Scared

Hi all! I am new to the club, but very encouraged by all of the support I have seen on the website! I need some help/advice. I am 29 and had a dual-chamber pacemaker put in 7 weeks ago. I had bradycardia and had fatigue/weakness and a few episodes pre-pacemaker. Now I am more tired, I have ten times more episodes now, I have the shakes, and most importantly I have had to pull over to the side of the highway going 70 miles an hour almost passing out with my 18 month old in the car!!!!!! I am scared to even get in the car. Now I have become tacycardic (post pacemaker) and they want to put me on beta blockers (which make me even more tired/dizzy/headaches). I would give anything to go back that day at the hospital when they suggested the pacemaker and I would have said no way! My life is so much worse now....what do I do? My shoulder is still sooooo sore and there are sharp shooting pains that just won't go away. Please anyone, someone, help me....I have never been this upset about something. Thank you for reading and listening to me...it makes me feel better just to get it all out. Anything thoughts, comments, advice would be much appreciated!!! So to have been Debbie the Downer : (

6 Comments

Some thoughts

by ElectricFrank - 2009-04-20 11:04:09

Debbie,
I doubt you would feel any better without the pacemaker. A likely possibility is that the pacemaker isn't properly adjusted. Unfortunately, many of the cardiologist's, doctors, and techs are not proficient in the complexities of the little beast.

Another thing that stands out is your mentioning having the shakes. If the shakes are in sync with your heart beat you may have a bad lead. If they are more like the shakes that happen with a chill, you may have an infection in the pocket under your skin. This could also account for the fast HR. Have taken your temperature? A fever (even low grade) is an indication of infection.

And finally it is possible that you have a heart condition that the pacemaker can't handle.

It seems to me like you should be looking for a second opinion. Also, ask to have a checkup done by the pacemaker manufacturer's representative. They are far more knowledgeable about the device than most docs.

I hope this helps. By the way as long as you are having these sort of symptoms, don't drive. While it is a reliable "cure" passing out and hitting a tree at 70mph is a bit drastic. A bit over a year ago I encountered a situation where I was skipping 4 beats in a row. Even though I wasn't getting light headed and the ER is only a mile away in our small town, I called 911 and got a ride. I don't want to hurt anyone.

best,

frank

beta-blockers

by esperry - 2009-04-21 01:04:49

JElmore,

When you were on beta-blockers in the past, I am sure they made you feel dizzy and such if you suffered from bradycardia (I have had this same experience). This is because these drugs slow the heart down.

My question to you is: Have you given these drugs a try post-pacemaker? Your symptoms may not reappear because the pacemaker is pacing your heart against the beta-blockers. The drugs, though, are still inhibiting abnormal circuit rhythms that induce tachycardic symptoms.

One thing to note regardless: the heart is still healing, even 7 weeks post-surgery (though it should mostly be healed by now in healthy people; if you suffer from other ailments, you may have a slower recovery time). I agree with Frank, though, in that the pacemaker is probably not adjusted properly, as atrial fibrillation is a very common side-effect of pacemaker implantation. Most of the members of this club probably experiences a-fib at least a few times after implantation. I know I did two weeks ago, when my pacemaker was implanted!

Also, I won't repeat Frank's wise words about infection. This is very important and a possible cause of your problems that needs to be attended to immediately!

Hope this helps!

Ethan

Just some thoughts

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-04-21 02:04:44

I completely agree with those above. Make sure to have the pacemaker settings and leads checked and get a second opinion if that doesn't help. Infection is a very probable cause especially since you state that your incision site is still real sore. To give you an idea, my incision site was only a little sore for about 1 week.

A-Fib is also very probable. Were you diagnosed with just Bradycardia or with Sick Sinus Syndrome? With SSS you can go bradycardic and tachycardic at different times and A-Fib is very common. For me pre-pacemaker, I was put on beta blockers which made my passing out even worse (as my heart would go too slow), but before the beta blockers, I would pass out due to a-fib so while my heart was pumping fast, it was so fast that it couldn't pump blood anymore. Either one can make you pass out. Please make sure to get it checked and to let us know how things go.

Michael

me to

by walkerd - 2009-04-21 07:04:14

dont know anything about what you are going thru, sounds like excellent advise above. All I can add is soundly tell doctor about what is going on, get stern if you have to some doctors need to be shook before they listen not literatlly tho, lol, and to if that gets no attention I would find another doctor. Getting the rep from the company is an excellent idea, I do know it took them four or five adjustments to get mine right rep adjusted mine on number four then on fifth he had told doc what to do if that one didnt work, and finally feel alittle better now, I was getting dizzy, lightheaded. But like I said my condition is nothing like you have. Just make sure you voice your concerns and symptoms to your doctor, call and be a pain in the arse I did that hey they work for you and it is your health not thiers so if they dont like it big deal, who cares.
dave
ps vent on here or pm if you need to vent more dont keep it inside thats the worst thing you can do, I can give that good advice from my own experience.
dave

Thank you Frank

by JElmore - 2009-04-21 10:04:52

Frank-
You truly know how to make a person feel at ease! I appreciate your thoughtful and informative comments! The last time I went to the doctor at 1 week post-pacemaker they said that everything looked fine (even though I was feeling bad, understandable after just having surgery). I have gone every week (except the last two weeks due to another surgery for another medical condition). I have told them my concerns and they said that my heart is pumping on its own for the most part, the pacemaker isn't having to work too much less than 9% (paced at 50 bpm) but they put me on beta blockers due to the fainting episodes and then going tacy because of the anxiety from almost fainting! I have never been tacycardic before pacemaker just bradycardic...so this has really thrown me for a loop.
I am supposed to go to see the doctor tomorrow so he can visit with me again and look at my incision site but they act like what my body is doing is "normal". But I would give anything to go back and not have the pacer put in and gotten a second opinion. I feel ten times worse than I did pre-pacemaker...to tell you the truth I just want them to take it out and I would love to go back to just feeling tired and cope with that instead of having more episodes/tired/fatigue/shaking,ect. I hate to be so negitive, it has never ever been my style.(And I have been thru A LOT in the medical department)
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, you truly sound so full of wisdom. You have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to comment! You truly have made me feel better than all of the doctors/family members! Thank you!

Thank you!

by JElmore - 2009-04-21 10:04:53

Thank you everyone else for posting their thoughts! It helps so much to know that people have your back, even when you feel like no one else does! You all have taken time out of your busy schedules to help ME, and I soooooo appreciate it! I am hoping that this gets figured asap so I can start feeling like my self again. Thank you, thank you!!

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Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.