Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Pacemaker Usage Percentages?

Does anyone out there ever get told at their appointments what percentage of the time their pacemaker is pacing? Mine seems to be going up in usage. They told me this week that I'm being atrial paced 75% of the time, and ventrical paced 47% of the time. I'm wondering if this is a lot or if this is fairly normal.

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Post pm

Hi
I got a pm 2 weeks ago for second degree heart block (that happened only when I was exercising). Yesterday and today I went to the gym to ride the bike and my hr still dropped exactly like it did before the pm. Any ideas if this is just a setting problem? Would I know if I dislodged a lead? (I don't depend on the pm unless I am exercising)
Also, they said it would be burried and the nurse said it was too far under to be able to feel it. I can definitely feel it though with my fi...

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V tach

Hello everyone! I haven't been on here in ages. I was actually forgetting i even had one. Then last week I had a V Tach episode and past out. My daughters age 11 and 7 where home with me and my 11 year old called 911. It was pretty scary. I had a cardiac arrest in 2007 and it took 29 minutes to revive me. So needless to say my girls where very scared. I keep trying to assure them I am fine but I truely I am shaken a bit. What bothers me is that my ICD didn't kick in tell after I past out. They...

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an update

Went in for my every 3 month check. I expressed great concern to my doctor that I feel like something is going on outside of my pacemaker as I am so activity intolerant that I cant even explain it. We did an echo of which I have not gotten the results back yet. We debated and debated about putting the rate response back on. I tired it when I first got my pacer a year ago but found that it was pacing me inappropriately and so we turned it off. We decided to give it a try again as when I was d...

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New Experience

Having a double chamber pacemaker fitted tommorrow 15th September. Age 56yrs.

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Pacemaker adjustments

I am not really sure what I am asking but here goes. I have been having trouble ever since I got my pacemaker 6 weeks ago with diaphragm stimulation. I have had it adjusted 5 times. The last time (Friday) the technician adjusted the atrial lead to 0.5 to keep it from stimulating my diaphragm and turned off the auto checking. My EP wants to replace and reposition both leads this week. Each time they adjust it I feel worse. Should I be able to feel the difference as much as I have? I have t...

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pacemaker check up

Just wondering if anyone gets an aching feeling after getting pacemaker checkup? Had PM fitted in June due to heartblock, leads came out 8 days after and had to be repositioned so just had my 3rd pacemaker check and get aching feeling in the heart area after checkup.

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Good Cardiologist/EP in SW Florida?

Hi everyone,
I'm wondering if anyone else lives in the SW Florida area (Fort Myers/Bonita/Naples) and knows of a good cardiologist/EP? I've had VERY bad luck finding a good doctor since moving here 7 years ago. My first PM implant in 1995 was a great experience with a wonderful doctor in Albuquerque, NM. He later moved to TX and I moved to FL. My experience with cardiologists since then has been pretty bad. I need to see one very soon as I think my current PM (implanted in 2004) may be nea...

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MERLIN

Hi folks, as many of my friends here know, I have a dual pacemaker. It is an "Accent" and is monitored by a remote system.

I received a schedule from my cardiologist office stating that I was to do check-ins on certain days over the next year. Ok, I thought... there are no directions as to what I was supposed to do. I phone the dr. office and they said that I simply sit in front of the monitor and push the button and wait. So today... which is Labor Day, that is exactly what I did. I...

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Improved understanding....

Had my PM fitted 24th June 10 for 2nd degree HB (insufficient beats relayed from atrium to ventricle). Post-op, I felt much better, have recovered fully & been very active with my hobby (classic cars), lifting engines, fitted a tow bar, etc. I noticed I was still a little SOB walking up steep hills and mentioned this at my 2 month check-up. The physiologist said my heart had raised my rate to 130 bpm on several occasions, but when I pursued the issue further, arranged for me to wear a 24 hour HR...

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office check up

the last pm check i had in the office 6 months ago hurt i have had a pm since 96 and never had it hurt before it was when she turned my heart rate up the only thing i can think of is i had a stent put in a few months earlier my doctor said that shouldn't do anything i have another office in 2 weeks and i am a nervous wreck has any one else had this happen thanks pat

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Medtronic Carelink Questions

I received my Carelink monitor in April of this year and was able to successfully sync it with my ICD. Since then I have been able to transmit successfully to my care provider.Once after the initial syncing and then my 1st quarterly transmission. It would seem all is well.

When I got the monitor, the nurse did not give me much information about the device and attempts to talk with her since have proved futile. Perhaps someone here can provide me some information.

1. Does th...

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Pacemaker renew

I'm am due to have another pacemaker fitted, in a year or two..
I've had my pacemaker in for 6 years.
I was wondering the recovery time for it, and is it the same when you first get it implanted...?

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follow up

Not a question, just a complaint. I was supposed to go for my 4 week follow up on Monday. I had to call and reschedule because I have to go to a funeral. They only do checks 2ce a week and the next appointment I could get is Oct. 7. Ridiculous!  I feel fine so took it.  Everything looks good to me. The only things I don’t like is it looks like this scar is going to be longer and you can really see the outline of the pm this time. (even my son commented on it) Last one you couldn&...

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Settings Adjustment

I had posted about a month ago about wanting my upper limit raised as it was set very low. It was set to track to 100 and sense to 105! Super low!
My Cardio –who actually listened to me – contacted the EP and they agreed that I needed to have it changed. It took awhile to get an appt at the PM clinic but I had my usual technician and 2 other women (think they were nurses that work with my EP team). It was a long appointment that involved me literally running around the hospital and up an...

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Cost of Clinic pacer check

I live in So CA where every thing is expensive.
I wanted to share with you the cost of a pacemaker check up at hospital.
The charge in March (every three months) was $204.75
Since some parts of Obamacare is already in place the cost in June was $438.06 . Same type of check up. Nurse said price up because of new health rules.
I didn’t think the Obama care was in place until Jan 1 but some parts start when the bill was signed.
When I transmit by computer...

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NEW Guy

Just got pacer to avoid pauses and avoid passing out ......
passed out once at home and dropped like a ton of poop. Scared the heck out of my family....
Still have arythmia problem, pacer is just to avoid passing out.

Lots of fun so far .... 4 ablations and still comes back..

Tim

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If all is well??

Here is probably a very stupid question but I have never been afraid of asking stupid questions.
If you have a pm and you have not had problems for a very long time ( i assume we would know if something wasn't right) why do we have to go for pacer check ups. I can understand needing to get the battery life check but my pacer is only a little over 2 yrs. old.I have not had my pm checked in a year and 4 months. I do have an appt. with a new EP doctor on Thursday to establish a doctor-patien...

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ICD Beeps

Hi All,

I had my ICD Medtronic Virtuoso II implanted on 27 Oct 2009 and recently had the device checked on June 11 2010. In the last check, it was picked up that my heart rate on one ocassion went up to 182 bpm. This was due to the fact that I was exercising. I do exercise (cardio and weights) on a regular basis.

Last night (07 Aug 2010). I started to hear beeping sounds, that lasted up to 10 secs but didn't realise that it was from my ICD. Today while chatting with a frien...

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Hardly seems worth the effort

Last Thursday, I had my first check-up since implantation (May 25th). For the first time, I've learned what my settings were: max 180, min 50. I've paced only 2% of the time, apparently at night.
OK, so I know that the last time I fainted, it had consequences (busted face & ribs), and that I haven't really done any strenuous exercise since the incident.
Nevertheless, I'm kind of wondering what the fuss was all about and if I wasn't too quick to accepting the procedure.

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Member Quotes

At age 20, I will be getting a pacemaker in few weeks along with an SA node ablation. This opportunity may change a five year prognosis into a normal life span! I look forward to being a little old lady with a wicked cane!