Most Recent Messages in Complications

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Crossed wires indeed

Hi there,

This is my first post and I feel fairly ill informed when I read the posts of others. I must make a real effort to find out more technical information. In 2010 I had a third lead added to my dual chamber PM in the hope that my EF could be raised from 19%. Unfortunately I was in the 50% it doesn't work for. The thing that has been driving me crazy was phrenic nerve stimulation. After many adjustments, my cardio supposedly turned off the third lead which should have stop...

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Shoulder problems!!

Hi there, I just had my pacemaker put in on May 3rd in an emergent situation.I didn't know that could ever be a possibility! lol... My HR had dropped to 29-35 and wouldn't stay up. I have always had a slow hear rate but this was extreme! I have had terrible shoulder pain, I mean excruciating, since the surgery. Radiating across my upper back and down my arm to the elbow in the ulnar nerve, even into the hand at times.

I had had thoracic surgery on t-7 thru t-10 (because of a high fal...

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What do I do?

I keep having a weird feeling. Every once in awhile I get a twinge in my belly. Does anyone know what that might be never had this problem before the pacemaker.

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Problems with ablation

I recently had a av node ablation.my pulse is regular,but when I go into atrial fibrillation my pulse jumps from 50bpm to 70bpm resting heart rate.I thought the advantage of having the ablation was that your heart rate would not increase while in a fib.I will be seeing my EP soon but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem.

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How to sleep comfortable with my pacemaker.

I have had many pacers and never experienced the pain I have with this one. It moves in the pocket a lot so when I sleep it causes me a lot of pain. Does anyone else have this problem and or know of anyways I can sleep without causing myself so much pain.

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Tired!

I am new to this site. I have had complications from day one! I had the pm put in 3/20. I had a lot of swelling that has finally started going down thankfully. My problem is I feel like my doctor does not listen to me. I have a burning sensation this is new about 4 day. Two days ago had the feeling that the site was warm. This morning the site feels like it is on fire. I have placed a call to the doctor without a call back. Should I wait for the call back or just go to ER. Thanks for all the hel...

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Under a Muscle Now

So yesterday I had what they call a revision of my pacemaker pocket... See for the last two weeks,I felt as if my device was stabbing me! It was a very Sharp constant pain...

My dr said essentially it had turned up a little and was rubbing a nerve!

So now its placed under a muscle and though I'm sore today and the surgery was yesterday, I'm NOT in constant pain anymore! Yay!

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Dual chamber pacemaker an Coumadin

A new patient came to me recently with a dual chamber pacemaker in 2007 for sick sinus syndrome. Later he was placed on Coumadin for "atrial fibrillation". I thought the dual chamber mechanism would eliminate atrial fib so a person would not have to take Coumadin, as this patient has had difficulty keeping his protime in the appropriate range and has had bleeding complications. When I examined him, he did not have atrial fib but had dual pacemaker pacing. Can a patient go into atrial fib wi...

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Vibration at PM, feels like cell phone

It happens maybe once every day or two, and is not painful, but there is a 2-3 second vibration at the pacemaker.  At first I thought it was my cell phone but finally realized that it happened when I wasn’t carrying it.  And I never carry it next to the PM anyhow (well, almost never).

Doctor says all is well and no alarms. Manufacturer says it would make a tone if there was an alert but it doesn’t have a vibrator, just a small speaker.  It’s a def...

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pain at the sternum

I had my pm installed on the 26th. Everything went fine. Left the hospital on the 27th. I am staying at home and up to yesterday evening, no pain AT ALL, not even at the incision side(right hand side). Then past night, I woke up with difficulties breathing, each breath was painful at the sternum level. The chest and the sternum were yellow blue, more than before. So, since 4 oclock in the morning, I started monitoring my blood pressure and pulse, every 2 hours. Everything was absolutely normal....

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staph and removal

Well after spending six days in the hospital, removal of my pm drain placed then removed, I'm receiving antibotics thur iv for the staff infection. My heart rate is running from 30 to 80 and having pauses that last up to two mins. While this makes me feel weak and faint, hopefully the infecton will be gone in another month. I am continuing the ivs at home, two every day of vacomycin. Also had blood clots that set up in my pic line so I'm also on arixtra and coumadin. When the infection is...

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Replacing pacemaker

Had a dual chamber PM implanted in July. Complete heart block and pacing 99 percent of the time. Now my cardiologist (not the surgeon who implanted the PM) is saying perhaps another type of PM is needed or another lead inserted. Any comments about needing a replacement PM or additional lead would be appreciated. Thanks.

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pain

Three months after having the surgery I started having pain, cramping, and really tense muscles from shoulder down the left arm and left side of the middle of my chest.  Just wanting to know if anyone had or has same problems if you can tell me what I can do or how to fix this.  Feeling very miserable being in pain for so long and just seems to get worse.

My heart doctor is saying chiropractor then he changes the subject to something else; just seem...

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Possible Irritation or Inflamed Pocket

so its been over 2 yrs since I had my PM placed strictly for on demand usage of my heartbeat not staying above 30’s and 40’s...after multiple procedures to get the wires to stay in at all I have been 2 yrs without any complications till this last Sat.!  It began as a pinching sensation right behind my PM then gradually got worse. I’m to the point now I am barely sleeping even with pain med and I’m on a strict regime of ibuprofen to see of I can get the swel...

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Lead infection after a month

I am the parent of a 2 1/2 year old that required a pacemaker due to extreme breath holding spells in which he was losing hisheartbeat for 8-25 seconds at a time. We were shipped from Providence to Boston to have the operation just over a month ago. Last week, he developed a fever and we brought him into the pediatrician. Tests were conducted and he was prescribed an anti-biotic. Everything was going well, fevers were dissipating and he was happy, we thought we were in the clear. We had a f...

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Pulse skips a Beat

I had a Revo MRI Surescan installed 3 weeks ago, and the device sometimes skips a beat, or goes fast for a moment and then settles down. Anyone out there has similar symptoms of such irregularity? BTW I'm the guy who exercises all the time, and my dr says go 4 it.

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Thanks for the reassurance

Thank you to every one who commented on my "bad reaction to vancomyocin" post! I had an ultra sound to make sure my arm swelling was not from a clot and that wasn't the case! I showed my hand and arm to my medtronic rep yesterday at a pacer check (the swelling is down slightly) and he commented "maybe it takes awhile." I plan on phoning my reg. MD if it does not dissipate soon and I continue to take small amounts of benedryl and an antibiotic. Someday I'll look like my old self again.
<...

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Bad reaction to vancomyocin

To make a long story short--I just had my 6th pacemaker (and two new leads) in 40 years, implanted four days ago, and was dosed with IV vancomyocin which ultimately caused a scary dip in blood pressure. I don’t have any other medical problems and was due to go home that day, but had to stay in critical care all night.

Next morning my head, neck, and hands were swollen horribly and red. I was told I probably had "red man’s syndrome" from the vanco. Afte...

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irregular beats

Hi everybody, I am new to this site. I’m still having irregular beats; so tired of being woken up by it and able to feel it skipping most of the time. Does anyone else find this to be happening to you?

PM is a year old I have had many ablations, two maze procedures, conversions, open heart to repair two valves, and the afib got a little better but still suffering from CHF so went with av node ablation and PM.  I’m 51 and work full time as a chef even with all o...

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first check up

hello all,

thanks to all who responded to my first post 2 1/2 weeks ago, since have had surgery, tomorrow is two week check-up, good news feel fine, walking over 4 miles day, and lifting on right side, and working out legs. But have hard lump on side of incision closer to my shoulder, its not warm, or even feels like swelling certainly is protruding, I feel great, have regular metal stitches that are suppose to come out tomorrow, now I am cleaning with alcohol, dosing with hydrogen pe...

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You know you're wired when...

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Member Quotes

I am 100% pacemaker dependant and have been all my life. I try not to think about how a little metal box keeps me alive - it would drive me crazy. So I lead a very active life.