how long does it take to feel good

had my pacemaker on 8/5/12 and will have it checked again in 2 weeks. my problem is that i feel so tired so much of the time. thought i would feel great in a couple of weeks. dr did not mention this to me, she said that i will really feel great but did not say how long. any one else feels like this.
Barb

4 Comments

depends

by Tracey_E - 2012-09-05 08:09:13

It depends why you need the pm, what other health issues you have, how long you needed the pm before you got it, your surgeon, where it was placed, how you heal, your tolerance for pain... no two of us are alike. Some bounce right back, some take longer. I napped off and on for a good month after. Didn't feel bad, just was tired. Are you on new meds or still taking anything for pain? That can wear you down. Sometimes the settings need adjusted. Mention it to your doc at your next appointment.

Body has to adjust

by ILoominatedEKG - 2012-09-05 11:09:42

GIve it time, but work yourself into a little more each day. It's been a whole month, so your leads are probably well attached by now. Try to get more active, then rest as much as you must. Your heart is beating quite differrently now and your entire body is saying "WHAT???". Keep talking to us too. It helps!!!

Best wishes - Dave

Yes - it may be the settings

by SaraTB - 2012-09-06 04:09:03

I felt very tired after my first implant, but at my first follow-up appointment, they were able to adjust the settings from the 'factory default', to something more suited to my needs. The settings themselves were making me tired, because it wasn't set to speed up my heart rate enough on activity.

I should also say that it may take several visits - it took about 6 months of regular 'tweaking' appointments to get mine set up finally, so don't give up, but keep telling them if you don't feel right.

It's Different For Everyone

by Many Blessings - 2012-09-06 12:09:26

There really isn't one right answer for your question. But if it helps, most of us have been exactly where you are, asking exactly what you're asking. And, like we all found out, It does get better.

The others are right. It does depend on the person, and it will take time for your body to adjust and heal. Be open and honest with your cardio doc, EP doc, and PM Tech. Let all of them know how and what you're feeling. See what they think. Maybe they can find another reason (PM, cardio, or otherwise) why you're feeling so tired.

I didn't feel good right away. It took a couple of weeks until I was back to work and feeling good. Some don't take as long. Some take longer. Are you having any other symptoms? Are you 100% paced & 100% dependent? Did you have an AV Node ablation? Is it a single or Bi-V PM? All of this and more can make a difference in your healing time.

You may want to look into getting your PM settings changed. They kind of set them at a default setting when you first get it put in. The settings aren't always right for you. My cardio doc wanted me to wait a few weeks before they made any changes, yours may feel the same way. Have they adjusted your settings at all?

My doctor's all warned me I may feel worse after my procedure/surgery. It depends on what you had done, how easy it was for the doc's to do, and how well the leads went into place. Two of mine are good, one is not. Bad placement of leads can cause problems.

You could just be plain worn out and need some extra time to heal. Are you feeling any pain, weird sensations, fear, regret, anxiety, etc? Again, discuss all of this with your doctor(s). Hopefully, an adjustment or two is all you need to help you feel better. If not, keep bugging your docs for answers, and keep asking for help on this site.

Best of luck. We're all with you!

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Member Quotes

So, my advice is to go about your daily routine and forget that you have a pacemaker implanted in your body.