Episode since PM

Had a Boston dual pacer implanted in January. I have SSS..bradycardia. Have had no problems. Walk 30 minutes every day; take my meds; BUT yesterday, about 2 hours after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, I put my Winter jacket on and a neighbor and myself, went for a walk. Now it was a gorgeous warm day (about 55), and with the Winter jacket on, I got quite hot. Then the road inclines up a little; we started up and half way up I got very faint and told my friend that we have to stop....thought I was going to pass right out! Took a deep breath and walked a little more, then faint again...by then we were on level road. Feeling my pulse at the neck, I detected two beats: one strong, one weak....but more than my low of 60. Is it possible for the impulse of the pacer not to be strong enough for the food, warmth, and hill? Even though I think the pacer was "kicking" in, it wasn't strong enough. I have a interogation on the 29th and will relate all of the above to the PA/tech. Thanks for any imput on this scary episode.dgkmf

2 Comments

Not your PM...

by donr - 2012-11-23 07:11:39

...sounds like a little arrhythmia called a Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC).

Now, I was not there & did not feel your pulse, but that is the classic description of them.

What happens is tat the weak beat is the premature one. It is weak because the Ventricles did not have enough time to fill w/ blood when they contracted. The heavy beat is the following beat (Obviously) because it picked up a bit more blood. You did not say, but I assume that you had a whole run of this pattern, or at least a a whole bunch of PVC's while you were climbing the hill.

When this happens, your heart becomes a less efficient pump & the brain does not get enough Oxygen, making you feel faint. Add to the heavy physical load the body trying to digest a meal probably fit for a good sized Tyranosaurus Rex, that probably took a bit of extra Oxygen.

Be sure to tell your EP/Cardio about this incident & expect to find a bunch of PVC's in the PM download.

PVC's - IF that's what they were, will not kill you, but make you feel like they will. An episode like that is scary.

You are unusual in that you felt the weak beat. Most folks think it's missing completely.

Don

Thank you, Don

by Pollypacer - 2012-11-24 07:11:04

Your explanation sounds very plausible. I shall share it with the PA next week....thanks bunches.

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