Whoa... first real event(s)

This morning for the first time since I had my implant (back at the end of May) I got hit with what felt like multiple events of my heart wanting to nap. On the first one, sure enough, sat down and took my pulse and I was way down, right at where my pacer would take over. Stayed there for a little while and then went back up. About 45 minutes later, boom same thing but not so severe (didn't have to actually sit down and no dizziness but did feel it happening). So the good news is the pacer appears to be working, the bad news is like before, my events seem to be coming in bunches and right now I feel like shit (very tired and a bit shakey). Guess I should be happy that the events are coming several months apart (almost 5 month since implant) but it still sucks when they hit.

Guess just needed to vent. Had been feeling pretty good, working out 5 times a week and even got a good hard workout in yesterday for almost 2 hours. But lately (last week or two) I have been feeling a little more fatigued than normal. Will be sure to bring it up to the doc next week when I see him, just had my pacer check 2 weeks ago and was told that I had been using it much less than 1% of the time (She wouldn't tell me if it had fired at all, just that it was much less than 1% of the time pacing). Guess next week I might be up to that 1% after all.

Thanks for letting me vent.

7 Comments

Very Interested

by wenditt - 2009-10-19 03:10:20

COBRady,
I am VERY interested to find out what you were diagnosed with. The exact same thing happens to me yet I use my pm about 1% of the time. I was told it kicked in once and it happened while I was sleeping.

I too have had those moments where I feel "something" happening and it totally freaks me out.

I was diagnosed with 3rd degree heart block but my "episodes" were only happening maybe 3 times per year.

I've only had mine for 5 weeks, 6 this friday. So I am curious about what this report will say. I have been logging the "episodes" to see if they are real or in my head. Last visit they were just in my head.

Look forward to hearing from you-
Wendy

Diagnosis

by COBradyBunch - 2009-10-19 04:10:58

Well, I was diagnosed with SSS (Sick Sinus Syn) with an 'intermittent hear block.' When I was in the beginning of last week the pacer tech also said she saw instances where my upper chamber is beating faster than my lower chamber and my doc would discuss that with me but it was very common in SSS patients and nothing to be alarmed about. What gave me the pacemaker was times where I would go into what I called Heart Naps. My heart would completely stop for several seconds, long enough on two occasions to cause me to pass out. (longest the caught was about 10 seconds of flatline, but my HR would slow down considerably before flatlining and then would take a little bit of time to start back up to a normal HR.

Anyway, they put the pacer in and up to now I had not had any further episodes like todays. Today I was making the kids breakfast when suddenly I start to feel fuzzy. I sat down, took my HR and sure enough it was VERY slow. After about 10-15 seconds it started to pick up again. About 40 minutes later I had another episode but so far, other than feeling fatigued and bummed nothing else today. Implant date was 6/22 and I had gone from then until today without anything I could really say was a episode.

Wikipedia is my friend

by COBradyBunch - 2009-10-19 05:10:06

Just read about the three degrees of Heart Block and I would say I am a 2. I had been told I had a RBBB (Right Bundle Branch Block) some years back but it had disappeared from my most current EKG's. Even after BOTH passing out episodes my EKG's came back perfectly normal, it wasn't until they admitted me overnight and visited me with a crash cart at 4:30 in the morning did anyone see anything abnormal with my heart. Even now I usually exercise 5-6 times a week, with at least 1 session a week up to or above 90% of my theoretical max (which is supposedly 170) and I was mountain biking a couple of weeks back and on a long climb I actually maxed out at a 181 HR.

Anyway, no idea what triggered today's events but will be sure to tell my doc about them. As long as they only happen every 3-4 months I guess I can live with them (not much of a choice at this point) and I would rather not be set to be paced higher than my RHR to prevent them. The longer I can let the battery in this thing last the better as I see it.

Diagnosis

by wenditt - 2009-10-19 05:10:56

I have what I would describe as the EXACT same thing but they are calling mine 3rd degree heart block. I wonder if it is the same thing just being called by 2 different names. Everything is the same...every last detail.

Curious! I go back on Wed....I will ask.

Stay well-
Wendy

Why?

by golden_snitch - 2009-10-19 10:10:47

Hi!

Why don't you have the minimum pacer rate set a bit higher so that your rate doesn't go down so much occasionally and make you feel shaky etc.? I mean that's what you got the pacer for, I guess. I don't know what your lower setting is but when it's around 50-60 these episodes should not happen.

Best wishes
Inga

Pacer set lower than my RHR

by COBradyBunch - 2009-10-19 11:10:16

My resting heart rate is down in the low 50's and my setting is supposed to be at 50. While I didn't get a chance to actually take my pulse (I was rushing around getting kids breakfasts together as well as getting ready for work when it happened) I could tell it was down around there, and while I was taking my pulse it started to climb and went back into the high 80's where I should have been.

What floors me is that I have yet to seem to find any kind of trigger for these events. The two I had that caused blackouts (and therefore the pacer) were both evening events, one after dinner, one just sitting around talking. The ones I had in the hospital (4 or 5) all happened either while I was falling asleep or when I was sleeping and now, boom one in the morning (which on a regular morning would have been right about the time I was finishing my workout but this morning I had kid duty).

Don't want to get higher on the pacer because I don't want to become pacer dependent at lower rates. I will take a little fuzziness over pacer dependency any day.

Diagnosis

by quilterlady - 2009-10-21 02:10:21

I too was implanted due to SSS with a 2nd degree blockage. I only passed out once, but had dizziness on various occassions. My heart would pause...the longest being 11 seconds. I was implanted with a Medtronic Adapta and have had it tweaked once. I go back next week and I know they will tweak it again, cuz I still feel when the PM kicks in, especially at midnight when it checks/records. I have received much advice from this support group and have appreciated all those who responded.
I understand that the medtronic adapta is difficult to tweak....has anyone else heard this.

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