Twitches

I get three twitches that go across from the top of the left of my chest to the start of my shoulder (basically the area my pacemaker is in) exactly every three hours. I sometimes get them during my check-ups when they fiddle about with the settings. Does anyone know what this is? I was told it was when the pacemaker saves information but i dont understand why it would do that and my doctor is always reluctant to explain things in detail. Can't wait to move on from paediatricians, i want real information i am not a child! I also sometimes have random bubbly or discomfort feelings in the top of my chest or a random mild sharp pain and these dont happen in a regular way. Are this second kind just the expected unexplainable aches and pains that everyone gets or could it be to do with the pacemaker? if anyone has the same sort of thing it would be great to know!

3 Comments

At 17 it's hard

by Theknotguy - 2015-10-13 02:10:36

At 17 it's hard to give you an explanation for every thump, bump, and ache. Most for me (at 17) were usually explained away as growing pains. i.e. no one doubted you had them but there wasn't a good explanation either.

As for the twitches going across the chest. If your pacemaker is implanted in the upper left shoulder area and the leads are going into the vein under the clavicle, that could be an interaction between where the leads go into the vein and reactions by the nerves in the area.

When I first got my PM I'd get pain going up into my left jaw. Used to get muscle spasms on the left side of my neck too. The only thing I could think of was the nerves being irritated by the leads going into the vein under the clavicle. I still get occasional muscle spasms. Usually when I've been doing a lot of exertion.

Random and weird feelings? Still get them myself and I'm a long way from 17. Unless they are reoccurring, sharp, and in the same spot, I really wouldn't get too worried about them. Another tip off would be a fever but you didn't mention that. As they say in the UK, no worries.

As for not being taken seriously ... I've got the gray hair now. No one takes me seriously either. You get that at both ends of the age span. Come to think of it, no one took me seriously the rest of my life either. Ah well.

Enjoy life with your pacemaker. You've got a long way to go. My best wishes for you.

Me too!...sorta

by athlete735516 - 2015-11-10 05:11:05

I am also 17 and when I got my pm implanted, I had these annoying twitches under my lift ribs whenever I did something suddenly active like standing up or even turning my head quickly. I went to get my pm read and they said it was caused by the leads stimulating my diaphragm. They solved this by turning the voltage on my ventricular lead down from 4 to 1.25. These twitches were not as regular as your but mine would show up whenever they changed settings on my pm and made the heart beat line thing on the monitor dip whenever it happened. I have to have surgery in February to fix the lead so I hope it isn't that big of a problem with you! Hope this was a little helpful!!

It's annoying but it may be solved

by HdB1 - 2015-12-02 10:12:41

Twitches as you describe do occur and they are sometimes caused by the pacemaker activating other tissue than only the heart muscle. Usually this is not a problem, just a little annoying. In the area around your pacemaker it may be caused by the pacemaker itself with the current that flows in the tissue around the pacemaker. Usually, such sensations are not serious just annoying. In rare cases the pacemaker may also activate a nerve that activates the diaphragm and the best way to solve such a problem is to re-position the lead away from the nerve.
In your case, with the tickling sensations it may be a good idea to ask if the doctor or technician to check the pacing threshold next time you are at a pacemaker follow-up.
Sometimes they find out that you can do something with the pacemaker settings that would solve the problem. Please try to explain about your complaint as clear as possible, so they know what to look for. For instance try to find out if it is really exactly 3 hours between your complaints, because there is nothing I can think of in the pacemaker that would cause such a timed "regular" complaint.
Also note that it is not easy for the doctor or technician to explain everything in detail (there are many factors that influence your PM's behavior) it does not have to do with your age :-).
Hope this helps!

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