Pacemaker check today

I had my pacemaker checked today by St Jude. I have a single chamber model in my abdomen. With an epicardium lead screwed into my heart. History of heart infection dictated an abdominal approach. My implant date was 5/10/2012. When first checked around that time I was told pacer would initiate if heart rate hit 60. I was pacing 49% of the time. St Jude then told me they would lower it to 50 so I would not pace so often.

Today I had it checked again and I am pacing at 39% of the time. That seems high? The St Jude rep told me if you pace too much it remodels your heart and can cause damage? I was an extreme athelete who did tons of cardio so my resting heart rate was always low. I had pacer for Neurocardiogenic syncope. My heart stopped for 40 seconds 5 different times in one day. Question:  is 39% too high long term? Should I speak to my cardiologist who I will see in a few weeks?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

4 Comments

Saints

by Grateful1 - 2012-08-02 10:08:05

Hey I am a Saints football fan so I loved your comment. I got concerned because St Jude rep said it could remodel the heart! Yes I need the pacemaker (her name is Trixie) so very glad to be alive! Thanks for your response.

Caryn

Wow!

by Grateful Heart - 2012-08-02 10:08:51

I didn't know Saints checked pacemakers. Sorry, I couldn't resist...

Sorry to hear about your heart problems. The people on this site are the best for knowledge or any questions you may have. I am curious to see their responses as I am paced 100% of the time. If your heart stopped that many times (or at all) it sounds like you most definitely need the pacemaker, just like the rest of us.

PS...I like the name you chose.

Best wishes,
Grateful Heart

Ventricular pacing

by golden_snitch - 2012-08-03 03:08:58

Hi!

Not sure, but with that diagnosis I'd expect you not to pace that often. I mean, overall 39% is not that bad, but neuro-cardiogenic syncope to my understanding usually is a diagnosis with which you need the pacer every now and then. However, if you would, without the pacer, continue to faint several times a day because of this it comes to no surprise that you pace around 39%. What could be tried to reduce the ventricular pacing a little further is to prolong the so-called AV-delay. That's the time the pacer gives the AV-node to pass an electrical signal coming from the atriums on to the ventricles. If it's programmed too short, the AV-node often does not get the chance to do the job on its own, although it could, if it had a little more time.

Several studies indeed indicate that the more you are paced in the ventricles, the higher the risk that you'll develop heart failure and atrial fibrillation. The heart failure is due to dyssynchrony of the ventricle being paced (usually the right), and the other that is not paced. If you should one day experience symptoms of heart failure, and if this dyssynchrony is the cause, a bi-ventricular pacer will very likely help. So, keep in mind that even if this happens, there already is a solution to it.

Hope this helps a bit.

Best
Inga

Breathless & dizzy

by rlones - 2012-08-05 12:08:39

Hi everyone,

I hope you all have answers for me. I got my PM 5/29/12 but the "doctor" put it in wrong. Even I could see that - the wires were sticking out of my skin! So 7/17 my new doctor took it out and revised the position, location, and direction. Now I have a 4" x 5" surgical area that is healing slowly.
My problem is today I went to the gym for the first time since PM. While exercising, I felt fine but a somewhat breathless. When I stopped, I was breathless for what seemed like forever and very dizzy and lightheaded! I had to sit and wait 35 minutes before it finally passed. I didn't have this problem before PM so why do I have it now??

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