Chest pains

Does anyone experience chest pains internally under the rib cage on the same side as the PM? I get other chest pains in the middle and right side of my chest too. Doctors thought it might be acid reflux but after being on pro tonics for a month there's been no real change in Sx. I've been having arrhythmia's and flutter sensations too. Just did a month lone event monitor and waiting for the results. Of course my Sx got more frequent after the monitoring ended......Not taking heart meds and got off of Metoprolol after having bad side effects.

Nor sure if the PM is having a problem or if it's another issue?

Just wanted to hear if others have had something similar.

Thanks!

3 Comments

Looking over

by Theknotguy - 2014-10-12 09:10:44

Looking over your previous posts, it looks like you've had a consistent problem with pain since having the PM. That isn't out of line. Your body has to adjust to a lot of new things and it does take time. Then, of course, you've also got to adjust to new medications. Throw in mental adjustments and you've got a big ball of problems.

I'll tell you about some of my problems and how I adjusted. Doesn't mean I have the same problems as you but it might give you some insight as to what's going on.

I was walking down the trail - collapsed - then woke up six days later from a medically induced coma with a pacemaker. Oh yeah, had a broken rib, two cracked ribs, and a collapsed lung. Major pain.

Arrhythmia and flutter sensations - I had those for about the first five months. Seems my heart would go about its own way pre-PM. Then, post PM, if my heart didn't beat on schedule the PM would step in and initiate a heartbeat. I'd get coughing spells because I was accustomed to the way it "used to be" but now I had this PM that kicked in - all sorts of fluttering feelings. I just had to wait it out until my body adjusted to the PM. Eventually, after 5 - 6 months I adjusted.

Pain in the chest area - I did have that but it was mostly unspecified twinges. What I did get showed up about seven months post PM. I volunteer at a local charity and work in the woodshop. I stand all the time, move weights up to 50 pounds, and am generally active all the time I'm there.

The first month back at the charity I could only work two hours. I'd start to hurt so bad I'd have to quit. After the first month I could only work for about three hours, then start to hurt so bad I'd have to quit. At first I though it was where they put in the chest tube - but it wasn't.

Turns out my PM was working more so it was shocking the heart more. With the help of a licensed massage therapist I was able to trace the pain down to the muscles directly behind my heart in my back. The therapist worked the kinks out of the muscles and I got relief. If I push too hard the muscles will still kink up and spasm but, at least, I know what's causing the pain. Massage therapy, pain meds (aspirin, Tylenol), and rest helped with the pain.

Drug changes. I was on Flecanide. I have a strong opinion the Flecanide helped cause my collapse. Post collapse, post PM my medications were changed. I had a session of afib with RVR where my heart rate went up to over 140 BPM. That was an emergency run to the hospital and another change in medications. My medications have finally settled down, but it was about five to six months until I adjusted to them. I don't have any problems with Metropolol and I'm on cardizem.

Mental adjustments. For the first six months, every time I'd get a twinge I'd think it was the big one. You always had that moment of hesitation before starting anything because you didn't know if you'd have a negative effect.

The thing that's hard to get you mind around is that the PM is working just fine. It doesn't feel that way, especially when your body keeps telling you otherwise.

Then, of course, your heart problems are a constantly moving target. What is true this week, wasn't true last week, and won't be true next week. So that adds to all the problems.

So, what did I do. Mostly it was to keep moving. Because of my collapse I was so weak I had to have two people help me stand up the first time. Took two steps and almost collapsed. At first I'd walk about a hundred feet around the cul-de-sac where I live. Eventually worked up to over a mile. Then went for cardiac rehab. After cardiac rehab I went back to volunteering at the woodshop. Saw the massage therapist as soon as I could. And I also saw a psychologist for a while too. Worked with my EP to get my meds adjusted. Like I said, mostly I just kept moving.

Hopefully you've seen something in my long rambling. I don't have any specific suggestions for you. Just to keep moving and to hang in there. Hope I've said something that helps.

Translation

by Gotrhythm - 2014-10-14 10:10:22

I have no idea what the source of your pain is. But I too had pain that couldn't be tracked down.

I began having chest pains less than two weeks post PM. Odd, little twinge-y pains, lasting a second or less, easy to dismiss. Over a period of several months they got worse. More severe, more frequent, harder to ignore.

Cardio tested and ruled out every single, structural heart problem. Good news, I had a healthier, stronger heart than many people in their 40s. Bad news, I still had the pain, but now I'm starting to get the brush off.

I was told again and again, "There's nothing wrong with your heart and there's nothing wrong with your PM."

Long story short, eventually, after getting much worse, PVC Mediated Tachycardia was diagnosed. In response to PVCs, the PM was pacing the ventricle when it didn't need to which put my heart into a runaway positive feedback loop.

I don't know if my case is similar to yours, but here's what I wish I had known. "There's nothing wrong with your heart" does not mean your heart is beating the way it should.

And "Your pacemaker is working fine," does not mean the pacemaker's settings are right for you.

I have much less pain since the ventricle lead is turned off. But I still have PVCs and PACs. And the PVCs are still sometimes painful.

Thank you!

by deeheart - 2014-10-18 01:10:56

Thank you for sharing your experiences in detail--the information was very, very helpful ! I'm still working though physical and emotional adjustments and many times feel like something really wrong is happening. I didn't realize how complicated all of this is! I have a CT scan scheduled in 3 weeks and hope all is stable. In the mean time I too am trying to keep moving, go to work and adjust.

Thank you again for the feedback!

Good health to us all!!!!

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