Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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How can this happen

Ok so I'm still trying to adjust to the last changes to my PM settings as I posted the last couple a days. So I go for a typical 5 mile run today wearing my Garmin HR monitor to see if I can gather some data to give feedback to the Dr. And device tech.
I run a very comfortable pace which today was about 9:12 first 3 1/2 miles I was within 5 - 8 secs each mile. I did not look at HR only glanced at pace to make sure since I was feeling so comfortable all through this time I was focused more o...

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Pacemaker Change

Wonder if anyone has experienced the following:-

I had my pacemaker changed last week for the first time. Before that I had been suffering from angina because 2 of the 4 bypasses I have had are now blocked. I would get the angina after being relaxed all evening just before going to bed, no breathlessness.

After the pacemaker change the angina seems to almost have disappeared. From using my GTN spray 3-4 times a day, I have now used it 3 times in the last week!

It...

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Settings

I'm getting more and more frustrated,, each time I complain and go back for a PM adjustment it gets worse. I finally got them to turn off rate response based on input from this site, although they were hesitant. According to feedback from Larz on my settings he feels they created a First Degree Heart Block and also questions why they extended my paced AV delay out to 300 ms
Can anyone comment that is a runner probably over 50 as I'm 68 and has a Medtronic PM with what you know of about your...

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Follow Up with EP Tomorrow

Greetings - I had my ICD implanted 8/22/13 and have my follow up tomorrow. I have some issues I want to address and could use some input from you guys. I went into V Tach while cycling (second event in two years). They tried to fix it with ablation but were only partially successful so an ICD was put in the following day. I am 61 and for most of my adult life an endurance athlete. Marathon Runner and now Road Cyclist so my resting Heart Rate has always been in the upper 30's to mid to upper 40's...

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settings with echocardigram

I have had 6 ablations and a 7th to the ave nod , I went to seek a second opinion because still haveing a-fib and a-flutter . The new dr said he wanted to do an echo cardigram and set the pace maker to how my heart beats ???? has any one ever heard of this ??

Thanks
Gina

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Next checkup

I have a checkup soon with my cardiologist and the nurse practitioner at the device clinic. I read about everyone here getting copies of their "download". I asked the NP for mine at one device check and she declined it. She also changes my settings without talking to the doctor. Do any of you get your settings changed my a Nurse practitioner? The few times I've seen her is because I've called with a problem and asked to see the doctor but I'm always denied that ability and have to see her....

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Odd beats after Check ups

I was wondering if it's normal, or if anyone else has had this happen--after I have a check up on my pacer, there are some times that I have weird heart beats for a few weeks after the check up. I was wondering if maybe this is a side effect of them using the computer to change the paceing of my heart and my body just has to get used to it again.

Also, this time I seem to be having much more illregular heart beats--I had to stop taking my daily asprin due to a surgry coming up later t...

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pacer replacment

During pacer replacement surgery they also went in my groin

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doc turned rate response off- now irregular hb's

Today I went in for my 3 month post PM installed. I was having some problems with weird fast heartbeats when I exerted myself. He decided to turn off the rate response and said that should take care of the problem. I came home, went downstairs to get my clean laundry and fold it and my heart seemed to stop for a few seconds, then got very irregular, and stopping for a few seconds here and there. I got very dizzy and nauseous and started sweating profusely. Finally after sitting still for ab...

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technicians abilities

I went in for my routine 6 month pacemaker check and had 3 episodes of atrial tachycardia with one of them having a max heart rate of 240. The boston scientific rep said it was atrial flutter, but the doctor never said what rhythm it was. I have a history of sinus node ablations and atrial pacemaker insertion. I find it hard to believe that it was a sinus tach at 240. I then went to have an echo done and the echo tech told me I was in atrial fib and had blood pooling in my atrium. I got the...

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Settings

When I first had my pacer put in, I had them turn off the one setting for exercise as it made me sick in the car. Over the past few years they have lowered my pulse from 80, 70, and now it is at 60. I am always tired and have gained a lot of weight as well. I know they lowered the rate because my pacer was storing events, but am thinking about talking to the doctor about it as I have been so tired lately. I do not take beta blockers, so that is not the problem.

I was wondering i...

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Pacemaker "Tapping"

Hi Everyone:
This my first post. Rec'd St Jude Dual chamber PM in Sept 2012 because of Degree 3 block. Have a complicated cardiac history since 1998. Had my second PM check in May this year. I've always had this strange "rapping" in my chest since the PM was installed, which SEEMS to be more pronounced since May (but I'm not 100% sure). It feels like someone is tapping my heart with a small rubber hammer. I became more interested, and to make a long story short I have discovered that i...

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Pacemaker's not pacing me anymore?

So, for the last week and a half I've been getting very dizzy upon standing again. It's only been 3 weeks (as of yesterday) since my surgery, so I went in to see my doctor to day for a check. He wasn't at the hospital I normally go to, so it was my first time visiting this particular one this afternoon. At my last check on 8/26, it showed that I was being paced in my atrium 74% of the time with the lowest setting set to 50. That sounded about right because for the last 3 years, my HR has bee...

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Fingers crossed.

I am finding out how difficult 2nd degree heart block is to manage. I think I have tried out every setting my pacemaker has to offer. After 5 setting changes over 6 weeks I decided yesterday to go back to the setting that paced me the lowest percentage of time because not one setting made me feel better than any of the others. I also convinced my cardiologist to let me try a different beta blocker, atenolol instead of lopressor. So far today I'm feeling suprisingly good...I'm actually a litt...

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reading a pacer printout

Does someone know where I can get the definations of the abbreviations shown on a PM print out ? I have a St. Jude PM. I tried St. Jude but they would not help me. There must be a training manual for doctors available.
Thanks

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Fast heart rate

I just had my pacer check and the tech told me I had some episodes of fast heart rate on a couple occasions lasting like 9 seconds 6 seconds but I never felt the rate was 150 to 160 any one else have this happen?

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First checkup yesterday. Awful today.

Hi. I had my first checkup and meeting with cardioiligist yesterday. The technician told me that the pacemaker (duel chamber Medtronic) is doing it's job as it was activated 48% of the time.
The cardioligist decided to change the setting from 60 to 50, although the technician had said all was great and if it is not broken, don't fix it..
Today, I awoke with a terrible headache and pressure in my head, which I have not had since pacemeker was fitted eight weeks ago. It is now 6.15 pm an...

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wondering

HI........ maybe my post above is not clear.
I'm experiencing my BPM race from the 80 setting to to 98 to 80 within a minute or two. Is this normal. I was set at 80 with all three leads on after the implant. At my first adjustment (two and a half weeks ago) they set me at 70 and a 70 rest rate, also boosted my motion response rate and turned off my third lead. That was uncomfortable as I felt my heart beating most of the time. Today they adjusted me again - setting me back to the original s...

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Cardiologist appointment 8/22

Hi Gang
I had an appointment with my cardiologist today. I feel I need to find one that understands pacemakers and what it means to people that have had to have them installed. This guy just says it paces your heart and that is all it does. It was like an insult to what everyone that got me to this place, made no difference. He does not seem to realize this is a part of me now and it can not be down played, or make me feel like it is only him, that controls my life.
I felt that he was...

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This is all new to me

I was suffering from dizziness and breathing problems. My HR was dropping to 23 then missing beats for between 7-15 seconds. So I was given a pacemaker on 15th July. I am a runner and have been running for over 30 years. I started running again 3.5 weeks after the operation. It was a real struggle but I kept pushing myself because the technician said that she had given me an upper limit of 150 and we could tweak it on my visit after 5 weeks if necessary. At that appointment this week it was disc...

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You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic man.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.