Optimized

Today was a great day, I think. Got my CRT-D 3/09 for CHF. My EF at that time was 20. Since that time I've only had 2 adjustments to my CRT-D, the heart rate was upped from 60 to 70 and last month the rate response was adjusted. It had been on but set so low it was non-functioning. At that time an app't was made for me to have an optimizing interrogation at the same time as my echocardiogram. My EF today was 50!!! They told me I was one lucky person as a lot of people never regain that much improvement. The tech explained my ventricles were being paced at round 67% ( I was still excited by the EF so I might be wrong on that but it was in the 60's). He also said one atrial was being paced at a lower rate than that. He made a number of adjustments with the help of the echo. They would select one area, measure it, go up and down from that and select the setting that was best. They did this 5-6 times. The tech said that basically he was smoothing out the heart beat and rhythm and I should feel better. Well, I do but I can't put my finger on the difference. It sounds silly to say I feel lighter but I do. My breathing is better and my balance seems to be better. Also my cough is much less!! Most important of all, I am not so tired, at least not tonight. He also said I had a natural underlying heartbeat of my own which was a good thing.

If anyone else has had this experience I would love to hear about it and how it has affected you. Can I look forward to more progress or will this be it? Thanks.

gretchen

2 Comments

ef

by riodog - 2010-05-14 04:05:35

Hi Linda4heart,

Thanks for your reply, maybe I'll get up to 55 too but right now, I'm very happy with 50. I hope it's OK if I ask if you also had CHF?
I have no idea why it took them over a year to do this procedure but it did. They also kept me on a med that was toxic for me and finally after 1 year they took me off of that and it was so great not to be dizzy, nauseous, tired, SOB, especially SOB. I thought that would be as good as it gets but now it's gotten even better. Why didn't they do all this stuff sooner? God knows I complained enough. The funny thing is I have a very good doctor. Just extremely conservative I guess. I think he's finally figured out that if I complain about something there is something wrong. It is thanks to a Medtronic rep who was training a new person that I got the optimizing interrogation, she knew what she was doing.

Thanks for the reply.

gretchen

EF

by linda4heart - 2010-05-14 04:05:56

Gretchen, I had a CRT-D implant in October and at that time my EF was 20%. After implantation, I am now at 55%. The echo was done in January. I too feel so much better. Did not have to make too many adjustments to the device but I feel so much better and do not get out of breathe quite as much.

Good luck!

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