Heart Pain with pacemaker

Hi All,
Has anyone expierenced occasional pain near the heart after inserting a pacemaker? This is my 3rd day of having a pacemaker and I am expierencing some sharp pains by my heart off and on.
Thank you
David

4 Comments

Pain By PM

by SMITTY - 2013-06-24 10:06:06


Hello David,

Pain in the area of a new PM (3 days) is not uncommon. The important thing is the pain in the heart area, and if it persists give the dr. a call. The odds are it is nothing but pain from the surgery necessary to implant the PM. Or is the pain associated with your arm movement?

However our PMs themselves should never cause us pain other than that from the surgery itself and that should be minor and last only a few days.

As you can see there are almost countless reasons we can have pain after a PM implant and to be truthful only a dr. can tell you if it is something to be concerned about..

Good luck,

heart pain with pacemaker

by loyada - 2013-06-24 10:06:41

Thank your comment. I did go to the Cardiologist and he told me it could be a little screw from the pacemaker rubbing against my heart. Other than that everything was fine. it did go away though. Now i have chest pain like if i had a bad cough for awhile. He gave me some Motrin. Thanks again!

Heart Pain

by SMITTY - 2013-06-25 01:06:42

Hi David,

Hi David,

I can't imagine what that Dr is talking about when he says it may be a screw on the PM rubbing against your heart. I'm looking at the PM they removed from me when they had to replace it because of a dead battery. Mine is a Medtronic and if they are all like mine there are absolutely no screws that can come in contact with the heart. Yes, the leads are connected to the PM with small crews but those screws are located in a plastic covering and can no way make contact with the heart. Anyway, I can't think of anything much more dangerous than having a piece of metal rubbing against the heart. I have to believe that pain is normal pain associated with the incision where the PM is implanted.

In addition I have to believe that is the most no-nothing Dr. I have come across lately. I should add here as you go through life with your PM and seek answers from the Dr., nurses or technicians you will find you may get answers that are more intended to stop you from asking question than giving you a legitimate answer. It seems that rather than say "I don't know but I'll find out" some of these people will give us a lie as I said, to stop our questions.

As I have said earlier if the pain is bad, or if you think there really is a screw rubbing on your heart, see another Dr.

Good luck,

Smitty

chest pain

by me2 - 2013-06-25 05:06:25

Hi David
I've had my pacemaker for 3 years. While still in cardiac rehab I began to have chest pain and have had chest pain for the last 3 years. My cardiologist can find no reason, but says that somewomen do fell their pacemakers. So my internest wants to know, are women more sensitive then men? At age 77 I say yes, at least about some things.

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