Pacemaker "Tapping"

• by DJay
• 2013-09-10 04:09:36
• Checkups & Settings
• 1386 views
• 2 comments

Hi Everyone:
This my first post. Rec'd St Jude Dual chamber PM in Sept 2012 because of Degree 3 block. Have a complicated cardiac history since 1998. Had my second PM check in May this year. I've always had this strange "rapping" in my chest since the PM was installed, which SEEMS to be more pronounced since May (but I'm not 100% sure). It feels like someone is tapping my heart with a small rubber hammer. I became more interested, and to make a long story short I have discovered that it always occurs each hour at exactly 20 minutes and 55 seconds past the hour, and ends exactly 40 seconds (2/3 of a minute) later, or at 21 minutes and 35 seconds past the hour. It is always the same and seems to occur 24 times a day. It is slightly more pronounced if I'm laying down on my heart side or sitting in such a way as to put a slight pressure on my heart.

I'm assuming it's a PM self test but have 2 questions for the forum: Has anyone experienced this or a similar phenomenon, especially so frequently, and has anyone ever been told that it's harmful to your heart.

I've finally convinced my GP to send me back to the PM lab (that's another story for another day). so I'd like to go armed with as much info as I can.

Thanks