exercise

Hello everyone,
I just joined today for a number of reasons. One, is so I can have contact with other PM people. Two, to hear about other peoples' experiences and problems they may experience. And three, to not feel so alone and weird.
I have had my pace maker for quite awhile, almost ten years and have had no issues. However, in the last two months I have had some bad experiences with exercise and this couldn't even qualify as 'exercise' per se -its simply walking up a hill or into the kitchen from the living room. My concern is that my symptoms may be pace maker related.
Here is what has been happening and its getting more frequent: I am walking up hill to my house from down town and start feeling nausea. Within minutes I feel very dizzy and like I am going to puke. The last 5 times I have puked. I asked my GP about it but she really didn't think much of it and wrote it off as a winter stomach flu. But I think it is a symptoms of something more serious and feel like it may be PM related because when I am having my pace maker adjusted I have experienced the same symptoms.
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Please let me know. I would really be grateful for any feed back.
Thnx.

6 Comments

Battery life of pm

by Orba615 - 2014-01-29 05:01:12

My pm is in its tenth year. It had always checked out as good until December when it showed aging. I had not had any symptoms or problems until they told me this. Now I am having all the symptoms..Medtronic says it should be replaced within a year, and cardiologist says he needs to add a lead from one to two. He is a very poor communicator, so I am thinking of changing cardiologist.
If yours is ten years old, it , probably on its last leg.

battery

by Alma Annie - 2014-01-29 05:01:48

Hi Brighidb,
When did you last have a pm check? It could be the battery needs changing after 10 years. Also it sounds as if you could have a heart problem which may be unrelated to pm. In any case you need a check up with your cardiologist/EP as soon as possible. Don't wait! Anything that could be heart related should be investigated immediately. It certainly doesn't sound like stomach flu, GPs often don't know much about pacemakers. It also could be that you have an inner ear problem which could cause the dizziness and vomiting.
Alma Annie

CHECK IT OUT

by manaman - 2014-01-29 07:01:19

Symptoms indicate it's time for a change! If your PM is 10 years old you are in the outer limits of battery life.
Myself, I would highly recommend that you have your PM checked and the sooner the better.
Last July I was told I had one year left on battery (my PM went into EOL on October 12 and was replaced on December 11 along with a lead replacement (I had symptoms such as yours on an unscheduled PM check on December 5.
GET YOURSELF CHECKED OUT!
Cecil

battery

by Tracey_E - 2014-01-29 10:01:18

When they test it, they can tell approx how much life is left. Usually they increase how often we go in when it gets to the end to keep an eye on it. Given that it's 10 yrs old and your symptoms, it sounds like you might be EOL. EOL, end of life, is at the end of the battery life when it cuts off unnecessary functions to conserve power- like getting your rate up when you go up a hill. Take it easy until you can be checked, don't do anything that will make you throw up. The pm is possibly no longer pacing to support activity so (assuming we're correct) it's hard on your body when you push it.

A flu that makes you throw up when you walk hills?? Seriously???? Sorry, if they don't know the answer they should just say so, not spout crap.

another idea

by Ferniegirl - 2014-01-30 01:01:46

I have read in some posts that the vagus nerve can cause those same symptoms... something to look into.

battery

by brighidb - 2014-01-30 02:01:21

Hey guys, thank you for confirming what I have thought is going on. I have been warned my battery needs to be changed and so these symptoms make total sense in that context. I will be calling the clinic asp.

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