PACEMAKER LOW BATTERY

Once the Elective Replacement Indicator says that your battery is running on fumes, how long would the battery continue to operate? For instance, if you are in Timbuktu and a telephone check says your battery is low, should you jump on the next plane or can you wait a few months before you get replaced?

3 Comments

I would plan on getting back

by janetinak - 2013-08-14 01:08:45

to my EP ASAP. I called my company & was told 90 days as Smitty says. Call your company & EP & get their take on it.

Good luck,

Janet

Time to Replace the PM Battery

by SMITTY - 2013-08-14 12:08:21


Hello,

We usually have at least three months after we the first indication the PM has entered the battery saving mode. I have forgotten what it is called (one of them is EOL) although I went through it a couple of years ago. When this happens you will not have to catch the next smoking and going in the direction of your doctor, you will be aware of the need,

You will know when this level of battery power is reached because the PM shifts from being an on demand PM to a full time PM. As a full time PM it will make your heart beat at a constant 65 BPM, regardless of the settings it may have. When this happened to me I knew it without a doubt. The low setting on mine was 80 and one morning I got up with a constant heart rate of 65 with a some irregular beats thrown in for good measure. It got my attention immediately.

I had no trouble functioning, but I was in my 80's and no longer working. If I had been living a physically active life style, it would have been a different story for me,

The main thing is don't worry about being caught off guard as you will get plenty of warning.

Good luck,

Smitty

Low Battery

by NormaLou - 2013-08-16 12:08:59

On June 21, while I was traveling out of state, due to a defect in my 3-yr.-old PM the battery went into ERM/EOL (don't know which). I was aware something was wrong, but never gave the PM a thought because in January I was told I had several years battery life left. Went to an ER and they could find nothing wrong, although when I gave my med history I did mention I had a PM. (Duh).

Well, long story short: When I returned home, I had my 6-mo. PM check up and was told my battery had died. What? Yes, they told me it had to be a defect in the PM because when I had my checkup in Jan. I was told I had several yrs. battery left. So now I am scheduled for replacement on Sept. 10 which will make it almost 90 days. It doesn't seem as if it is a life threatening situation. Meanwhile, I'm pacing along at the default setting of 64 which doesn't allow me to do much physical activity because the PM won't allow my HR to go above that and I "poop out" sooner than I normally would.

So, from other replies as well, it would seem that we have 90 days.
NormaLou

You know you're wired when...

Like the Energizer Bunny, you keep going.

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