Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Not sure what to ask

Hi everyone, I had a Biotronik evia pacemaker fitted at the end of June this year and have had 2 visits to pacing clinic. I spoke to the doc the first time and told him that I'd had a funny turn whist out with my 2 young children. We'd climbed quite a steep, tall hill and half way up i felt like I was going to collapse. It was like I needed a higher heart rate but didn't have it.

He just said he'd have a look at the data and see what was going on and that was it!

The last...

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Looks Like I need an ablation

Hi all,
I have had my PM for 2 yrs and have had some issues with SVT. I get my pm interrogated every 6 months and it usually shows that I have about 10 episodes of SVT. I went yesterday for my 6 month checkup and was told that in the last 6 months, I have had over 580 episodes of SVT. Big jump from the previous 6 months. Not only that but while at the dr, I was having SVT, my pulse was 171. My dr gave me Metoprolol and said that if we couldn't get it lower, he was going to send me next d...

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jossikins

Hi! I am new to this group and discovered it while surfing the net in an attempt to identify my present problem. I was fitted with a pacemaker last March because, in spite of having AF, my heart had on just one occasion dropped very low. However, soon after having it fitted, I went into serious AF, and my heart rate never dropped below 110. So, the PM lay dormant below my left shoulder until three weeks ago, when I had an AV Ablation, which was pronounced successful. And so it seemed to be u...

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Pacemaker Settings

Any members have experience tweaking pacemaker settings for
lower rate, rate response, activity threshold, activity acceleration?

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Info needed re: Medtronic PM

Hi Gang! After numerous ER visits 2010 to early 2012, I gave up on ablations (3 failed, 1 aborted) as a pathway to cure my paroxsymal A-Fib issue and gave the doc permission to implant a PM. He implanted a 3-lead Medtronic C4TR01 Consulta to deal with my mild Cardiomyopathy. Life's been much more pleasant since. I have the patient manual, but I haven't had a face to face talk with any EP or cardiologist about how this device actually works for me. Did I have a complete AV node ablation? Is my...

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Question re: first few months post op

I had my pacemaker implanted Sept. 18. I saw my regular doc for a wound check 5 days later, then the cardiologist at the end of September. He did an interrogation and said I had atrial sensing (yay) and ventricular pacing (ok, fine), with 96% pacemaker driven. Wow, I was surprised the number was so high. My voltage was 3 V. This was the first cardio I talked to in the hospital but he was not available for surgery so his colleague did the surgery.

I saw the second doctor, the one who d...

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PM Check

Do you find that the St. jude representative is not allowed to tell you what they see on the report?

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maybe I am just nervous?

Had my Boston Scientific PM placed in May 2014. I had SSS and was having very low rate and BP and pauses/dizziness. The dizzy episodes have greatly decreased but I often feel like I am short of breath or breathy when I am doing only light exhursion. I am active (walk 3 miles/day) and a dog walker and don't have a lack of energy but I am beginning to wonder if my PM is set too low(rate seems to be in 60s) all of the time. Last checkup I was only using it ~20% of the time. My next check is Januar...

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low heart rate

went to the pacemaker clinic today and was told pacemaker being used at 90%. Has significantly went up over the last 2 years. was told that my pacemaker is set to "trigger" on in the mid 50's range. But then told also that my heart rate drops to the 30's at sleep. is this possible? I thought it would not drop below where pacemaker was "set". Comments appreciated.

melinda (new member)

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waiting list situation

Has anyone been in a similar situation. I have had my present PM for coming on 13 years. I had been attending my local hospital for check-ups every month as the battery was getting low.

On my last visit the PM technician told me that my PM needed changed and that my check-up report would be forwarded to the relevant consultant. I have since discovered that the consultant has placed me on a waiting list for a replacement PM but while I await the replacement surgery I no longer rece...

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Replacement

Had my first pacemaker implanted in 2009, and I thought everything was going great. This was a two lead device, and the lower lead went bad a couple of years ago. We continued to monitor the device, both at home and physical visits at the doctor's office. Two months ago I did my home device check, and two weeks later I got a call from the doctor for an appointment, and since I didn't have one scheduled, I almost refused. Well went in, and the Medtronic Specialist did her thing, and the doctor c...

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Rate response settings too low?

Does the rate response setting of a dual lead pacemaker affect sporting? My PM rate response is set between 60 and 140 bpm. When I am cycling I have the feeling that 140 bpm is too low. It is not my maximum heartrate because I am not running out of breathe at that rate. At least 150 bpm should be better but I don't know if that upper setting of RR at 140 bpm is limiting my max heart rate during cycling. Is there anyone who could explain the effect of rate response and sporting to me?

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biotronik evia dr-t

Due to damage during ablation/flutter/av node reentry/6 ablations total, I have now had my av node ablated due to pacemaker syndrome/av dissociation/dyssynchrony/tachycardia history plus 3rd degree heart block. I am 45 female and very active, working out intensely 3x a week with walking 2 other days, struggling with hypotension and lightheadedness during exertion. During a stress test my blood pressure dropped to 68/40 almost fainting due to several skipped beats in a row, still having av dyssy...

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Scared Today

I got my pacemaker 3 weeks ago and at that time was told that I would never pace from the ventricle unless I was in heart block or had a heart pause.

My pacemaker was for bradycardia, to prevent sudden drops in heart rate, one heart pause, and hypotensive fainting (the Biotronik also helps spike heart rate in response to changes in cardiac output/low BP).

My maximum is 155 and my minimum is 80. Today as I was walking I was paced at 155 consistently. Eventually I got over...

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Question RE defib replacement

Hi all! I'm wondering if anybody could shine some light on how far in advance you were notified you'd be getting an ICD replacement.

Some info:

After a cardiac arrest event, the Cleveland Clinic discovered I had long q t syndrome. I got a St. Jude defib implanted August 2008. I go for check ups annually. I'm about to need a new defib. I usually send a remote transmission annually (and visit the CC once a year) but I'm now sending transmissions about every 4 weeks. I was to...

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checkups

I had a two wire pm and would be phone checked every month with a physical check every quarter. just had a new three wire boston scientific inserted and not required to get tested for 6 months. Any ideas why the difference?

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OMG! Is 2G sufficient

Interference from cable land line and distance from router to bedroom necessitates transmitting my heart data via cell. The provider St Judes uses, uses T-Mobile and AT&T, are unavoidably 2G. No higher G available that St Judes uses.

Assuming brand of medical equipment is irrelevant, is there any reason why 2G is NOT sufficient to transmit "basic" heart data from ICD to the clinic?

Anyone out there with positive experiences using 2G? Anyone with negative? Thanks!

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Top Heart Rate Setting

Went for my six week checkup post implant and everything is good. I have a 1/2 AV heart block, so the top of my heart paces the bottom. They have my pacemaker set to not let my heart beat less than 60bpm or greater than 130bpm. So if I understand it correctly, if the top of my heart beats 140bpm the bottom will not exceed 130bpm.

Before my pacemaker I couldn't exercise very easily, now enjoy walking again. I'm 53 but ~30# overweight (although I don't look it according to my wife...

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PM give me a funny feeling

I had a PM fitted recently because of Brandacardia I have 38-9 HB
the Soran unit fitted, set a tick-over rate of 60 - 7- variable, and my own signal is supposed to take over after that,
I Initialy had the unit set to accelerate as needed, but I found I walked across the Rd with my dog and my pules was at 110; and felt like butterflies inside,
the Tech said ho you'll get used to that, But NO way it was terrible, he called it PACING the bottom chamber, I couldnt stand the feelin...

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Wondering

I'm on my 3rd pacemaker in almost 20 years and am always mindful to ask questions if I don't understand something during pacemaker interrogations but one thing I've noticed on the printout is "no episodes." What exactly does that mean? I did ask once and the technician said cardiac episodes, but what constitutes a cardiac episode on a pacemaker?

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You know you're wired when...

Your electric tooth brush interferes with your device.

Member Quotes

I am just now 40 but have had these blackouts all my life. I am thrilled with the pacer and would do it all over again.