Still Feeling Dizzy

Hi: I go for my 2 week check-up tomorrow. I still get dizzy at times. I do not feel the extreme weakness that I had before the Pacemaker, but I get an occasional pain in the middle of my chest. Does anyone else get that pain?
I know I have to adjust to this new way of life, but I am concerned I may have blockages in the arteries also.

10 Comments

Burning feeling?

by Lurch - 2014-07-08 05:07:21

For the first couple of weeks after mine was implanted I felt a burning sensation in my chest. I believe it was where the wires were routed. Mentioned it to EP and showed him where I was having that feeling and he said it was were the wires were!
Lasted just a couple of weeks and I don't feel it anymore.

If it is another type of pain, make sure you talk to your Doctor

Me too

by deeheart - 2014-07-08 07:07:13

I'm a bit over 3 weeks in and have had similar experiences. I'm still weak, getting dizzy frequently, nauseated, shortness of breath, sweats and many chest pains. Not near able to walk around for very long or even attempt to return to work--I was very active and fit before PM. Today I took a deep breath and got the pain in the middle of my chest--scary but it subsided. 3 months before my PM, I had an angiogram to rule out any blockages --was having chest pain then too. My arteries were clear, but everyone's situation is so individually specific, so keep your MD aware of your symptoms. I cont. to report to my MD and keep them up on my symptoms to establish a healing time line. I'm new too and think regular communication with you doc is the best way to ease into adjusting to all of the overwhelming changes and this learning curve. I'm finding this site to be very helpful. Good luck and keep us posted!

Yes and Yes

by NiceNiecey - 2014-07-08 08:07:25

Hello Sue.

I was still experiencing dizziness/light headedness for the first couple of weeks after getting my PM. My doc told me it was not a problem with the PM. I was thinking all sorts of horrible.

They will probably put you through a battery of tests pretty soon to determine whether you have any 'plumbing issues' as we like to call them (cardio-vascular problems) of whether it's all electrical. Ask for it if they don't suggest it!

For 3 years before I got my emergency PM, I was experiencing pain near the center of my chest. I always described it as 'pain in my chest or breast.' Since it was so close to the midline, I really never thought it was my heart. My PC doc ordered an MRI which showed nothing abnormal. The chest/breast pain continue for the next 3 years. Then I was surprised with the PM, after which the pain continued intermittently.

Three days before I was to fly to California on business, the pain intensified. It hurt to touch it and it became very focused. My doc didn't want me to fly without having it checked in the ER. I didn't feel bad enough to go the ER so I rebelled and flew to California anyway. After being there for a 2 days, the pain finally went away and has not returned. That was 4 months ago.

Often, the chest wall can hurt like that (I'm told) and it's benign.

Keep us posted on your progress. I hope our comments helped ease your mind a bit.

Thank You Everyone

by Sue66 - 2014-07-08 09:07:50

I will let you know what the doctor says when I get back tomorrow. The chest pain I get is right in the center of the chest between my breasts, and I am thinking it could be my GERD or Gastritis. I guess I will find out.
I am glad I joined this group.

Pacemaker Checked Out Fine

by Sue66 - 2014-07-11 06:07:53

Hi: I had my 2 week check-up, and he was very pleased with the way my Pacemaker is functioning.
I told him about the chest pain right in the middle of the chest. He wants me to see a Cardiologist to get a few tests to be sure as we say that the plumbing is working okay. He said he wants to do some type of balance test on me with regard to the dizziness. He mentioned a inner ear issue, which I did not think odd. I have had a hearing problem for awhile, and have experienced some dizziness long before needing the Pacemaker. I might have a few problems here.
I would think I was crazy, if I did not hear others saying the same things that I am.

I thought I was going crazy

by aussieray - 2014-07-11 07:07:01

But after reading the post and the answers, hey I'm not alone!

Got my PM 6 weeks ago, having my first check up in 3 days and I have been dizzy, lightheaded, brain foggy (call it what ever you want) for 5 of those 6 weeks. Oh! and don't forget the tiredness and the lack of interest in doing anything

Local Dr's look at you like you are going crazy and in the end I think maybe I am.

The chest pain? Got that too. Right in the middle of the sternum.

The lighthead above all the things I have felt or experienced during this past 6 weeks is easily the most annoying part and I hope adjustments can be made to rectify that.

But the way some doctors listen and look at you I'm not holding out much hope.

Besides I could be crazy or they might be crazy? I just hope the doctor isn't as crazy as me.

The Pacer has made my dizziness worse

by aussieray - 2014-07-12 09:07:34

Just like Sue66, I had this dizzy, lightheaded feeling prior to getting my PM.

I started suffering from mild bouts of lighthead in Sept '13 and these have progressively got worse right up until today.

Doctors really do look at you stupidly when you try and describe what your experiencing so they send you off to specialists, especially ENT's when you mention the word 'dizzy'.

I've been to 2 ENT's this year for testing and both come back with the same thing 'nothing wrong'.

Then why do I still feel like this?

My cardio, who knew I had Afib, wanted to start me on Sotalol, but he wouldn't because my heart rate was so slow at rest and during a couple of visits to hospital for ops I kept setting the alarms off when my beat rate dropped to the 'see you later' point. Following a real bad Afib episode in ICU during my last visit he decided it was time for a PM. Hooray!

I thought that may answer a lot of the questions in regards to my dizziness\lighthead as well, but maybe I was being a little bit too optimistic because so far it hasn't.

My feeling is, over time of living with an inefficient pump in my body it has self tuned itself to work at a certain rate and the rate has slowing been decreasing so not enough blood is flowing to the parts of the body that they need. The brain to me is not getting enough.

At this point in time, I haven't been back to my normal cardio guy, so I am still on my old heart medication and maybe they might now be causing a problem with my PM in there. I go to the clinic tomorrow for a 'tune up' and hopefully they can make a few adjustments, then the cardio may alter some drugs and that may make more of a difference.

If neither of those make any difference over time, I think I will definitely go crazy!

Feeling a Bit Better

by Sue66 - 2014-07-13 03:07:24

I have felt a little bit better with the dizziness past few days, but its still there. I am just starting my 3rd week living with this new addition to my body.
I still want to go see the Cardiologist for a work-up, and I might still see the ENT Doc. Many years ago I worked for a ENT group, and it was amazing at the wax build up we got out of people's ears when they got flushed out.
I always have a problem with my ears, so I better rule that out also.
I just have so many other health issues going on at the same time, that I do not know if I am coming or going half the time.
I hope we all get everything worked out soon, so that we feel better.

I hope so too...........

by aussieray - 2014-07-16 05:07:34

But don't rule out the possibilty of anxiety mixing around in there as well.

I went for my tune up yesterday and apart from changing a few minor settings, nothing else was dun. The cardio at the time said that he thought my dizzy problems may in some way be related to my blood pressure tablets and advised I stop taking one (Norvasc 10mg) until I see my regular cardiologist. He wasn't keen on altering any of my medications. He also said that anxiety/stress/depression are common things that happen to people receiving pacemakers and funnily enough my local family doctor thought this was the case weeks ago.

I know I have been having anxiety/panic attacks for awhile but I have been really reluctant to take the valium tablets he prescribed because i didn't want to become dependent on them.

But in the long run I probably should have. Because thinking about what you have and what you really have maybe nothing only adds to problems that we think we might have.


So many Things Can Cause Dizziness

by Sue66 - 2014-07-16 09:07:42

I have had a few decent days, but today I went out by myself and had a brief dizzy spell as I went into the Beauty Salon. Came out feeling better, probably because I felt like I looked better after getting my hair cut.
My biggest problem right now is that pain down the center of the sternum that comes and goes. I am thinking that is exactly where they put the leads into my heart, so I have no idea what to look into next.
I am into my third week now, and feeling like I need to give it some time. This not being able to lift my left arm up over my head has been a problem. I reach for something not thinking till its too late. I have to concentrate on that more.
I hope we all start to adjust better as each day goes by.

You know you're wired when...

You’re officially battery-operated.

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A pacemaker suddenly quitting is no more likely to happen than you are to be struck by lightening.