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Settings - what do I need to ask?

I am due an appointment with the cardiologist and EP this week. I am still having trouble with exercise. I think the pacemaker is working correctly - it is triggered to fire if my p-r interval exceeds 225msec and this happens fairly consistantly once my intrinsic rate goes above about 105 when I seem to  develop AV block. Once working I feel that my cardiac output falls and I have to stop (I become light-headed, sweaty and a bit breathless) and can only continue...

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TV programme

Watched a UK documentary last night on heart transplants and a patient having a pacemaker replaced.

Unhelpfully, the surgeon doing the pacemaker talked about battery replacement but later corrected himself by changing that to generator.

A relative of mine whose mother had a PM always insisted it was a battery change.and it took 10 minutes to do. Holter monitor possibly. I don't bother arguing.

The girl was in her 20s, but surprisingly they gave her a general anesthetic....

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casino

Is it safe to be in a casino with my pacemaker? Slot machines?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Caren

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Dofetilide

Like many I am on Flecainide (100mg). My rhythm problems keep getting worse. My EP is recommending that I switch to Dofetilide. Dofetilide is a stronger drug and requires caerful usage (I need to spend 24 hours/day for 3 days within the 4 walls of the hospital with frequent EKGs to gather data on what's right for me).

Anyone have exerience with Dofetilide?

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Cardiac CT Scan

Re-posting this from a comment I made on an old thread in case you are scheduled for one and want to know what to expect. I also have a couple of questions about my results:

"I had a Cardiac CT scan today (5/24)(to get more detail from a recent echocardiogram)  and I have a Medtronic dual lead PM.  There were no issues during the scan with my PM and it was a painless procedure, other than the pain of getting an IV.  A few things to be aware of.  Did no...

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Weird symptom....maybe....or not

Good Day! So friday morning I received my 3 month interrogation report (have had my pm for almost 2yrs) for my biotronik edora 8 drt and it was great. Still pacing at around 68% with last event being in feb. So...then last night I was woken by this weird vibration in my chest. At first I thought I was dreaming, it felt like I was shaking,  but once I was settling back asleep I got another jolt. Anyways maybe it was a dream??? If not, anyone ever experienced this? I see my...

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Roadrunning

Hi has anyone experience of running on roads with a pacemaker fitted.

What are the dynamics of pacing when running ie breathing heartrate. 

What are the potential pitfalls and issues?

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Results from Aveir Dual - Some updates are needed for Atrial Battery Life!

This article came out:

https://www.tctmd.com/news/aveir-dr-dual-chamber-leadless-pacemaker-looks-solid-1-year/

As someone set to get this in a bit over 2 weeks - it has made me pause as I certainly do not want surgery again in 5 years.

I thought others thinking on this would benefit. My doctor who is running the study on this said a second generation is well underway but will be some time.

For those of you who got recent leaded pacers - which have the best battery thes...

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Pacemaker and Polar Fitness tracker

All kinds of interesting things I'm observing as I start to get active once again.   I have a Polar Ignite 2 which I've been using for about 2 yrs.  And I know it is not as accurate as an EKG but it is pretty consistant and the number's I see feel in synch with my perceived exertion.  That was all pre packmaker (PPM).

Now post pacemaker (Medtronic Azure, which is set at 60/130 for tracking) what I'm seeing reported on the Polar Flow app is different f...

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atrial flutter event and now testing

I had a 10-hr episode of atrial flutter and was on my way to the ER at the hosptial my EP works, which is almost 3 hrs from my house, and it converted when I was about 30 min from my house, so relieved so returned home.  EP's office said it had started at 2 am (I woke up at 6 with fast rate, sweating, and very symptomatic) and spoke to them about 8.  I had 2 more episodes the following 2 days, was again very symptomatic, but converted after about 20 min each.  

I went...

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I had my stress echocardiogram today

Just a holding post to tell you that I got through my Stress Echocardiogram today.  They didn’t put me on an exercise bike and make me work, but gave me something intravenously instead to increase my heart rate.  It did the job and I had awful chest discomfort as my heart rate was increased.

The procedure was successful in that it gave them the information they were looking for but it was ever so uncomfortable because they tried hard to get good views, pushing between my...

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My pace maker replacement

I had my third pace maker insertion  procedure two weeks ago👍. Procedure went well.   I am 100% paced  so an external pacemaker was used with lead through my groin. 
Not much pain at incision site and just finished the two week course of antibiotics. He kept me in the hospital over night   Electrophysiologist cautioned me on keeping iincision  site dry so as to not open incision until completely healed to prevent infection which can be problem...

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Bipolar and alcohol ablation

Has anyone out there ever had a bipolar or alcohol ablation?  I had an ablation back in Dec23 for PVC burden but it was only partially successful.  My PVCs are back up to 30% burden and I am having a bipolar and possible alcohol ablation.  I understand alcohol ablations are not performed a lot.  My EP is getting special equipment to perform this procedure.  Anyone ever had one?  Thanks!

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Update From My Previous QRSD Post..

So the Advanced NP did another ECG and this time my QRSD was 122ms. She has no idea why it was higher before other than a defective machine. Anyway, she decided it was best to leave well enough alone where I feel so well and with no symptoms. 

All my AV and VV settings are being managed by Medtronics AdaptiveCRT and she didn't recommend me going down the rabbit hole of making all those changes only to get a few more ms off of my QRSD.

As far as the Septal motion from the...

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Heart rate dropping at night

This is (I hope) more curoiosity than anthing else... but whatever. There are some heart rhythm experts here that I hope can provide insight.

Background: after years of adventures with drug resistant AF, pace-and-ablate, then diagnosed with diastolic heart failure (should have been diagnosed10 years before but hey), having an SCA and then an ICD, I had a heart transplant in 2022.  Life was (and continues to be) good (we wil not dwell on drug side effects because honestly...

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Pacemaker question

Hi everyone.

I had a pacemaker put in last August.  I'm due for a pace check soon and a Electrocardiogram. 

My question is, at times I feel tiny pains that come and go around the heart muscel not the battery.  It must be the leads.  It doesn't happen often.  Is this normal?

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Atrial fibrillation ablation results

INFORMATION:

https://www.heartrhythmjournal.com/article/S1547-5271(24)02524-4/abstract

Real-world data of radiofrequency catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Short- and long-term clinical outcomes from the prospective multicenter REAL-AF Registry ( Published 18th May 2024)

What did they do, and what did they find?.....

A total of 2470 patients undergoing catheter ablation from January 2018 to December 2022 were included. Mean age w...

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Pacemaker and side effects

Hi since i had a new pacemaker in Jan this year, i have been experiencing chronic back pain, it is destroying my quality of life, does anyone identify , if so would you please post a solution, if you can, regards Joseph.

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Weight control while taking beta blockers

Has anyone found a beta blocker that doesn’t cause weight gain or make you feel lethargic and wanting to rest all the time?  If so I would like to know the name of your beta blocker and dosage?

I have read that beta blockers lower metabolic rates, which means that we burn fewer calories.  Beta blockers calm my body but they certainly reduce my desire to move around.  Is it the same for you?  With the increased health risks that accompany weight gain,...

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Arrhythmias - what can your pacemaker do to help?

Hi everyone, 

The most common indications for permanent pacemaker implantation are Sinus Node dysfunction and high-grade atrioventricular block, both of which I believe are classified as disorders of heart rhythm.  Our pacemakers manage to treat these conditions successfully, but what can a pacemaker realistically do to control other heart rhythm problems like Atrial Fibrillation or even perhaps simple, benign ectopic beats which can cause such havoc inside our hearts?

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