pacemaker

I am 46 years old . I just had a pacemaker put in on May 14th 2012. This was my first surgery in my life. I thought it was very painful in the beginning. Its been almost 3 months now, I feel burning around the incision site which has healed now. I have muscle spasm in my shoulder that shoot into my back. I have aches in my upper arn and sometimes tingling in 2 of my fingers on my left hand. I seem to have occasional problems holding onto things in my left hand. My heart is perfectly healthy no blockages. It was put in because i was passing out . My heart rate was getting to low. They told me it was an electrical issue with my heart. My cardiologist told me he didnt want to put it in because im so young and otherwise healthy, but because I have 2 young kids and there was no way of knowing when I would pass out again. The longest time i was passed out was for 20 seconds luckily I was in the hospital for that one and they had a halter monitor on me also. I had my pace maker checked a month ago and they told me it had worked 16% of the time. Not exactly sure what that means. I was told I would live to be 90 yrs. old. The less the pacemaker is used the longer it would last. I am a sub for school cafeteria Im concerned about returning to work and not being able to do my job. I talked to my new primary doctor about my pain and he gave me muscle relaxers. But they have ran out now. I dont know if I should contact my cardiologist or my primary doctor about these problems? I dont care for my new primary doctor. But I really like my cardiologist.

9 Comments

pacemaker

by dafrey - 2012-07-26 04:07:06

Same boat here 48 and clean pipes lots of dizzy / lightheaded spells Pm install June 19th. Sorry to hear about your recovery problems I'd call the cardio since he was the one doing the work. I was only out a week from work thou. still under light duty until next week. the 16% is how often the PM is working mine is 83% upper and 0% lower. My heart use to be 47 BPM now 60 BPM. I also was told I'm good for 2 sets of leads and 3 PM's or 88yrs old must be a standard line they tell you.

But call your cardio always keep him/her advised of any problems

Dave

pacemaker

by manaman - 2012-07-26 05:07:24

sounds like a little anxiety involved here to me. If you are not taking any "B" vitamins I would consider getting on a "B" COMPLEX 50 and watch the improvement. Had similiar issues 15 to 18 years ago on my first implant. A natropath doctor got me on the "B" and I have had NO problems since (been taking the "B" every day since then).
Good Luck,
Cecil

healing

by Tracey_E - 2012-07-26 05:07:28

Give your cardiologist a call! Sounds like you got some nerve damage. Sometimes it heals on its own with time, sometimes therapy might help. Regardless, what you are feeling is not normal so the dr should know about it.

Waiting due to age is one of my pet peeves!!! Doesn't matter if we're young, doesn't matter if we have kids or not, if we have a problem that puts us in danger- and passing out IS putting you in danger, what if you were on steep stairs or driving on the highway??- there's a relatively simple fix to it so waiting because we're younger than the stereotype pm patient is just plain stupid, imo. I, too, had a dr with that attitude. I slept away 2 yrs of my life, almost died the day I got my pm in an emergency surgery (not the easy way to do it). At the time, I was happy to procrastinate. Once I felt better, I resented that I lost those two years of my life, feeling old when I could have been feeling my young age and enjoying life. Btw, I was 27 then, I'm your age now and doing great.

16% means that the pm is pacing 16% of the time, your heart is going fast enough on its own 84%.

No one knows how long we're going to live, but having a pm will not shorten your life. For many of us, it keeps us around a lot of years longer.

I'm 45!

by natandhop - 2012-07-26 07:07:08

Hi Trina,
My pm was implanted 4 months ago and this was my 1st big surgery serious health issue. I wore a heart monitor for a week and my hr dropped to 30 beats while I slept and up to 45 beats during the day. I never felt good and only looked forward to sleeping.

I am an assistant principal and have just returned to work on Monday. Now that I'm sitting more than I did during summer holiday and prior to that healing, sitting is now painful to my left arm/shoulder. In fact I'm experiencing frozen shoulder and working at the computer, walking the building and picking up items is terrible.

I've contacted both my gp & cardio both are helpful and I'll see my gp on Tuesday - hoping he'll follow my lead to get a physical therapist. I do see a chiropractor and she has helped but suggests a pt as well. Don't suffer - do something about it!
Natalie

Yep ,what she said :)

by C. Wynn - 2012-07-26 07:07:25

People get pacemakers at all different time in their life .
Some right after birth , some like me at 15 years old, some middle aged and some elderly . Hope you get better soon . Call you Cardiologist, keep them informed.

Tingling in fingers

by donr - 2012-07-27 04:07:27

Trina: What follows is something I wrote for someone else about tingling. It is probably appropriate for you to read. Should give you some insight into what happens when our fingers tingle.

A few Comments on tingling & anxiety
Comment posted by donr on 2012-07-25 09:31.
Let's start w/ the tingling: Google on "subclavian vein." select the Top entry (I hope), the Wikipedia entry. It should have a row of illustrations. Three of them are photos of the RIGHT shoulder area that shows very nicely, but a bit grisley, the area around the vein. Now the LEFT side is exactly the same. Look at all the nerves running past the vein! That vein is where they insert your leads. Now you get a couple fingers, a scalpel or two & some leads being manipulated into that vein - a lot of it being done almost by Braille, & you should be able to imagine some damage being done to some of those nerves. Since you don't complain of LOSS of feeling or motion or control of the arm all the time, my guess is that it - whatever "It" is - will be temporary. I will be glad to tell you it will go away - HOWEVER, I don't have the foggiest idea! I suggest that you hustle in to talk to the Dr. & ask someone who knows. Your peace of mind NEEDS it! One of those nerves (the median nerve) serves the thumb, index finger, the next finger & the INSIDE of the ring finger, IIRC. I have this happen all the time, & although it's caused by another issue, the effect is the same. All the discomfort you have in the shoulder/upper arm can be caused by issues initiated around the insertion site near the vein. All the nerves that serve that area come past there.

About the "muscle relaxant " pills. You did not say what they are, but my guess is that they are from the Benzodiazepam family - Valium, Xanax, & any one of many, many others.

Be extremely careful w/ those type meds. They make you feel very good, but they are addictive! You want to be sure that the Dr. you ask for a refill knows that you have taken them already. Be VERY open about it. Any GOOD MD will be on the lookout for people trying to get addictive meds under false pretenses. You could easily destroy your credibility if you do not fully disclose EVERYTHING voluntarily.

Wife & I witnessed an example last week when we were seeing an Orthopod for a followup on my foot that he repaired. Another woman in the cast room was obviously working him for pain pills & he was obviously resisting her pleas. In the end, he gave her a prescription for a limited number & made it clear that this is the end of the road for her.

Don

Tingling in fingers

by fastbabe2 - 2012-07-28 08:07:40

I had a PM inserted on the 4th day after aortic valve replacement due to complete heart block in the lower chamber. It has been 4 1/2 months since surgery and I experience a lot of discomfort in my left shoulder as will as tingling/numbness in my fingers. My PM was turned down from the base rate of 80 to 70 last month, and this is when all of this started! Going back in for a check next week due to this issue. It is frustrating I know-I have received a B-12 injection from my primary Dr but it has not improved any of the numbness in my fingers. Hang in there-we can only hope it will get better. I'm 57 yrs old-not old enough to be be accepting this as a life adjustment!!
Micki

Try a neurologist!

by donr - 2012-07-29 07:07:15

Micki (fastbabe2): This is odd. If all was well up until the base rate was changed, you may well be having another problem. Changing the PM's operating parameters involves nothing physical - it's all done w/i the PM programming.

I had that once - as the result of an auto accident, & the cause of it was a "Minor" spinal injury. Nerves coming from TWO places in my cervical spine were being pinched. A trip to my neurologist found the cause & some PT fixed it with time.

Which fingers are involved? Let me start w/ an educated guess - it's the thumb, index, first & INSIDE of ring finger. Have you lost any motor skills in the fingers, or just numbness/tingling?

Is it periodic or constant?

I still have it & it is periodic, BUT NOT random. It is a postural thing that I can control by how I stand, position my shoulders & my head/neck. Happens when I am in bed - comes on fast & I can make it go away fast - like in tens of seconds. Worth investigating for peace of mind/relief.

A neurologist is a good place to start - at least he/she can rule out a bunch of stuff & perhaps tell you exactly what is causing it.

I am hoping that your last sentence means you plan to look for a solution as opposed to sliding into a deep, depressive funk because of it.

Don

neuropathy type II block

by icmttallac - 2012-08-03 10:08:09

Have had several surgeries in the past. My post op have had neurological complications. ACL, medial menicus repair resulted in a medial and lateral plantar neuropathy. My ankle surgery has resulted in similar results ie. residual pain.
I am older in my fifties and possibly that is the problem.
Extremely fit race bikes, was a college wrestler,
My cardiologist suggests a PM, due to syncope and the halter monitor results. I have only fainted three times and would rather faint than have another neuropathy. Any suggestions.
thanks.
jay

You know you're wired when...

You forecast electrical storms better than the weather network.

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