Not liking my check ups

Greetings, I have had a Boston Scientific Ingenio MR1 installed 5 weeks ago. I had right bundle branch block and this has given me a new lease on life and I have far more energy and motivation. The problem is that when I go in for a "tune up" I always feel really bad for the next day or so, I mean really bad. Quite fluttery in the chest and some tightness. It seems to come from the bit where they say this will be a bit uncomfortable and then they race my heart up to some crazy speed. It does subside within a couple of days. I am booked to go in again in a week for a check before I go away to Europe for a 1 month vacation and I am dreading it. They mentioned that they would turn down my settings at this check. Is this wise considering that I will be away for a month? I am inclined to tell them to leave it alone unless they can give me a clear rationale for racing my heart or reducing settings. Any comments or suggestions as to how to proceed?

3 Comments

thanks

by gumby - 2014-06-15 07:06:21

Thanks for that, I think i will try to get them to not do any tweaks on the next visit in a weeks time. I do feel pretty good now, definitely different than before but am getting on with stuff. Perhaps as you say, it is not related to the threshhold tests at all. After my first 1 week tune up I felt bad and 3 days later had to go to my local GP clinic as I was feeling really bad. They put me on an ecg and were getting heart rates of up 220! They ambulanced me to hospital where the techies had a look, adjusted me from demand to 100%ventricular pacing and it was all fine. They said there were some feedback problems. The device had no record of any event over 150 bpm, which is where it is set. When I go to the gym I can work out fairly hard and by rate only seems to go up to 120 or so even when I push hard. Is this normal? Sorry to ramble on here but I do struggle to understand what is going on but it is all a bit confusing. Btw, I am 59, not overweight, fit and active, had angiogram, ct and echo scans and all clear as a bell.

Sensing/pacing thresholds

by golden_snitch - 2014-06-15 09:06:52

Hi!

To test the pacing threshold, they have to make the heart beat faster, and for the sensing threshold test they need to lower it. These two tests are standard protocol for every pacemaker check. It's important to perform these tests because they help to make sure that your heart is stimulated effectively and that the pacemaker "sees" the p- and the r-waves properly. Yes, they are a bit uncomfortable, but both tests take just a few seconds. I have never had any problems afterwards, and I don't see how such simple and short tests should cause symptoms like you are describing. After all, it's just a few seconds in tachycardia, and a few seconds in bradycardia, not more.

Actually, most pacers today perform pacing threshold tests automatically every 24 hours (usually at nighttime), in addition to the manual test the cardio does at the office. Your Boston Scientific device is able to do that, too. Ask your cardio at the next check-up whether this feature is switched on. If it is, then your guess that the pacing threshold test is causing you to fell unwell, would be wrong, because then you should be feeling unwell every day.

If you feel fine with the current settings, I'd not let them change anything before you go on a one month vacation. What if you end up not liking the changes they made? Then you are away for a month, and cannot really enjoy your vacation, because you cannot get the settings changed back until you're home again.

Best wishes

Inga

I agree with Inga

by Grateful Heart - 2014-06-15 12:06:13


If you are feeling fine, I would not have any adjustments made until you return from vacation. It's best to leave well enough alone.

I always feel the pacing threshold tests in the office and at night but then....it's over. I know what it is, so there is no reason for concern.

With 5 weeks out you are still getting used to it all. You will most likely get used to the interrogations and self tests too. It's comforting to know our devices can do that really.

It's all part of the "new normal".

Have a great vacation!

Grateful Heart

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I just want to share about the quality of life after my pacemaker, and hopefully increase awareness that lifestyles do not have to be drastically modified just because we are pacemaker recipients.