Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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pulse settings

I have had my pacemaker about 6 months now and it seems to be working fine. However sometime's I get a tingling light numb feeling in my right hand. After about 20 min. it goes away. Do you think it could be anxiety because I suffer from that or maybe the medicine I take for anxiety and blood pressure. The Heart Doctor checked me out a couple of months ago and said everything looks good.

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3 mo check up

Had my 3 MO post PM check today. Pacing at about 60% atrial and about 2-4% ventricle. Still having bouts of AFIB although they said it was down a little from last time. Overall only about a little less than 1% of the time with heart rates peaking at about 150 to 160 so it wasn't really that bad. The question he asked me was did I want to try to bump up the medication, try something else or just wait it out for the A-fib. I feel of course lousy when I go into afib But it's usually only for a litt...

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has the Dr let you die.

Had my first programming yesterday on my new crt. Due to the fact I'm 100% paced with av node ablation he wanted to check to make sure had no natural beat so they warned me then started shutting down crt device. Let them know at 20 bpm I was passing out and they brought me back up. He wanted me to experience my unit failing on me. What a trip. Wasn't expecting it. Puts a little more dependency in the back of your mind on how important that little computer box is.

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First check up

I've just had my 6 week check after having my first pacemaker and everything is as it should be, but they've found another arithmya due to palpitations I've been having.
I have my print out but don't know what it means.
AT/AF 350ms (171bpm)
VT Detection 400ms (150bpm)

Can anyone tell me what this means? I presume it's the arithmya?

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Book on Understanding Pacemaker Settings

I have had my pacemaker for 10 weeks now for 2nd degree heart block occurring only with strenuous exercise. I have had my settings changed 4 times. I recently had a 2nd opinion at the Cleveland Clinic. They changed the AV Search + from off to on and the Minute Ventilation to "off" from ART only. The other changes are in the Paced AV delay from 80 - 300 ms to 100 - 180 ms and the Sensed AV delay from 65 - 240 ms to 85 - 150 ms. They explained that the pacemaker should now only kick in when I...

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getting settings adjusted

This is to thank everyone who has encouraged contacting your physicians and insisting on what you need. Especially noting that the EP may be more attentive to your pacemaker than to you and your pacemaker.
I'm 73, had sudden onset of intermittent 2 degree and complete ventricular block last fall. No other cardiac issues (or other health issues). My pacemaker was implanted at the end of January without any problems. It took about 4 1/2 months for all the little twitches and tingles, etc. to...

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Heart rate increase

Hi all. My husband has a st. Jude crt-d. It was implanted in June 2014. It was originally set at a low rate of 60 and a high rate of 120. The rate response is on. He was interrogated yesterday and they turned his heart rate up to 70 bpm because he was only being paced at 88%, not 100%. They want him paced at 100%. The technician said that My husband's heart looked better with an increased heart rate. He is now feeling light-headed at times. Is this normal? Will it just take a little ti...

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Renew

Hi all...I had my Medtronic pacemaker renewed at the beginning of July this year. All went well

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CONSULTA-crt-p

Hi Inga, I sent you a "private message" of thanks hope you got it ---( first time I'm using it ). Thanks again.
Vinnie

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Tingling

I have had my pacemaker for 5 years and 7 days ago had my yearly check up and was told that I have 15 years battery life left as it only kicks in occassionaly however I am getting like a tingling sensation on the opposite side of the pacemaker and sometimes get it in my arm is this normal?

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Medtronic Consulta CRT-P

Hi everyone. I need a little help. I'm trying to understand the Rate Response on my CRT-P. My AV-NODE is ablated and I have a Consulta CRT-P. My rate response is set at "medium" and the Mode is set at V V I R. PROBLEM: When I walk at at steady pace after about 10 minutes I get fatigued and really don't feel like walking any more, I'm not out of breath; just fatigued. The same thing happens when I walk up a flight of stairs, about 20 steps. The CRT-P has settings of LOW, MEDIUM & HIGH on it. Sin...

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what does this mean ?

My consultant cardiologist has written to my GP following my last appointment with him. The letter includes:

"I chased up the details from his previous pacemaker check (when he was an inpatient) and this showed an atrial fibrillation burden of 9% ie pretty low. Interestingly he also had a bit of atrial flutter during the pacemaker check at which point his pacemaker was pacing at the maximum tracking rate. This was managed by reducing the post ventricular atrial blanking period and cha...

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Carelink cost

Both of my kids have pacemakers and we do a routine Carelink check every 3 months, plus as needed if something seems off. On my old insurance, I never saw a charge for Carelink - not in a hospital bill or even on an Explanation of Benefits from insurance company. With my new insurance (still Blue Cross PPO but different plan through different employer), I have co-insurance obligations of 15% and I'm seeing Carelink bills. The hospital is charging $980 (per child) for each Carelink reading. I do...

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Adjustment

Hi, I'm new here. I'm 32 and just had my pm implanted June 24th. I'm either to emotional or forgetful to ask my Dr. all of these questions.Sometimes I get contradicting answers also. My first question is..when you get an adjustment will you know right away wether it will work for you or not? How long should I wait to feel an improvement before I go back for another? Also, I had an adjustment that I thought was perfect. I was feeling back to my old self for about 7 days, but after a night of d...

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Merlin Transmitter problem

Like several others I have read about here I too have no land line, just cell service and cable internet. I bought a USB adapter and loaded the software on my computer and while in the USB connector on my computer it connects and seems to work. When I remove it from the computer and insert it into the Merlin transmitter I get nothing. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Will a off the shelf USB adapter work to transmit over my cable line? Thanks for any help you can give. Douglas

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PM replacement

Just wanted to say I had my PM replaced last week. Battery finally went into the red after seven years, NO problems at all. The removal and replacement took about two hours from the time was rolled under the lights till I was out of the hospital and on my way home. This one is wireless and they say I will not have to go to the doctors for the quarterly visits - it can be done over the phone.

Cheers,
Ken

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Pulse Width calculation explanation?

At my checkup yesterday, the tech lowered my voltage and also changed my pulse width from .4ms to .1ms. (I didn't understand, at that time, threshold voltage so didn't ask her what it was and what my new voltage ended up being) I came home and read, and I understand how she figured what to lower the voltage to, as in the safety margin and how to determine the threshold, but how do techs come up with the pulse width? Can anyone explain that in easy to understand terms for me? Do voltage and puls...

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Another "not bad, but different" question

This may be a long story, but please stay with me – I need to set the stage for my current questions.

My pacemaker (Boston Scientific S603, DDDR) was implanted 3 ½ years ago when I went into complete heart block following aortic valve replacement. At time of implant, I was 100% paced. Over then next couple of years, my intrinsic pacing grew stronger and more dependable, so my EP began carefully lengthening my A-V delay step-by-step to allow for whatever underlying intrinsic pacin...

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Biotronik vs. St jude pacemaker

I already have a dual chamber pacemaker (Biotronik) I have tried every med with no avail and currently have AV dissociation and a type of pacemaker syndrome at that time where Wenckebach is occurring, and there is atrioventricular dyssynchrony. We are planning on AV Node ablation as I have had 5 other ablations within the last 2 years for flutter, av node reentry, svt. The question I have is the Biotronik only alerts the doctor, can not show ecgs to them as I have to go in to see them. The St Ju...

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just wondering if I should call device clinic

I went for a routine check (interrogation and rate adjustment) last week. I had all but forgotten about the pacemaker being there 8 weeks after insertion since I was active and feeling good after a week or two of adjustment time. The nurse adjusted the PM so that it would "last longer" not activate as much. She said I was doing evry well and just using the PM 20% of the time. I am howver concerned because I feel a little different since the adjustment. I feel like I sense skipping beats and am a...

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You know you're wired when...

You have a little piece of high-tech in your chest.

Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.