What's Next After Dead Battery

Is there anyone here that can give me play by play of what happens if you do not get the battery replaced in time? My last test showed 100% PM on one lead and 82% PM on the other lead.
What are the symptoms to look for, or what are the progressive stages if the battery is not replaced in time after the fail safe kicks in?
Thanks,
Jim Ed

14 Comments

Thanks

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-20 06:07:29

Actually I was at my cardio's a week ago, and I didn't think to ask until after I left. He had said the battery was close to going fail safe. My heart was in lower 40 BPM/upper 30's BPM when I had the implant 6 years ago.
So, from your answer, I believe I see the picture.
Thanks for the quick response.

end of life

by Tracey_E - 2010-07-20 06:07:49

The pm has 2 modes at the end of life. First is ERI, elective replacement. It still has full function, think gas light on the car. This lasts on average 3 months. EOL is end of life, also lasts about 3 months, and the pm will keep you going by not letting your hr fall to dangerous levels but have limited function so if you pace a lot you will likely feel tired and short of breath easily. I don't know which mode he'd be referring to as fail safe, but they usually schedule us once it's in ERI, they don't generally let us get to ERI on purpose. You should have at least a three month cushion regardless.

First ERI

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-20 07:07:39

Tracey, I was under the impression that when my PM reverts to 65 BPM (Mine set to 80 bpm) that it will not speed up to 120 bpm when the magnet is placed over it. If it remains at a constant 65 bpm when the magnet is in place, it was the indication that it was in fail safe mode and needed replacement within 3 months or so.
However, I was pursuing an answer way beyond that point, to the time when it completely expires, then what is one supposed to feel just prior to the body expiring?

don't know

by Tracey_E - 2010-07-20 08:07:39

I've been in the habit of getting mine replaced before that!

Your hr should always remain at 65 (or whatever it's programmed for) when the magnet is over it. It pulls a little switch closed and puts it in test mode. In ERI, it stays that way with or without the magnet.

If your rate isn't going up and is staying at 65, then you are EOL. During ERI, it is still fully functional.

After the EOL

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-20 09:07:23

Tracey,

Now we asre getting somewhere. So once we reach the EOL point, What happens? Assumming we don't make it to get the battery replaced. Now, what is the person be feeling? Just before he expires? ie; what begins to happen?

Tracey

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-21 01:07:22

"I've been in the habit of getting mine replaced before that! "

lol. Now that was funny. At least I've had a good chuckle this morning.

Thanks!

Frank

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-21 01:07:37

I believe that's the answer I have been trying to reach. Yes, I can remember how I felt before the pm. I was actually close to heart failure. My cardiologist said that I probably wouldn't know when that happens, and as long as I felt dizzy the complete stoppage has not occured.
Thank you all for your replies. I feel more at ease in the situation now. BTW, since 7 months ago, I began with the blackouts, which I find is Postural Orthostatic Trachardia Syndrome, or something like that. But in my case, the PM can do nothing about that, since it is relative to low blood pressure reaching the brain. Which solves that problem, because I've been told that I don't have one of those.
Thanks, Everybody! Jim

What happens

by ElectricFrank - 2010-07-21 01:07:47

If the battery goes completely dead then you would revert to where you were without a pacer. That can be anything from skipping a few beats, having your HR drop into the 25-40 range, or worst case stop completely.

With the slow HR you would feel lousy, easily become light headed, or pass out.

If it stops you have about 15 seconds to contemplate the situation before you feel nothing permanently.

The doc that does your checkups is responsible that none of this happens. For your own peace of mind call them and ask what the situation is.

frank

8288

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-23 01:07:30

Yes, That's really the situation I face at this time. As far as your Mom decision, I personally agree with it, however, I do know that if the Lord wants a person to go on and be with Him, PM or not, He will call. I also think your Mom has the right to want to be with your Dad. I am not a doomist or anything like that. I studied the life of David Brainerd, and he is the ultimate personification of having the greatest desire to be with Jesus, yet he chose to let it be God's decision. He has touched more people in his 29 years on this earth than I ever will. Of course his life was lived in 1742 back when they didn't have PM or computers.
Letting the batteries die also allows the brain to have insufficient blood, which will lead to a coma, and then, for whatever time it takes after that, the body will shut down. I hope this helps.

Mom wants to let battery die

by 8288 - 2010-07-23 04:07:40

Thank you for responding. You have given me something to think about while trying to understand what my mom is going through. I appreciate you taking the time to communicate with me while having to face some difficult decisions of you own. I hope you will find the path that is right for you.

Peace to you.....

Mom wants to let battery die

by 8288 - 2010-07-23 10:07:14


I have been surfing the web to find info for my 90-year-old Mom. The cardio. said her pacemaker needs to be replaced (batteries) within 3 months. But she says she is ready to 'go and join my dad' and doesn't want to have the procedure done. Is that what you are asking about, Jim? I, too, would like to know what will happen to her if she declines the battery upgrade. I don't want to see her suffer but I can also understand that she feels like she has lived as long as she wished and wants to have this option to 'make her own exit' and on her own terms. I'm tore apart by this. Thanks for any help. And thanks, Jim, for your sense of humor!
Sally

batt life

by at120uk - 2010-07-23 12:07:59

I was told they change the PM when the battery life gets to suck a point where:
If the heart failed completely (and the PM had produce every beat for you) you would have 7 months Battery life.

"Far Field"?????????

by Nevada Silver - 2010-07-24 05:07:28

Can someone explain this to me? I just had my ICD replaced and have told my Cardiologist that I continue to have what I would describe as my heart beating harder than usual from time to time. Nothing is seen on the ekg or on a cardiac monitor...He doesn't hear anything unusual when he examines my heart. I had the ICD checked in the office recently and the tech was able to determine by what her "computer" showed that it was the leads that was causing this. It doesn't show up to others..but she can tell on the small machine that the ICD is attached to.She refers to it as "Far Field". I have had these leads since my first pacemaker was implanted in 2001. I was wondering why the leads were not replaced last month when they replaced the ICD? The tech said that we should use the original leads as long as possible as it is a more serious procedure when the leads are replaced and when they are replaced, it put's the patient more at risk for future problems with the heart. Can anyone explain this ...I'm not getting it....Thanks very much....

Two things

by Jim_Ed - 2010-07-25 09:07:18

Nevada, First, let me say that my PM sends out some kind of data to get a response from something inside to gather information. This happens on me exactly 3 times a day. Exactly 8 hours and 7 seconds apart, Which means it gradually creeps up about a minute a day on each test. This test makes me feel like my heart skips a beat or throws some extra jitters in there. I don't know that this is similar to what you are experiencing, but just to make sure, start writing the times down when you feel these quirks. When I went to my cardiologist last week, I got a printout from the machine that tells everything the PM tested on, and even date and times of 3 oddities, that Doc couldn't explain. He even asked if I had felt chest pain at those exact times. The 2nd thing about replacing the leads, is correct not to change them unless they are definitely causing problems. One type of lead screws into the heart, and I think the other type is punched into the heart. I have been told that even the screw in types develop problems only a very few times.
You may already be doing it, but I definitely recommend keeping a diary on these oddities.

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Member Quotes

The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.