Double ventricular beats

It was such a delight to find this website, and explore the friendly comments and information shared with each other, when I heard last September that I needed a pacemaker insertion due to CHB – a complete surprise, as it seems to be for us all.

So my first posting; can I say hello and ask for your advice/opinion?

The pacemaker was inserted on November 5th, (ha ha!) and my recovery has not been as speedy as I anticipated with continued SOB on even mild exertion, and chest pain….

So, after the 6 week pacemaker check when I was told everything was fine, and no changes to the settings were necessary, a clear angiogram and lung CT scan, the one abnormality showing following a 24 hour taping is that I have double ventricular beats, (pacemaker followed by my heart) on exertion.

A 'tic-tock rhythm', which the cardiologist wonders could be the reason for the chest pain

This hasn’t caused red lights to flash, and my next appointment is scheduled for 6 weeks, during which time the Cardiologist will consult with the consultant who inserted the PM to exclude Pacemaker Syndrome, and a referral to Cardiac Rehab to improve my fitness.

Has any one else experienced this, and if so, what was the cause and outcome?

4 Comments

Hi

by johnl - 2011-04-11 01:04:10

Welcome to this fantastic club.I haven,t had the SOB but did have chest pains, That got a lot better surprisingly after I started to do more exercise . Keep looking on this site and I,m sure you will find an answer to everything. Best wishes to you from John in sunny Hertfordshire

Hi

by Gellia3 - 2011-04-11 01:04:50

Do you have the rate response turned on?

I have CHB also and found that having the rate response on gave me PVC's when I tried to do anything.
Having the settings changed helped me tremendously.
Mine was set at a low of 60 and a high of 120. I found going up the stairs or running around would put my heart rate over the 120 and I would go into a 2:1 block. It's a horrible feeling with SOB, irregular heartbeats and chest pain.

Along came ElectricFrank and the explanation of why the RR may not be needed (Oh, FRAAAAANK!).

I had the RR turned off and the setting changed to 60/130. What a difference!! No more SOB, pain, 2:1 block unless I've been really active, and now I'm feeling 100% better.
(THANK YOU, Frank!!)

It may be worth your while to find if you need the RR on and having your upper rate also changed.

Best to you,
Gellia

What is CHB; SOB; RR

by nanactress - 2011-04-15 11:04:37

Hi all,

I am a newbie and am not used to the abbreviations. Could there be a sort of dictionary of terms so that I can keep up.

Many thanx.

Haha

by PPM - 2011-04-21 09:04:51

Yes it can be hard to understand the"lingo"!

CHB is complete heart block- where the electrical messages from the sinus node in the atrium do not make it through to the ventricles due to a block in the electrical pathway

SOB is shortness of breath

RR is rate response. RR is a pacemaker programming feature which allows the device to increase the pacing rate based on demand of the heart / body for example when exercising.

Hope that helps!

You know you're wired when...

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