Misplaced Leads?

Has anyone ever heard of a misplaced lead? I had my leads and unit changed about 2 months ago and I've had problems ever since. My EP doc says that the lead is too close to the chest wall muscles and is stimulating those as well as pacing my heart. It's not painful but I definitely can't continue to live with it. Essentially, I can feel every single beat of my heart because my muscles are twitching. It's starting to make me crazy.

I have surgery scheduled again for December which is not what I want but the only way it can be fixed is if they move the leads. Just wondering if anyone has experienced something similar before or not. I can't find much information on the internet.

Thanks,
Jacki

4 Comments

Twitching

by heckboy - 2015-11-16 02:11:47

I haven't heard about misplaced leads, but I did have muscle twitching, especially when I was at the gym. The twitching was visible through my t-shirt. I can't remember exactly how the techs fixed it, but it was done through programming, not surgery.

No fix

by tjarcelin - 2015-11-17 03:11:59

My EP doc and several staff members have tried to fix it by modifying the output but were unsuccessful. I have no heart beat without the pacemaker so they couldn't adjust further.

Me too

by athlete735516 - 2015-11-19 06:11:19

I got my pm 4 weeks ago and had the same twitches for the first two weeks. When I got it adjusted they said it was because my ventricular lead was placed wrong so it is stimulating my diaphragm as well as pacing. They turned that leads voltage way down so I don't feel it anymore but I have surgery scheduled in February to move that lead. So I guess I can't tell you if it will fix it but you are not the only one!

Bad lead placement

by herbsgunshop - 2015-11-22 02:11:26

I am on my second 3 lead pacemaker with the second one being an ICD (Medtronics). Due to a vein genetic anomaly the 3rd lead had to be placed lower in my heart than optimal. As soon as I woke up from the surgery I started flopping on my bed like a fresh caught trout. Had to turn it off until the company rep arrived to change a few settings which seemed at the time to take care of the problem. Lately (almost 2 years later) I've been occasionally having the same stimulation especially if I sleep on my LH side. The sensation feels exactly like my heart feels just before I get an ICD shock. I was recently also put on nitrates and bisoprolol to make life a bit easier on my heart muscle. The dizzy spells-side effects from these meds also feels like the syncope leading up to a shock. Have an appt. with the device clinic Monday morning for an interrogation and a check to see if these feelings are in fact lead-placement and med related. Can't wait. Freaking out here from time to time.

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Member Quotes

It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.