 and Free...

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WE MUST ALL GIVE A WORD

I'm writing to each and everyone of you out there. I'm feeling a bit upset that I can't answer all the problems on this site. I know that I'm not supposed to give answers to everyone. That's why we all have to pitch in and give a cheer or wipe away someone's tear. We are here to help one another and I see so many people will read postings but they won't respond. I know that we all don't have the same conditions or maybe we haven't experience certain problems. With so many people on this si...

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Weird Question...

I'm looking at possibly having my pacemaker replaced in the near future (or whenever the battery dies) and mine is pretty old, so its bigger than the ones are now. My question is, won't the pocket be too big?? Is it going to look funny?? And what if I decide not to get one put back in at all (this may be an option for me) will it leave a large indent?? I had my PM put in when I was 11, so the muscle grew around, its flat , doesn't stick out at all. Thanks for any info!! -Patti

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Remove old leads before it is too late

Old leads can cause major problems. They can calisify and get into spots that cause interfernce in thef future.

It happened to me on vacation. I had a pacer inserted 30 yrs ago. When the attereies wore out the pacer was reoved and leads left in. Five yrs after remval I ned a new pacer. The cappedleads were uncaped and used. 11 yrs la leads.er the batteries wore out and a new pacer was installed with the old leads.

In March 2007 major problems crept into the picture and pa...

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Alot scared!!!!!!!!!!!

I have recently discovered that i have second degree heart block, i am seeing the cardiologist this Wednesday, I am 35 years old, i have been feeling increasingly more unwell since i discovered i heve heart block in september, i work as a senior theatre practitioner in my local district general, and felt like i had a few palpitations whilst on duty one evening, when i felt my pulse i could feel a beat missing, i had my self checked out by my pal a coronary care practitioner, and she looked at ec...

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Lipitor & Statins

I was in perfect health until I started taking Lipitor. I have been an avid runner for 30 years and days after taking Lipitor I couldn't run one block. I only took it for 2 weeks and stopped. One month later I was in the hospital with a double block and had to have a pacemaker installed. Has anyone else had problems with Lipitor or other statin drugs?

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Will my heartrate go back down?

Hello:
Before I needed a pacemaker my resting heartrate was 60. Then I went into double block - my heart would beat 70-80 to get to 45. Now I had my pacemaker installed 3 days ago and I've been staying in the 75-80 range. Will my rate go back down to 60 again?
Thanks.

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Can't Sleep

I just had my pacemaker installed 3 days ago and have been home for 2 days. I can't sleep. Anyone else have this problem? Does it go away? What causes it?

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HELP-fast

I am to go into hospital on 4/02 to begin either sotolol or tikosyn. I have had a idc for many years for v-fib Now cardo wants me to start one of these meds. I had not had any shocks for 8 years but had one in nov. 06 and one 2 weeks ago. I am so tired each day and if I have to take any more meds that slow me down I will look like a female Budda Hope someone is awake out there. I live in rural area and have never had anyone to talk to about having icd. I DON'T WANT TO GET SHOCKED AGAIN WHI...

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PLEASE HELP

In July of 04 I was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with a 15 - 20% ejection fraction. I also have CHF and COPD. I had my ICD implanted in February of 06. I felt like a whole new person at first. I received my first shock about 8 months ago so they raised me to 180 threshold. Again, I felt great. For the last 2 months I have been very tired, I never feel good and I get these sensations in my chest that feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack but they go away after a few...

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WE SHOULD ALL THANK MR. JOHN HOPPS

John Hopps, a Canadian, invented the first heart pacemaker. At the age of 21, he joined the National Research Council in 1941 after training at the University of Manitoba as an electrical engineer. He found that by using mechanical means the heart could be artificially started again after it was exposed to a cooling process. With this discovery, Hopps was able to build the first pacemaker in 1950.


In 1958, the first pacemaker was implanted in a human body. Unfortunately in...

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Anxiety

Dear All
I have had my pacemaker now since December 04 and I am still having problems. just last weekend I was rushed into the A&E with a rate at 170bpm I was told my blood pressure could not cope with such a high heart rate? I have yet again been referred to the heart hospital on Monday for more tests. my symptoms are still the same as before the pacemaker was fitted, except I no longer fall unconscious, which I know is a massive improvement. But I still have palpation's and feeling light...

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Flack jacket

I see that there has been some comment about wearing a light in weight chest protector if you are a tennis player. Rarely do you take a ball in the chest but it can happen looking for feed back and which one do you like thanks

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my update

I had my medtronic dual chamber pm put in on 3/19 and had a tough time adjusting to it. I had passed out at home, was taken to the hospital and the next day it was put in. I felt bad and the subsequent anxiety was overwhelming. Since then I have seen the doctors who assured me all things looked normal. So now I am back to running 3-4 miles a day and it feels great. Thank God. But I have this tick or twitch in my lower left chest. It's not the pm but I'm not sure what it is.
Has anyon...

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PACE MAKER PROBLEMS

I have been having fluid built-up after insertion of my pace maker on Feb. 28th of this year...causing pain. The area has been drained once...and again, there is fluid built-up, I am schudeled for another eko...(have had this done every week).
The doctor obviously punctured the heart sac allowing blood in seep in...what would anyone of you advise...second opinion or?

Please help me with this...My life is not back, yet...To add insult to injury...when I went back to the hospital...

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old leads

My wife is 49 and has had a pm since the age of 9. Back in the day pm were placed in the abdomin.
Her xray looks like a map of the united states.
We were told that the wires (leads) were not a problem to be left in.
Does anyone have any experience or studies or opinions if this would ever be a problem.
I am sure some are fractured.
At some point she will get a scar revesion to replace the very large scar and tissue from the many battery replacements.
They will free...

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.::*~*~Happy Birthday Amy!~*~*::.

Amy (Amy29): March 30, 1977 (cool, March 30th and you're turning 30, haha, i'm easily amused once again :)

A is for Amiable
M is for Magnificent
Y? B/c you really are amiable and magnificent.

Or (in light of heart topics) it could also be:
A is for Arrhythmia
M is for Mitral Valve
Y is for “Yo, that EKG doesn’t look right.”

Happy B-day and I hope you are doing well.
Take care!
~valerie

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They're Out to Get Us Folks

I tried to answer the question about pacemakers and polygraphs but couldn't find any mention of the two anywhere in the same sentence. BUT I did find info about a company which sells a "Shocking Lie Detector" which you can take to parties to amaze and amuse your friends by exposing them as liars. It requires 3 AAA batteries. Your victim (and soon to be former friend) straps his hand down on this dome shaped contraption and you ask a question. No fair asking something he can answer truthfully....

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Update on Me & Love to All of You

Hi everybody. All went well on Tuesday and I now have a St. Jude 5386 upgrade in my chest, supposedly the top of the line. We were surprised to find that I have no underlying rhythm on my own, so No. 5386 had better be taking care of business. I had to stay overnight due to "complications." Not to be too graphic, but this involved supper not staying where supper belongs. My daughter in law should be nominated for sainthood! Abbey refused to eat while I was gone, so her first order of busin...

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Wake up call; again

Well it has been one week since my PM was installed. So far no problems. I head in for my first check up today and looking forward to a clean bill of heath with it.
You know this has been quite a ride. It all started with a TIA in 87. That was brought on by a stupid activity of helping my son and his friend carry a deer up a ravine while in the second stages of a real bad cold. My second episode occurred in 95; after ignoring dozens of warning signs I ended up with an angina attack, which...

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You know you're wired when...

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