Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Counseling? Therapy?

Hello all:

Been awhile since I've posted but I need some advice from a group who knows what it is like to experience a cardiac event. I'm in a rut and I can't seem to get out of it. 

In January of 2019, I woke up and felt fine. Made coffee and was working on emails when I passed out. When I came to, I sat there for a few minutes thinking I just wasn't awake. Minutes later, I passed out two more times. Got to the hospital, and while they were running tests, I w...

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Update

Hello all,

I just want to reach out and thank everyone again for the support and help that I have recieved. The people of this community are so intelligent and caring and have made this whole journey that much easier to manage.

Sadly, I am not feeling any better. My vision/motion issues seem to come and go at random (morning, afternoon, evening, sitting, standing, driving, etc). Sometimes they last for a few seconds/minutes, and sometimes they hang around for 3-5 hours.

I...

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Heart anxiety

Hi guys,

I had my pacemaker implant back in October 2018 so I'm now 3 years into life with one. Recently I was admitted to hospital after passing out after 5 minutes of steady cardio. When the paramedics came they said my heart was running fast and took me to rescucitation, they  checked me and placed me in majors. After a few tests they found my pacemaker was fine and that the medication I was on was causing my tachycardia. They checked my electrolytes and saw magnesium was sl...

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New Member

I had no warning of needing a pacemaker other than knowing my pulse wasn't right most of the time for the past few months.  I was a fool for not going to get checked out sooner.  My abnormally slow pulse was discovered when I went to get treated for a blood clot.  I don't know if the clot is related to the cardiac block, but I guess it doesn't matter now.  I'm grateful for this device, and it's working well so far.  What I can't get over is tha...

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Good night of sleep

Continuing the theme of using this exclusive club as my form of support...

The last month has been pretty tough as far as sleep goes. I didn't have sleep issues pre pacemaker install. However, post procedure...I have been waking up (sometimes several times a night) with "thud thud thud" pounding heart rate. Most of the time its when I lay on my poaemkaer side, probably has nothing to do with anything, but that's when I notice the issue. 

Also, I believe...

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New pacemaker

I got a pacemaker a few months ago. Since the beginning I was very sluggish. Went to the dr to have it tweeked. For about 3 weeks I had a ton of energy and felt great. Now I am back to sluggish and nap taking. I am 68 and have always been rather hyper. Is this to be expected or do I need to see the doctor again. I loved the energy level after the tweek. My husband said I needed to go back and have untweeked. lol Any suggestions. I am new at this and have no idea what to expect. Thanks in adva...

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Still some soreness.

I had the pacemaker fitted 6 months ago.  It took some months before it felt comfortable. I started playing golf with no after effects.   During the summer it felt more comfortable wearing light clothing.  For the past 2 weeks I have had some soreness around the site of the pacemaker. Sometimes the soreness feels like clothing is rubbing across the scar, then the site is sore to the touch.  Does anybody recommend a covering or pad over the site, and would it benefit&n...

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Emotionally Struggling with sick sinus syndrome

Hey team, 

As talked about in a prior post, I had a dual chamber pacemaker installed in July, I'm 44 and pretty healthy to say the least. 20 years in the army, runner, weight lifter, 6'5" 205. I started feeling my pauses when I was around 24 yuears old. It took cardiologists (several) years to figure it out...I was diagnosed with being dramatic, too much caffeine, too much alcohol (never drank either more than my peers), anxiety. Finally in 2019, a cardiologist got sma...

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Flip Flops felt during recovery

Hello PMC! 
 

Hope all of you are blessed and doing well. I was wondering if anyone has experienced a flip flop sensation while your heart rate is coming down after exercise. When I get my heart rate to 150 or a little higher I can feel it on the way down back to baseline. It doesn't happen all the time but the past three times it has, I've felt flip flops/ectopics and even presyncope. It's like OMG what is happening in my heart right now??!!&nb...

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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

Hey folks,

Up until this past Friday, things have finally started to feel "normal". My vision spells and "foggy/unfocused" vision that were essentially preventing me from driving or being on my feet for more than 10-15 mins were "cured" with the addition of the BP med Amlodipine Besylate. Cardiologist prescribed it as a "guess" only after the extensive blood work, sleep test, heart stress test, brain MRI, brain CT, heart echo,...

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Feeling the correction

Hey team! 

Healthy 44 year old male (considering), 

I was fitted with my pacemaker in June for sinus node pauses of seven seconds plus. The procedure was severely emotionally and physically gassing for me. Post procedure I had PVCs for about a month, I believe it may have been caused by a wound during installation. I was in and out of consciousness and heard "oh, a lead came out, let's try that again". I said "huh?!" And, was inject...

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New pacemaker recipient

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I have been reading this site for several months now and am always impressed with the good advice and support. The questions and answers are always spot on.

My story started 2 years ago, went into respiratory failure in the middle of the night. Stopped breathing and EMT intubated me and I was put on ventilator in ICU. Scared me to death. Cause still unknown. First cardiologist in ICU stated it was from antidepressants, Lexapro and Effexor. The Effe...

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Dull ache around heart area

Ive had a pacemaker since the age of 14, im now 26 and had it changed two / three times. Im half way through this "cycle" but recently ive been getting a dull ache around by my heart, its quite hard to explain but it is quite a bad pain that last usually for about 10/15 mins, it seems to be getting more regular. I first thought it was happening due to sleeping awkwardly but now im thinking it isnt. Had it checked a few weeks back and mentioned it and they said it seemed no...

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Your Decision Your Heard

As of yesterday I just completed the 6-month MULTIFIT Cardiac Rehabilitation program with my health care provider Kaiser Northern California.  It was a lot of online classes about exercise, diet, and tracking my heart, which I was already doing to some degree before my heart attack.  Now I track my blood pressure on paper two to three times a day on a spreadsheet and have been doing for the past 8-months looking for trends.

I walk 1-hour every morning and ride my bicycle betwe...

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I feel much better

I had my first month in person ICD interrogation with my EP today. I had called in twice during this first month to complain about spasms, sensing electrical pulses and a general tiredness. Both times they convinced me to wait till my in person device interrogation and appointment with my EP. I sent reports both times but they just said everything looked fine. Well today was my first month in person appointment and device interrogation and I complained again. And this time they changed my set...

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Child with pacemaker

Hi All,

I am new to this group. My 11-year old son was diagnosed with CCTGA 4 months ago, and subsequently had a pacemaker inserted for complete heart block. He is finding it exceedingly difficult to accept his condition and his pacemaker. I know that he is young and it will take time to get used to it, but I was wondering if there is anyone on this forum that can offer advice to me as a parent to help him cope and accept. If there is anyone with a child his age with a pacemak...

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Hate having ICD

I'm 35 and had to get an ICD in May of 2020. I had 3 heart attacks at age 19, 2 Bell's palsy attacks at 18 & 19, a heart infection in 2017 and then found out I have heart failure when I was pregnant with my son in 2019. I have been shocked 4 times as of yesterday and they even changed my settings a week or two ago so that hopefully it wouldn't happen again or at least give me more of a heads up that it was about to happen. I hate this thing so much, I never feared my heart bef...

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still getting episodes of AFIB

Had my 2 lead pacemaker fitted in June after several hospital visits with AF (174 BPM ). It seemed to be fine for months. now getting a few minutes to a couple of hours of very fast heart beats . Is this common ? Could it possibly be the bisoprol . Anyone else had this problem ???. I took bisoprol for about 6 months several year ago for high blood pressure,had to stop because I was getting missed heart beats .I'm fine when all is going okay , but get a trifle...

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Electrical / Conduction system Question

Electrical System Question -   If your SA node is completely non-functioning and your AV node is barely functioning, does a pacemaker replace the electrical / conduction system when the hearts natural pacing system is non working?

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Dealing with tight skin

My ICD went in on 16 Deptember (13 days ago) and all has been well, except for a pocket haematoma which was reduced by compression before I was discharged.  

The wound is healing swiftly - I removed the dressing a week after the op, as per instructions. The pain lasted a couple of days, manageable with paracetamol (tylenol) and wearing a supporting bra with extra padding (a rolled up flannel) to reduce the downwards drag on the wound, day and night. The bruising is still spect...

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Just because you have a device doesn't mean you are damaged goods and can't do anything worthwhile and have to lie down and die. In fact, you're better and stronger. You're bionic!