Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Sterilization Methods For Pacemaker

Hi..

i need to know in how many ways we can sterile the pacemaker?
please answer with little explanation .
thx

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echos

How often do you get echos? I don't mean if you're new or if you're having problems that need diagnosed, but when you're cruising along doing fine and just having regular checkups. My last cardio did one every other year but my current doc doesn't do anything other than bloodwork unless there's a problem. I realized I haven't had one in ten years. I meant to ask for one at my last appt but forgot.

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Breathless Update

Hi Everyone,

Just to give you a update, i rang my PM clinic today to explain that im still getting breathless, and could it be to do with my PM?

They said def not, as i pace less tham 1%, it couldn't be anything to do with the settings.

When i say breathless i don't mean out of breath from e.g: excercise, it's more of a tight, hard to get breath feeling. I never get to the stage when i struggle to get breath.

I never had it before the PM, so don't know...

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Anyone else dizzy?

I'm writing on behalf of my husband who is an early Alzheimer's patient. For more than two years, he has experienced dizziness, sometimes fainting, and profuse sweating. He has had every test imaginable, been hospitalized for complete workup twice, monitors, etc. In August he received a PM, (Boston) and still the symptoms continued...no fainting, but frequent dizzy spells and sweating. On Oct. 8, he received two stents in an artery, which everyone believed would eliminate the symptoms. Not so. I...

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Check up

Hi! Finally got my pm checkup yesterday, having seen the doc 2 days before, bit of a mix up but finally got sorted.

I was apprehensive it being a year, but have come away feeling a lot more settled now.

My lower rate is 70, upper rate been moved up to 120. I'd had a few afibs in the last 6 months, but only up to 120, not over 300 like the previous 6 months, so pleased i never took the flecanide because i would have thought that was the reason they had almost stopped.

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At wits end with tachycardia

So I was SUPPOSE to have an appt with my cardiologist today but when him and I had it out a couple months ago the dude cancelled my appts without telling me... How nice is that. Well I told his office that I have been having problems the last three weeks and that I really needed to get seen or at least have my pacemaker interrogated. They flat refused. Told me if I was having problems to go to the ER, that they would see me in two weeks. So I went to the ER. I spent a half hour with the me...

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Device Check

Well, I had my first device check yesterday. I was very impressed with the PM tech. I decided to ride my bicycle to the appt., (parking there can be a nightmare). She was very knowledgeable, and took the time to explain everything about the tests she was performing in simple terms. She also told me where everything is, the pm, the leads, and where they were implanted.

I passed the tests with flying colors. My battery, will last another 8-10 years.

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Doc just added A-Fib to my list

Got to see my doc again today for my last post op checkup and besides my SSS/Bradycardia diagnosis he added occassional A-Fib to my list. Seems that the pacer is picking up short (less than a minute) episodes of A-Fib. He said this ties directly back to my SSS (Sick Sinus Syndrome) issue and right now it is not something I should be worried about although he did say I HAVE to keep with my 81 mg aspirin that I have been taking for about 10 years now. He said because I have few symptoms (just a...

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First check

Well, tomorrow is my first "Device Check". I'm not sure what to expect.

I had my device implanted on 7/17/09. It was implanted on a emergency basis. The only time I talked to the cardiologist was during the pre-op consultation. He was more interested in getting his weekend started than informing me about the procedure. Since then the only people I saw were his minions.

Any advice would me appreciated.

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after check up

Hi Pacers,
Well, my battery is about to run out. I have been told I need to have my pacemaker replace soon. I'm a bit nervous about it but everyone says there is nothing to it. I do have a concern. The last time I had it checked, when the tech turned it down,WOE, I about went off the chair. She didn't warn me first and I wasn't ready for it and I think she turned it down farther than it has been before. Any way, it seems like it took about a week to get over it. I was tired, short of...

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First annual check up!!

Hi everyone!! Ive been pacing for 51 weeks and 2 days now and have my first annual check up tomorrow. I'm a teeny bit nervous and will be glad when its all over, but just want to tell all the new pacers that I feel great, and want to thank lots of people on the site, far more than I can list, for all the help, support and understanding that you have given me in this my first year. Very tired today, nothing to do with pacemaker, had a big 60th birthday bash for my cousin last night, and was dan...

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Dr. Appointment Please Advise

Hi everyone,
Thank you all for the suggested questions to ask the dr. at my 6 week checkup. I got "some" answers, but also left with more questions!
( Diagnosed with 3rd degree heart block. Have episodes 2-3 times per year. Asked again today if that was my official diagnosis...she said yes. )

I was told for the third time in a row "no events recorded." I am grateful that my pm is a precaution but it just doesn't add up. I feel harder beats so to say and palpitations. Things...

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6 week Dr. appointment

Hi everyone,
I am headed in for my 6 week checkup tomorrow. In all this time I have had a million questions pop in to my head...none of which I have remembered to write down!

Can anyone send me any ideas? I know some of you had mentioned trying to get a copy of reports?

Any and all ideas are welcome....thanks for the advise.
Wendy

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HR Monitor

I'm just curious, is it a good idea to use a HR monitor for the first few weeks after having a pacemaker implanted? My thought is that it will help me to see exactly what my hart rate is when doing different activities, in order to provide more information at the checkup incase I need adjusments.
I just got mine implanted 3 days ago.

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Pacing Clinic Checkups

Can anyone advise me how frequently one has to have a pacemaker clinic check up. For the past year I have had one every three months (last one May 2009) now they say it can be left for 12 months. I have had several 'episodes' since May and will probably ask to have another check up; but was just wondering if once a year is the norm.

Thanks

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ck up soon

CHF put me into ER and I was implanted with a Medtronic Consulta CRT-D. There were complications which are too gross to go into. This was in Mar 09.It was set for 60 and 130. At the first interrogation it was tweaked to 70/130. I currently pace at 30%A and 100% V, so I am dependent on the PM. I am wondering now if it needs some tweaking, especially after reading some of the Q & A on the forum. Symptoms are shortness of breath which if I don't stop everything leads into Angina in my throat and do...

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New Replacement Message

The technical manual for the Medtronics Adapta series has a section called "New nomenclature for product battery life terms".
The terms are to become part of a new industry pacemaker standard so should apply to all makes.

The old ERI (elective replacement indicator) is now
RRT/ERI (Recommended Replacement Time.

This should make it easier to get a replacement sooner. It doesn't sound as optional as the word Elective.

Two other changes:
BOl (Beginni...

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New Replacement Message

The technical manual for the Medtronics Adapta series has a section called "New nomenclature for product battery life terms".
The terms are to become part of a new industry pacemaker standard so should apply to all makes.

The old ERI (elective replacement indicator) is now
RRT/ERI (Recommended Replacement Time.

This should make it easier to get a replacement sooner. It doesn't sound as optional as the word Elective.

Two other changes:
BOl (Beginni...

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Upper Limit

I went for my very first pacemaker check yesterday and it was a very interesting experience to say the least! The representative from Boston Scientific (I have a guidant Ultrua 60) basically said she could set my pacemaker at anything I wanted which I thought was interesting. Anyways I asked her to explain any changes she made and she changed the voltage from 3.5 to 2.5. the lower limit was changed from 60 to 55 at my request. I asked her about the upper limit and it is set at 150. I asked her w...

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Kappa 700 vs Adapta

It seems like for those of us with Medtronics that they are almost exclusively using the Adapta for a replacement. I also keep hearing about having difficulty programming it to work as well as the Kappa.

Any input or stories would be appreciated. I'm coming up on replacement of my Kappa and want to get ahead of the game.

One other question. Is there a model number for the Adapta or are they all the same?

thanks,

frank

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Member Quotes

I love this new part of me, and very, very thankful that this technology exists and I know that it's all only going to get better over time.