Angina

I had a medtronic pacemaker implanted in Nov 2011 after complaining of being very short of breadth. It was difficult to walk a city block without stopping a few times. I had open heart surgery 12 years ago and they repaired three arteries with arteries they harvested from my body. For 12 years I had no problems I am very active and I never had any angina pains. My cardiologist suggested a angiogram. The grafts were still clear except for some blockage behind one graft. The surgeon who did the procedure and my Dr. thought a pacemaker was needed. I've always had a slow pulse. After twotries they got it in correctly and set for 60bpm which immediately gave me chest pain on walking. I was also put on a channel blocker of 25mg. I have A-Fib. I have been taking a blood thinner for about a year. The cardiac arrhythmia Dr. though she might get my a fib under control but that did not happen. She has suggested Cardiac Version but from what I have read is chancy. It doesn' t always work. I have been told by a Thorassic surgeon there are too many complications. I have had the pacemaker reduced to 50 bpm and I am still short of breadth and have angina pain at the least provocation. I have increased the Bet blocker for the last three days but so far I have not got the result I was hoping for. Has anyone had cardio version or ablation done to them or any suggestions whatever.

20 Comments

cardio version and ablation

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-16 04:04:05

Hi John, I don't have angina however, I have had both a cardio version and an av node ablation. I have been in Afib for a few yrs now and had 3 cardio versions done. That would take care of it for a couple months and then it was back. I was not relieved of my Afib symptoms until I got the av node ablation but from what I am told, I am still in Afib, the av node ablation just stops the symptoms from affecting me. Not sure how that works but I am sure others on here would be able to explain it better than me.

I'm thinking no one else responded to your post because you titled your it "Angina," so they maybe didnt read further. I dont see much talk about angina on this site. Hopefully others will respond once they see my comment. Cathy

What syptom changes did you experience afternode ablation?

by John Garfield - 2012-04-16 05:04:03

Hi Cathy,

Thank you for your quick response. Since I had the pacemaker installed I have been having increasingly frequent intermittant chest pains for the first time in 12 years. Apparently, my repaired coronary grafts are clear. I am thinking of having the pacemaker rrermoved. My symptoms are worse and I still have shortness of breath albeit not as much as before the pacemaker. Ablation does not seem to be the answer.

John

Low HR & Angina

by donb - 2012-04-16 08:04:42


Hi John, I had the experience of a friend I worked out with in Cardiac Rehab program. As his Drs. suggested for years that he needed a PM. Well, seeing me do the treadmill with my PM along with my encouragement for him to follow his Drs. advice he got his 1st PM. "Wrong" As his HR was 40 most all his life as soon as his PM would take him above 100BPM & would put him on his knees with angina & shortness of breath. He was not happy with me at all as I suggested having his settings changed as he wanted his PM removed also.
Well, long story short, it took 3 differant Drs. & finally an EP agreed to getting his settings changed to where his heart was happy. As this poor man had lots of stress in lossing his wife with Cancer, he finally is happy with his PM and actually found a lady friend about a year later and is now happily remarried.
As has been mentioned so many times PM removal is not the answer as settings including turning off functions under supervision far outweighs the risk of PM removal. I know the feeling also of not wanting a PM any longer. I learned without my PM after a few months that my hearts functions returned to it's habits in 1992, not fun!!

donb

AV Node Ablation

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-16 09:04:28

John, The ablation for me took away all of my AFib symptoms which were chest pressure, SOB, very high heart rate and irregular HR. It was a big decision to have it done though because it is permanent, it can not be reversed. So it isnt something you would want to have done without trying everything else first.

Have you had many pm setting changes yet? With my first pm, I had the settings changed at least 6 times before I felt good. My pm tech would make a change and let me go out and walk around the outside of the hospital to see how it felt. If it didnt feel good, he'd try another setting change and so on.

Other members on here have said they were allowed to get on a treadmill while the tech watched to see how the pm reacted. Cathy

Angina

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-17 02:04:46

John,
I also struggle after eating and have read posts from others here that say the same. When my husband and I go out to dinner, he has to get the car and pick me up at the door because it's so uncomfortable. I am assuming it's because our hearts are busy trying to digest our food and isnt ready yet to take on another task. I also take Magnesuim. Cathy

Angina/PM

by John Garfield - 2012-04-17 10:04:08

Dear Cathy,
Thamks again for your wise words. I have had my PM changed twice. I wanted it set below 50. I thought that might get rid of the chest pain. Dr. said I would feel too tired.I think I would rather feel tired than walk around with pain. I am going to try that when I see her next.
I did walk aound the block when I reduced it from 60 to 50. It worked for a while. The pain seems to be intermittant because right now I am feeling no pain at all.
My worst time is after I have eaten. She also suggested taking Magnesium which I have not been doing until yesterday.

Angina/PM

by John Garfield - 2012-04-17 11:04:50

Dear Cathy,
How are you getting along these days? Any news on your heart transplant? Today all the pain centered in my neck. You might say a pain in the neck. Other wise fine. I wonder if taking the Magnesium helps?
Best,
John






angina or gerd?

by mkellyrock - 2012-04-18 04:04:33

My pacemaker installed 10 months ago for SSS has worked great. A few months ago I started having chest pains and was diagnosed for GERD. An endoscopy is scheduled for next week. One reason the docs settled on GERD and not angina is I could make the pain go away just by standing up for a minute or so. And Prilosec has really helped with the typical GERD symptoms. But the latest wrinkle is I have started to also get chest pains walking, which I can make go away by slowing down-- classic angina. So John, Cathy, and others, I hope to find the true cause of chest pains in this pacemaker, GERD (?), angina (?) world of mine, but I suspect it's not going to be easy.

Mike

Heart Transplant

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-18 05:04:50

John, thanks for asking. I personally dont feel bad enough yet to have a heart transplant. Although my numbers and tests say that I am "qualified" for it, I am just not ready. It's a huge step and I am thinking that when the right time comes, I will know. My cardio is keeping a close eye on me too. Cathy

angina or gerd?

by John Garfield - 2012-04-18 07:04:06

Dear Mike and Cathy too,
Cathy, they don't give hearts away everyday. Wouldn't it be wise to put your name down and then make your decision?
Mike, I don't have gerd..

It's only since I put in this pacemaker,14 years after my bypass surgery that I began experiencing shortness of breath and angina.
As my bio says, it is intermittant. Yesterday I had no pain, today walking was difficult. I am using more nitro than I am used to. My PM is set at 50 I am going to try for 45. Maybe that will be the golden ruby.

Any thoughts?
Best,

John

Heart transplant

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-18 08:04:09

John, if I got on the list and by some fluke a heart became available right away, you only have 4 hrs between the time they remove the heart from the donor until they place it in you. That wouldnt give me enough time to think it over and make my decision. Cathy

Heart Transplant

by John Garfield - 2012-04-18 09:04:15

Dear Cathy,
I completely understand. I hope you don' feel I was too intrusive.
John

Heart

by TalkinCardio - 2012-04-19 10:04:42

I dont feel your were intrusive at all John. I dont mind answering any questions. Cathy.

Cardiac version

by John Garfield - 2012-04-20 10:04:16

Has anyone out there have had cardio version to relieve shortness of breath?
John

shortness of bresth

by John Garfield - 2012-04-20 11:04:21

Donb,
Does anyone you know have there PM beat at 45?
I know I am grasping at straws. My condition is like before I had the installation. Very discouraging.
John

cardio version

by John Garfield - 2012-04-21 08:04:51

Has anyone out there had cardio version to correct their sinus rythm? Has it been successful? Any down side to the procedure? I know it doesn't always work and sometimes it just last for a short time, but is there any benefit? any risk?
JOHN

Cardioversion

by John Garfield - 2012-04-24 01:04:18

Dear Cathy,
When you had the cardioversion and then the ablation did you have any adverse side effects?
John

Cardioversion

by John Garfield - 2012-04-24 01:04:19

Dear Cathy,
When you had the cardioversion and then the ablation did you have any adverse side effects?
John

Pacemaker

by John Garfield - 2012-04-24 01:04:30

Dear Donb,
About the friend that had his Pm reduced to a comfortable setting for him, Was it set at his previous heart beat of 40 or was it increased, and by how much?
John

Pacemaker

by John Garfield - 2012-04-24 01:04:30

Dear Donb,
About the friend that had his Pm reduced to a comfortable setting for him, Was it set at his previous heart beat of 40 or was it increased, and by how much?
John

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