New PM and still tired

Hi there,
I am tired all the time. This Wednesday will be 2 weeks for me. I have also forgotten about my arm here and there and am praying there is no damage done from doing that. It's so darn natural to lift both of your arms you know?! I rested over the weekend, drove very little and stayed in all day yesterday and am still tired. I go to bed and wake up tired. One day at a time. I too have kicked the coffee in the morning. Maybe that is playing a role as well. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thank you all for your support.

Cid

6 Comments

Coffee

by donr - 2011-02-28 01:02:12

Why'd you stop? Were you told to do so?

Depends on your problem. Maybe you should stop drinking the stuff.

I'm very sensitive to caffeine. Put one cup of coffee in me & I climb the walls, scoot across the ceiling & swat flies while doing it. You that way?

Not enough info to evaluate your coffee situation.

Don

Hang in there

by drashmore - 2011-02-28 03:02:06

Don't believe it only takes a couple weeks and you'll feel fine. I had one implanted in Dec and last week was my first full week back to work. My family doc says give it 6 months and you'll be running strong. Don't be to hard on yourself. Do what you feel like otherwise, rest.

Debbie

Takes time

by Sue H. - 2011-02-28 10:02:22

As has been said on here many times, most of us leave the hospital with the standard settings on the pacemaker which is not right for everyone. When you go in for your first checkup mention your fatigue and they can adjust the pacer.

I too was very tired right after and realized it would take time to feel better. Some on here have felt better right away but others it took some time. Your body has been without proper oxygenation for quite awhile and now it has to recoup what it missed...that takes time.

Go with the flow.....if you feel tired, rest and don't worry about it. You will start to feel better every day and yes coming off coffee will also give you fatigue but again once your body adjusts, you'll feel better.

Best to you...

Sue

HANG IN THERE

by lahbigbro6 - 2011-02-28 10:02:38

Relax and hang in there. I laid on the sofa and watched the NY Yankees for 8 weeks. I think the coffee thing is whats making you tired. Why no coffee ? I drink it all the time, no one said to stop drinking it.

Welcome

by Edouard - 2011-02-28 10:02:43

Hi sidgirl74
Welcome to the club. It is easy to forget about the arm especially when, like me, you don't think of yourself as being sick. I often forgot about the situation and raised my arm in the first couple of weeks. I did not damage anything. It probably depends on the level of effort you put into it!
As for feeling tired, that may be something to look into. I was bouncing off the walls after three days in the house following my surgery. You don't indicate the reasons for which you got your PM and everyone is different, but I would expect any post-surgical difference to be for the better. Perhaps your settings need to be adjusted. In your shoes, I would see my doctor.
Regards and good luck
Edouard

Hi and welcome to the club

by Hot Heart - 2011-02-28 11:02:02

Initially I was tired, felt really poorly, some of it may have been to do with my leg op that had gone wrong, I will never really know.

The biggest difference for me was definitely when I got my rate response turned on, it was like someone just gave me an energy boost.

As Eduard says everyone is different, I was physically poorly from my leg op, which left me with lymphodema, and I was emotionally drained, having gone into hospital to get my legs remodelled and coming out with a pacemaker. It took me some time to emotionally adjust.

As far as the coffee is concerned, a couple of cups a day shouldnt do you any harm, but it is a stimulant drug and you can become addicted, but thats usually when someone is drinking more than 8 cups a day. Too much coffee can cause heart paliptations and can obviously cause problems with sleeping patterns. However, I always have a cup of coffee in a morning.

The reason that you dont lift your arms is so that you dont dislodge your wires until they have bedded in, I think you would probably know if you had done that, just check your pulse and make sure it is going at the rate that you are set at when you are resting. Just try not to overstretch your arm until 6 weeks post op.

Once you have your settings sorted and you are over the op you should feel fine.

HH

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