Neck Shoulder and Arm Pain

I just had my PM implanted on 7/29! I realize I am still in recovery stage, but for last couple days I have woke up in such severe pain in the left side of neck, shoulder, and down thru arm to elbow. The PM was implanted in left chest. This morning the pain was so bad, that I was bawling and about to be sick to stomach when husband came in from work. He threatened me with ER, I took some meds, and sent him to bed. What I want to know...is this kind of pain "normal"? Is it due to not being able to use arm much for first few weeks, and having to sleep with this darn sling on my arm? The heating pad hasn't worked either! I am NOW sitting in front of computer with ice on my shoulder!

14 Comments

Blood clot ?

by Bostonstrong - 2013-08-10 09:08:05

I had a similar experience and they asked me to come in to office. The dr could see my neck was swollen and ordered an ultrasound to rule out a blood clot. He told me 30% of pm patients get a blood clot where the vein is punctured to insert the leads. When I got home I thought I must have misunderstood that statistic. 30%? I looked it up online and read 40%! Mine turned out not to be a blood clot but please call your dr. Something is going on and they need to find out what it is.

Oh no, a sling!

by golden_snitch - 2013-08-10 10:08:09

Hi!

First thing: Throw that darn sling away! I can't believe there are still doctors who give their patients a sling after a pacemaker implant. All it does is to cause a frozen shoulder. You can use the search button, and I'm sure you'll find many, many posts of people who tell you the same.

Except for not raising the left arm above shoulder level, you need to try to move the left arm as normal as possible. If it helps, take painkillers. It's very important that you do not end up in a relieving posture, because that will cause painful muscle tensions in your neck and shoulder area.

One thing that always helped me, apart from warmth, was "Tigerbalm". I prefer the white one over the red one, because the red smells too much like cinnamon. You should be able to get that in your pharmacy. The last three or so pacemaker surgeries, I also asked for a physical therapy prescription. That helped a lot.

Best wishes
Inga

7/29 - Hmmmmm!

by donr - 2013-08-10 10:08:52

That's two plus weeks now. You should be better off than that.

Any inflammation or unusual redness around the incision - indicating infection? Does the site feel hot/warm to the touch? Any fever? All these things indicate POSSIBLE infection.

This definitely NOT normal - but it does NOT necessarily mean you are in trouble. Have you spoken to the surgeon about this turn of events? It is unusual to be this sore this long after surgery.

How much have you moved your arm about? You DO need to move it. Just don't raise the elbow above the shoulder - 6 weeks? What did your surgeon restrict you to? Get that thing moving - just not violently.

As to the sling, all surgeons are different. But, NO the sling at night is NOT going to cause this.

But it is something that needs to be asked about - sooner, rather than later.

Don

Yep

by Cjwells - 2013-08-10 10:08:55

Yes they said to wear the sling at night cause I tend to raise arms above head while sleeping. Other than that I do not use it at all. I am using my arm quite a bit, just NOT raising it higher than shoulder level
I am not having any signs of infection at all. No swelling, no redness, no fever, nothing. Just a severe pain down neck and thru top of shoulder. I applied moist heat and it did not help, now frozen veggies

Thanks

by Cjwells - 2013-08-10 11:08:08

If the pain persists after he gets out of bed (he works nights), I will let him take me. It has eased up a bit, but still hurts...and pain pills are just making it "tolerable". Thank you all for the advice...it is nice to have others that understand to talk to. I have friends that listen and talk to me, but they don't have PM and it is nice to talk to others that KNOW the pain and way I feel. Right now I also feel useless and unable to do anything doesn't help. UGH...I am too young for this LOL

Heat vs. cold

by golden_snitch - 2013-08-10 11:08:20

Cold is not good for muscle tensions. It surely numbs the pain for a while, but it won't make the muscles relax. I'd try different kinds of heat again, and also wear a scarf. What I also use are ointments that increase the circulation in the muscles ("IcyHot" in the U.S.). Not everyone tolerates them as they heat up/leave a burning or stinging sensation for a couple of minutes, but for me they work.

Best
Inga

Appointment

by Cjwells - 2013-08-10 11:08:30

I have an appointment first thing Monday morning with my Dr. Thank you all for comments and advice!

another thought

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-10 11:08:53

If it is only in the morning, it could be the way you are sleeping. I also sleep either with my arm over my head or on my side. Rather than the sling, this is what I do. I sleep on my back hugging a small pillow with my left arm, the pillow seems to keep my arm down and it keeps me from rolling over.

Heat is good for loosening up what is tight. Ice is good for stopping spasms when the muscle has been worked. I would do heat in the morning to loosen it up. Ibuprophin/advil is a muscle relaxer, it may help loosen up also when you first get up, though don't take it on an empty stomach.

go to the ER

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-10 11:08:57

It's good you are moving your arm during the day and that there is no redness, etc, but that much pain is not normal. Let your husband take you to the ER just to be sure nothing else is going on. It doesn't sound like an infection or clot but better to get it looked at. Good luck!

clots/bostonstrong

by Tracey_E - 2013-08-11 08:08:26

30 or 40% would mean 3 or 4 out of every 10 of us has had clots. No way. The last article I read put ALL complications- clots, dislodged leads, infection, and everything else that can go wrong- at less than 3%.

Clots

by Bostonstrong - 2013-08-11 10:08:14

There are two journal studies published online, one has the incidence at 38%, the other at 45%. Seems high to me but the one stated not all clots are significant. In any case I hope this isn't what the problem is here.

Okey dokie

by Cjwells - 2013-08-12 01:08:12

ok med change AGAIN, and ultrasound to ck neck and such...but not until insurance can approve it. UGH...anywho... off to take a nappytime....just wanted to update y'all

Thanks

by Cjwells - 2013-08-12 09:08:51

I truly do not think it's a blood clot or I would have went to ER. I just think it's from having to wear that dang sling of a night. I didn't wear it half the night Saturday or at all last night. The pain is still unbearable, and I PRAY they help me with something to take care of it! I have been moving my arm the entire time, but in the last couple days I have "pushed" it thru the pain, so it doesn't entirely lock up. I'll keep you posted. Now to wake the spousal unit so he can drive me to Dr.

good luck

by kiwigirl - 2013-08-12 12:08:21

Please let us know how you get on with your appointment.

good luck

Katherine

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