4 days since op

Hi folks,

I got my PM 4 days ago at the age of 38. I had been having episodes of pre syncope and palpitations for years but only very occasionally.  I could go weeks or months without noticing any symptoms. This made it very difficult to diagnose, but luckily I had one episode while wearing a 24 hour tape. So it was caught and diagnosed, an SA pause or something like that, which required my new electronic friend.

But ever since my op I have been aware of noticeable beats or thumps pretty regularly throughout the day. Nowhere near as severe as before but a lot more frequently. I contacted my doctor who in turn contacted the hospital who have arranged for another 24 hr tape to see what’s happening, but the appointment is not till another week!

Any ideas? Do I just need some fine tuning?

I was under the impression my PM would be doing nothing most of the time. But there seems to be a lot of action going on in my left chest since the op.

Just a tad worried.

4 Comments

Hi Mike:)

by Pookie - 2012-02-07 05:02:12

...and welcome to the club; glad you found us.

I think you nailed your thumps & beats to not having your pacemaker fine tuned for you.

I don't understand why they wouldn't adjust your settings first then see if your thumps & beats disappear instead of just giving you a Holter Monitor first. I'm not a medical professional by any means, but it's just my opinion that I think they got your "treatment" in reverse.

When we first get our pacemakers, they usually are set to a default setting which doesn't "fit" most of us. Matter of fact, many of us have to return to the PM Clinic oodles of times before they get the settings adjusted for your particular needs.

I'm hoping that other members with more knowledge than I pop in & comment on your post as well.

I do, however, remember feeling my heart doing all kinds of wonky things after I first got my pacemaker too. I think it's because our hearts were so accustomed to beating the way they were for years - now they have a little friend helping them. Sometimes our hearts (the SA node if I got the correct node...LOL) will start to fire a beat, but it could be a weak one or a delayed one, so then your pacemaker takes over and sends the beat, so basically you have your heart competing with the pacemaker...that's one thing that may be happening ... hence I would call and ask that you have your pacemaker interrogated BEFORE they slap a monitor on you. Just my opinion:)

Keep us posted,
Pookie

ditto

by cfritza - 2012-02-08 04:02:09

Ditto to what Pookie said...I had the same experience and after adjusting my PM it got better.. every now and then I get a little weird beat but it is soooo much better. Hope you can too!

Thanks pookie

by Mikeyinmotion - 2012-02-08 11:02:08

That's what I thought, I think I'm still "pausing" like I was before, Just not for as long. I'm almost 100% certain that's what a tape will show.

I'll let you know if I'm right or not come Monday.

Heart irritation

by jenny97 - 2012-02-09 09:02:31

In addition to the settings situation, and just getting used to the feeling of being paced, another possibility is that your heart could be irritated by the implantation of the device. I know I experienced more thumps (diagnosed as PVCs) after the original implantation and even now after my interrogation sessions when they test the device. My heart really doesn't like being messed with; maybe yours is similar.

You know you're wired when...

You play MP3 files on your pacer.

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