so many questions please help

Hello to all
I just joined the group. I had a pm in on 8-22-12 nothing but trouble since. I have a double lead. Have so many questions but for now does anyone know about the recall on the st jude pm leads? Or how I can find out if i have one.I have a card they gave me but not much info on it. or details of such.
Has anyone had trouble controlling their arms since receiving the pm? Its almost like some sort of nerve damage my left arm will jump and move with out my asking it to. i have such a hard time explaining. Ihad trouble sleeping also when i went back for my 1 month check up they had to reset it and that did help. my doctor told me i have to exercise however i can't because i have copd and can breath correctly. be dam if i do and be dam if i don't. I am so upset in my stomach all the time. My heart doctor says that is not from the pace maker. My regular doctor says i may have acid reflux. I feel like i have a brick stuck in my chest and where the pacemaker was installed it burns all the time and if i lay on that side it burns not only where the pacemaker is but all the way down to the tips of my fingers. I was so excided to get my pace maker because my doctor said i would feel like a new person....and now i just want to give up i am so depressed over it all...I was always very active and not can't do any of the things i did before. I feel so useless. Any one have advise thank you and god speed Carol

5 Comments

Hi Carol & welcome

by janetinak - 2012-12-08 03:12:05

I am sure you will get a lot of responses here to your post. I would suggest calling the 800 # on your card about any recalls on your PM, Also you can Google the question. I would suggest that you ask your GP about taking one of the many drugs for GERD (reflux). Your discomfort
sounds like what I felt & my cardio doc said it was not heart related so my GP gave me several samples to try. I liked Nexium best & that solved the problem. I also would suggest that you try something I really l like, walking in a warm pool. It is relaxing but gives you exercise that is not too difficult. Well that is my 2 cents worth. These things have helped me a lot & hope you find some relief soon

Janet

healing

by Tracey_E - 2012-12-08 10:12:29

Several thoughts...

I'm not aware of any St Judes recalls on pm leads. Google the numbers on the id card when it doubt, but it's highly unlikely that's your problem.

Ask your dr about cardiac rehab so you can get started exercising under medical supervision. Until then, take a walk every day. Even if you only go to the end of the driveway and it takes an hour, it's movement and it's good for you mentally as well as physically. Do what you can, try to do a little more tomorrow. Baby steps. But cardiac rehab would be your best bet.

Your arm needs to be evaluated. It could be some damage was done putting the pm in or it could be frozen shoulder, which happens when you don't move your arm enough during healing. Physical therapy helps.

just to add

by novie - 2012-12-09 08:12:33

Hi Carol and welcome to the support group
I agree with all of the above suggestions
Just meaning to add that you may want to look at your diet that giving you such acid reflux....depends on what kind of diet you have or not but there are lots of food and drinks that can give you such acid...I for one cannot tolerate pop of any kind...just a sip will give me trouble first thing in the morning...I'm having some acid reflux as we speak....had spicy foods(craved for some) and here I am...popping antacids when I can...helps in a bit but I don't normally take such if I can.....just telling myself just have a little bit when I want to eat or drink something that I should be avoiding...well, I cannot help it sometimes! but of course it would be best if you can avoid it for awhile so that you will know what was causing you such problem.
Just like everyone else is saying from the very beginning, it takes time to heal and every one of us heal differently ...some of us will have a hard time some don't, some takes it longer, some don't...I consider myself on the hard part..since I'm still suffering physically...but of course life goes on.
Interesting to say though is I have never have problem sleeping....anytime....I'm on aspirin,diltiazem and lipitor...I read and was told that taking calcium magnesium in liquid form before bedtime will help you sleep better..You may want to research that....it works for me in the past before I have my pm ( I used to sleep (interrupted) 4-5 hours every night)...now??? I can sleep as long as I want without problem and can still go on my scheduled bedtime...amazing huh!...I only exercise at home and I do a lot of walking....think that will encourage you to try something that not so tiring...because... I've done it!
take care
novie

Acid reflux is no fun

by shirley d - 2012-12-13 08:12:27

And Novie is right. So much depends on what you eat. You need to figure out what your triggers are as everyone's are different. The magnesium supplement definitely made mine worse and pain-killers especially asprin/disprin are a killer! In SA Nexium is expensive and I find altosec works just as well, as long as I am good about food and drink. Coffee is one of my no-no's but cocoa, 3/4 of a tsp, made like coffe works.
In my humble experience and opinion, the burning pain - I have the same, to such a degree that I am having my PM moved - is mostly due to nerve compression/disturbance/sensitisation/damage. My GP has now put me on Lyrica which seems to be helping. (unfortunately it can have unpleasant side-effects that you have to get through so the dosage must be built up slowly).
Be patient with yourself, but not with your Drs. You will get there.
Keep venting, there is always someone here to listen
Good luck
Shirley

Hi Carol

by miller1 - 2012-12-15 08:12:58

Carol I have had a duel chamber pace maker put in a month before you and prior to that I had a tumor removed from my neck. Reguardless that they claim PM surgery is minor, they still chop through your nerves and the nerve endings. This can last for a year or for ever if they damaged a nerve.

I still have numbness in the clavical area from a year ago. Be patient and you can see a nureo doctor.

You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

Member Quotes

To tell you the truth I never even give it a second thought. While growing up it never stopped me from doing anything and to this day my girlfriend or my kids need to remind me that I have one!