4 years down line

So- having had a fabulous new lease of life with my pacer in the last 4 years, I have been feeling tired, breathless and puffy recently. I ignored it, as most of us do. You would think I would have learned to listen to my body by now!

On Monday, feeling awful, I managed to get past the pesky receptionist and see a doctor. For those of us in the UK, it appears that the receptionist's primary purpose is to prevent you seeing a doctor. So I get in and see a locum, who transfers me straight into the hospital with my Bp dangerously high and Afib.

The wonderful NHS staff checked me from head to toe and the reason becomes apparent, Having had perfect plumbing, just dodgy electrics up to now, I now have an enlarged heart. After lots of meds, scans and other tests, I am sitting here waiting results to see next steps...

So I will catch up on daytime TV and my reading list.

ap

5 Comments

Pacemaker and heart failure

by golden_snitch - 2014-10-25 03:10:49

Hi APgirl!

Sorry to hear this :-(

Sounds like a case of heart failure and Afib induced by right ventricular pacing.Have the doctors mentioned that possibility to you? It's not that uncommon, and therefore something doctors and industry alike are working on at the moment. Industry is developing modes and features to reduce ventricular pacing, doctors are trying alternative pacing sites. The thing is that, in some patients, right ventricular pacing leads to the right ventricle pumping ealiert than the left ventricle. Now, there is always a little delay between the two ventricles, but in some patients being paced on the right side, this delay gets unnaturally long, and this is what causes the heart to weaken.

What might be suggested to you is adding a third lead and placing a new pacemaker unit, a so called cardiac resychronization therapy device (CRT, bi-ventricular pacemaker). This usually solves the problem. A friend of mine had an EF of about 27%, and with the CRT device she went all the way up to around 45%. She's doing much better today. It did take a while for her situation to improve and to stabilize, but now she's doing good.

Hope you get some answers and a good plan soon!

Best wishes

Inga

Thanks

by APgirl - 2014-10-26 03:10:22

Inga

Thank you for the quick answer. Nobody has mentioned that so far. I have been sent to a different cardiologist this time. I will ask the question.

Does anyone have anything else I should ask as well?

Best wishes

Ap

Just want to echo Inga's great explanation

by Grateful Heart - 2014-10-26 12:10:31


If you need a CRT/ Bi-Vent....do not fret about it. You should feel so much better afterwards.

I have a CRT-D and no longer have an enlarged heart.

My EF went from 24% to 50%. I also do not have plumbing problems, just electrical.

You'll get back to fabulous. :-)

Grateful Heart

Thanks

by APgirl - 2014-10-26 12:10:52

Grateful Heart and Inga

I have every intention of getting back to fabulous :). And growing old disgracefully, if I have half as much fun as my mother and her sister, I will have succeeded!

I am with the Nw Cardio this week and I will definite discuss this.

Onwards and upwards....
AP

New guy trolling...

by Xxmikexx - 2014-11-02 12:11:02

Hello, I just received my pm last Friday and this shred caught my eye. I do hope all is well with you and look forward to learning to ask the right questions at the right time. Reading your shred has helped me see to ask ask ask about issues no matter how trivial I think them to be now I am in pacemaker territory. Knowledge is power, yes? Well wishes...

Mike

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

Member Quotes

I am just now 40 but have had these blackouts all my life. I am thrilled with the pacer and would do it all over again.