Medtronic Enrhythm SureScan Anyone??

Good day to everyone and all the best!!!!
I am writting for my father who had a Medtronic Enrhythm SureScan PM implanted in April 2009. Since then he's had shortness of breath, a "knot" feeling in his throat and a sense of fatigue, but ONLY when hes was performing an activity after being calm and relax (e.g. lying down watching TV). When he is already active none of theese appear (even if he 's performing much heavier activities!!! - e.g. digging in the garden or walking back from the supermarket with 4 or 5 heavy bags in his hands). This is REALLY weird and although we went several times to various cardiologists they all said it was his peripheral blocked arteries that caused it.. However, in Greece (where I am writting from) no one ever told us anything about a tech support for the devise, and even worse the Greek doctors seem to have absolutely NO idea about the technical parameters of the devise (defaults aside).. After my prompt we switched the DDDR to DDD and the medium low response rate to medium high. However the issue is still un resolved..
Do you think this could be a technical issue???
Please send me your feedback!! Many many thanks and best wishes to you all!!!!

5 Comments

Medtronic Enrhythm SureScan II

by orestis - 2012-06-11 02:06:26

Dear Don,
thank you for your post!!
My father's problem occurs after a calm state and lasts for about 2-5 minutes. For example: he wakes up after an afternoon nap and goes to the supermarket. In the first 100 yards or so he gets that feeling. After a while the symptoms go and he carries on. After that even though he comes back carrying heavy stuff he gets no symptoms at all. I am trying to find out whether this is a technical issue that can be resolved with the adjustment of certain parameters on his device (e.g. rate response).
Anyway, I appreciate your help!!!

All the best

Peripheral Artery problems?

by donr - 2012-06-11 09:06:20

A couple questions for the group's help in generating plausible answers:

1) How long does the feeling last after he shucks his potato shape & sprouted vines by getting off the couch watching TV?

2) How does he get from a relaxed state to digging in the garden or walking back from the supermarket w/ heavy bags?

3) Does it happen if he was SITTING on the couch watching TV?

4) Have him try raising from lying down to sitting for a while THEN doing something active to see if that resolves the problem.

5) How active does he have to be to induce the feeling? Getting up for a visit to the bathroom? Going immediately into more vigorous activity?

6) How long after getting up does he have to wait before becoming active for the feeling NOT to occur?

7) What about his BP resting & immediately after rising? Is there a significant difference between them? If so, is the difference positive or negative? If so, how long does it last?

8) What about his pulse rate under the same conditions as in 7 above? Is there a correlation between PR & the odd feeling?

9) Since he does NOT experience this feeling ALL the time, it is obviously finite in its existence. I asked all these questions to narrow down the activity level that initiates it & its duration.

Don

Here's what's next:

by donr - 2012-06-12 01:06:59

Orestis: Perform a couple of simple tests on him. They will rule out a couple things. Whoops! How old is Dad?

Can you measure BP at home? If so, measure his BP just before he gets up. Then have the cuff all set to go & have him stand up. Measure his BP as soon as he is erect. The two BP's should be close to one another. If the standing BP is significantly higher than the other, that may be the source of his problem. At the same time, check his pulse to see if it gets faster, slower or stays the same between lying down & standing.

Also - while he has the weird feeling, check his BP & pulse. See if they vary from them while lying down. These are measurements the Dr's cannot make because they cannot spare the time for him to get all relaxed in the supine position as he does at home..

There are two conditions called "Orthostatic Hypertension" & Orthostatic Hypotension." In one, the BP is markedly higher when he stands up; in the other, it is markedly lower when standing. If you want more info on them, Google on them. Not being a Cardio, I'm not sure what to do about it if he has one or the other, BUT...if he has one of them, you now have something to report to the cardio to check out.

There is also a disease called "Peripheral Artery Disease," (PAD) Did they perform any tests for PAD? There is a very simple, non-invasive doppler test for it. Or did they just throw that out as a possibility to shut you up?

Good luck w/ Dad

Don

How's your Dad doing?

by donr - 2012-06-18 07:06:30

Any news to report ? Improving? Staying the same?

Don

Medtronic Enrhythm SureScan III

by orestis - 2012-06-19 01:06:25

Dear Don,
no developments yet! We ll wait till vacations pass and we ll visit a new Electrophysiologist. My father is also a doctor so there are not many things to be checked..
Anyway thank you very much for your concern!!
I ll post any news!!!
Take care
Orestis

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

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