Living with a Pacemaker

It was 10 years ago when I learned that I needed a pacemaker. It floored me, and I could not believe it. I was only 41 years of age. I did not want people to know what I was going through. I have had a few setbacks with having a pacemaker.

On June 28, 2011, I received a new pacemaker. Ever since that day I have been experiencing sleeping problems, soreness, shocking pain and can’t sleep on my left side. I have spoken to my cardiologist and he says the body is getting adjusted. Can someone give great advice.

5 Comments

Wow!!!

by donr - 2011-12-07 02:12:16

With that great advice, I'd start by finding a new Cardio!

After 5 1/2 months, you should be rid of all that unpleasantness. Granted. some of us adapt sooner, rather than later, but the soreness & shocking pain should be gone. You may have some settings that may need tweaking - like using the "Sleep Mode," should your PM have one. It turns the PM's rate down at night, to let you sleep easier. Some folks need that.

Where the shocking pain is can affect the reason for it. that's one you have to discuss w/ a cardio who can poke, squeeze, manipulate & feel things. There are some real reasons why folks have pain this long after the surgery, but a 41 yr old should not.

Pain, soreness & the inability to sleep on your left side can lead to some anxiety that can affect your ability to sleep peacefully. Worry over what may be wrong w/ you would do that.

Good luck finding a second look at your aftereffects.

Don
Time to get a second opinion.

PM Rehab

by Tattoo Man - 2011-12-07 03:12:10

Dear Shalock, all the above makes sense. It seems that everybodies experience is unique as in Before-During-After-Future PM 'installation'
For me' Before' was an hour in an ambulance blue lights and all that stuff ,with paddles stuck to my chest
'During' was 4+ hours of pretty unendurable stress as they fought to get the thing in and set up (I shall spare any reader the details of this marathon of misery)
'After' was to wake up to Sciatica that was to last for 2 months..entirely caused by stress. But the hardest bit was getting used to The Alien..I loathed it..just sitting there..lurking..I would have 'Bad PM Days', uncomfortable, itchy-scratchy days, but most of all it was just knowing it was there..I was revulsed and resentful towards the very thing that was keeping me off the floor. The PM was on my mind for months...there were days when I would have ripped it out myself.

I'm now in 'Future', and all is well, I can now relax and spend days not thinking about The Alien. I didnt think it would take that long as 4 years before I had long overdue open-heart surgery and I came out of hospital feeling fantastic and never had any anxieties that I later had with PM.

This may be of no help to you at all..I dont know ..I certainly dont wish to worry anybody who may be waiting for a PM . I got through it and my 4 mile run last night was further confirmation that sometimes you can have a fantastic holiday even if the flight and landing were from hell !

Keep us posted, I'm a newbie but it seems to me that there is a ton of goodwill and sound knowledge out there

Take care..Tattoo Man

I agree

by ElectricFrank - 2011-12-07 03:12:51

Don has it right. The doc is giving you a bunch of bull. I had my first pacer replaced in Jan 2010 as an outpatient. I also chose not to have any anesthetics or sedatives, but only a few pain killer injections around the incision. I stopped at a restaurant on the way home for dinner. Next day I was pretty much back at things full bore except for protecting the incision from being bumped. I'm 81 yrs.

It sounds like your problems all have to do with the surgical aspects rather than adjustments of the new pacer. Five months is too long for a simple replacement to heal. Since it was a replacement I would expect the new one to be put back in the same pocket as the old one.

Common causes for continuing pain are infection or a rough edge on the pacemaker/leads that is digging into the tissue inside the pocket. According to the Medtronic implant instructions the pacer is supposed to be sutured to the inside of the pocket to keep it from shifting, but for some reason many surgeons ignore this.

As Don mentioned maybe its time to see another cardio. You live in an area with plenty available.

By the way I taught electronics at Pima College in Tucson for a number of years.

frank

PM Implants

by donb - 2011-12-07 11:12:35

Over the last 20 years of PM replacement implants I've experienced all sorts of site pain, pocket scar tissue interfering with fitting of PM causing pain. Finally with my 3rd PM replacement the scar tissue built up so bad that erosion started. My Cardiologist is not adapt to do restoration with PM changes so my left site was a real mess. I was very fortunate to have another Cardiologist do my 4th implant & new leads on my right side.
It took 2 site restoration surgeries to repair my left old site by a Plastic Surgeon. I have been so much better with this new right chest implant. My old site was always painfull, now I don't even know it's there. I can do any kind of work and not feel pain from my new site.

One of the bonuses I'm also finding is being able to sleep comfortably laying on my right side. I have always had a problem with laying on my left side, seems as I put weight on that side my heart rate gets very irregular. Wondering if other members find this also. As I'm not a fat man I'm just not as comfortable on my left. I usually start on my back & find i roll on my right for a good night's sleep. So, in comparison I no longer have any pain on either side and I keep from putting weight on my left as that feels like PVCs'

This may sound odd but I really don't even know I have a PM now. I did have 2 months to experience of having no PM after having my 3rd erode. The site retoration hurt more & longer so I really did'nt feel the right implant. donb

2nd opinion

by Pookie - 2011-12-08 01:12:23

Get a 2nd opinion is my advice.

I was 42 when I received mine and I thought I was a bit young to be getting one but then I discovered age has nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, we have a heart problem or we don't. Some of our members here are so young that their mothers come here for support and ask questions and we have numerous teenagers too.

But after almost 6 months - it's just my opinion, but you shouldn't be experiencing what you describe.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease:) = call for a 2nd opinion!!!

Take care and keep us posted on how it goes....ok?

Pookie

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

Member Quotes

Try to concentrate on how you’re able to be active again and feel normal, rather than on having a machine stuck in your body.