concerned family menber

Well my fatherinlaw had a pacemaker,In 2007 and since then he has had a few compications,as far swelling around the area and pain around the PM area and also pain around the area and fallowing down his left arm,He has been cheeked but I do have some concern about the PM not working well,being tiered while taking walks he sleeps alot wish I find to be not normal He has allways was a active person to take walks and keep busy since the PM the walking and active person has decreaced very much but by his cardio Dr he is doing fine. been worried

2 Comments

activity

by Tracey_E - 2013-02-07 10:02:06

Swelling and pain, has he been checked for infection? I'd go to an infectious disease specialist, not the cardio. Has he always had the pain or just recently? Any unexplained fever or new redness around the pm?

Why did he get the pm? Sometimes the heart is slow but otherwise healthy so theoretically the pm should give us lots of energy. The other possibility is the heart is diseased and the pm is more of a safety measure than a cure-all, so the pm leaves us safer but not necessarily feeling better. Or, it could be something other than his heart making him tired. Age maybe? I know I've watched my fil slow down a lot in the last 6 years. It's easy to expect the pm to fix everything, to blame it when we don't feel well, but don't ignore the rest of the body. Get some blood work done, see his gp to rule out other causes.

When they say the pm is working fine, that means the leads are in place and capturing, and it's pacing when needed. The odds of the pm "not working right" are very slim. That doesn't mean the settings are necessarily adjusted for his needs, we're all different and it often takes a few tries to get it right. If he's smiling and nodding and telling them he feels fine, they're not going to change anything. Does he feel dizzy, etc, when he walks or just tired? Those are indications the settings may need tweaked, and it's important to tell them that when he goes for checks.

father-in-law

by Hope - 2013-02-08 01:02:13

Hi! You are a very caring daughter-in-law. Does he take any medications? A single or a combination of medications, including the strength, can make one feel tired among other side effects. Perhaps, a second cardio opinion is best if you remain worried. Hope you get an answes soon, and he is able to enjoy life more. Hopeful Heart

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Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker when I was 11. I never once thought I wasn't a 'normal kid' nor was I ever treated differently because of it. I could do everything all my friends were doing; I just happened to have a battery attached to my heart to help it work.