advice please

Hello everybody
Im 65 with Id dilated cardiomyopath diagnosed in2010 on optimum meds. In last 6 months I have got to feel increasingly awful and I asked if a pacemaker would help anyway they did some more tests and my EF was low and last Friday the NHS gave me a Meditronic viva Quad. How soon will I start to feel any better as this is a last ditch stand,between me and having to give up work. I need to carry on but if this does not improve things i will not be able to.
Very bruised and sore but don't feel any different still v tired and lethargic able to walk a little further but no miraculous improvement. What can I expect???

2 Comments

feeling better

by Tracey_E - 2014-09-23 05:09:00

There are no guarantees or magic fixes, but many people feel better in the weeks/months after they get a CRT. There is no formula, everyone is different. It's only been a few days, give it more time. It can take a few weeks for the anesthesia to get out of our system, to stop needing pain meds, for the heart to get used to being paced, and finally for the EF to come up.

Expectations for CRT Via Quad

by Sparkle - 2014-09-24 08:09:43

I too have dilated cardiomyopathy which was diagnosed in 2000. I am 62 and had the same PM as yours fitted in July 2014 when my EF had dropped to 28. I agree with Tracey some people underestimate the toll an anesthesia takes on the body. My GP told me it can take 6 months for your body to recover. Your wound will be sore and with regards to lifting your arm above your head........ Don't restrict the movement of your arm altogether as you can end up with frozen shoulder which will be another problem.
With beta blocker and PM tuned in to pace correctly for your body, you will start feeling really well soon. I had problems with PM hitting the phrenic nerve which caused my whole body to shake and hiccup for 12 hours after the implant, but that has been adjusted. I was told by my cardiac surgeon I was not to run again as it is too stressful an the heart etc. However I went to see my cardiologist yesterday who has been treating my cardiomyopathy for 14 years and he told me to listen to my body and start living my life as before my PM. Ease back into my running, boxing and exercise and change my attitude towards my PM - don't be afraid of it, it is there to help you live a normal life. So this morning for the first time in nearly 3 months I went for a walk/run of 5km and I feel elated with how great I felt when I returned.
Hang in there, listen to your Doctor, take your meds and rise above the cardiomyopathy. Good luck ..... all the best.

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