Need advice!

• by djs
• 2011-03-26 03:03:40
• Checkups & Settings
• 1518 views
• 4 comments

My dual lead Biotronik Pacemaker was implanted in January of 2010. I had an implanted Medtronic loop recorder for 18 months before the pacemaker to try to determine what my problem was. I had fainted a few times before this...and almost passed out several times (turning completely white - even my lips lost all color). I attempted to get answers on here before, but I didn't know how to explain my situation. My heart rate dropped to 30 at one point...I had a few pauses. Finally, it was decided that I needed a pacemaker. I also have A-fib.

Now the situation is: I live in a small town; the doctor I really liked moved last July (the one that put the pacemaker in); He came once a week from a city 60 miles away. The doctor that replaced him -- I didn't like at all. I changed to another doctor last October and my pacemaker hasn't been checked since last September; My General practitioner heard a sound (kind of a squeak) in my heart about 6 weeks ago. He let me hear (and it is a NEW sound. He's never heard it before.) I have a stethoscope and I've been listening - it is much louder every morning than it was when he let me hear. It usually goes completely away during the day. Most mornings when I wake up it is really loud. Some mornings not there at all.

He set up an echo, but at the time the echo was done my heart wasn't making the noise. I went to my cardiologist and explained to him and he said my doctor wasn't trained in cardiology. I told him I could hear it myself when I listen in the morning and he said I didn't know what I was hearing...that it was probably something else. Silly me -- I actually expected him to put me in the hospital so he could hear it when I first woke up. (I dreaded that because I didn't want to have to go to the hospital). That didn't happen and he has never had anyone check my pacemaker. Told me he would see me in 6 weeks. I asked about getting my pacemaker checked and he said if a rep from biotronik was available when I came back he would check it.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? I feel completely left out in the cold with my pacemaker and can't find a cardiologist that I feel comfortable with. The first cardiologist checked my pacemaker every month to see how many episodes of A-fib I had and try to get that taken care of. Now, nothing is being done. I am confused and don't really know where to go.