3 weeks tomorrow amd heart is pounding

My pacemaker was adjusted just last week at my 2 week check. Today I could fell my heart pounding and was a little uncomfortable while sitting. I put my heart rate monitor on and watched the rate stay between 72 to88t while sitting and up to 90 when I walked around. The pounding is concerning me.
I was told at my first check that I am pacing approx. 33% of the time. MY nurse shorted the response time of the PM. I have felt great up until this third week. I seem to tire easily again and the pounding is messing with my head. The discomfort is tolerable , but all of these symptoms where not present last week.

Worried that I have pulled a lead and not pacing correctly. Or something is off. I have also had leg cramps today.

Can it be that the honeymoon is over and I am still adjusting. I have been working out daily for about an hour to and hour and a half (except for today).
Just wondering if any one else has had this experience?

5 Comments

Surprised

by dlruddick - 2014-12-26 02:12:13

After feeling so much better I was surprised about the "2 steps back."

Thanks for your response. I just needed to hear if others felt the same roller coaster ride. This is testing my patience more than anything. Not one of my virtues!

Trying to be a good Patient

by dlruddick - 2014-12-26 04:12:28

Yeah, I am beginning to realize that things may happen slower than I want. I would like to get back to teaching my cycle class. I today I realized (while working out) that the level I was before will take time to achieve and I may need to resign myself to a new normal.

"Musical chairs," is an excellent description!

I have decided to allow myself more rest and push to water intake. And to forgive myself for the 10 lbs that have crept on since all of this started.

Thanks for your thoughts.

What did you expect?

by Theknotguy - 2014-12-26 12:12:03

You get all sorts of thumps, bumps, and weird feelings right after having the PM implanted. Adjustment time goes anywhere from a couple of weeks for the very lucky few to (in my case) over a year. It just depends upon the heart problems you have, what your PM has to do, and how your body reacts. So, yes, the honymoon may be over and yes, you probably are still adjusting.

At my one year mark, got a printout from my PM showing the year in review. It showed major changes during the first seven months I had the PM. So what was true one week, wasn't the next. For that seven month period everything was a moving target. I had palpitations, afib with RVR, pain going up into my jaw, periods where it felt like my heart missed beats, muscle spasms, just all sorts of weird stuff. Discussions with my EP usually ended in a shrug. I was alive, wasn't I? At seven months I was still getting sore spots from exercising, muscle cramps, and stiffness.

Heart pounding and leg cramps. Hard to say what caused that, but if you're exercising, that, plus what the PM is doing can cause all sorts of reactions. One of the things I had to do at first was drink a lot of water. That was 1/2 liter per 30 pounds per day. Had to pee a lot but it helped the body adjust. If you aren't hydrating enough during and after exercise, you'll get leg cramps. As my EP pointed out, you can get heart pounding effects just from having a dream. Add some changes in meds and you'll get all sorts of things going on.

Pulling a lead - if you pull a lead, you'll know it. It hurts like hell. Found that out from personal experience. You don't indicate you've done anything that stressful. So if you aren't hurting like hell, aren't running a fever, and don't feel like hell, you probably haven't pulled a lead. When you dislodge a lead, you'll feel really rotten.

I'm always amazed that people think getting a PM will give you an instantaneous fix. That isn't the case. Against popular opinion, it takes your body time to adjust. Just how long depends upon a lot of things and you can't look at a calendar and think you'll be set by a certain date. Getting adjusted to a PM is a process and it does take time. Two weeks isn't anywhere near 52 weeks.

At present, I'd back off on your exercise, take it easy, and give your body time to heal. Feel fortunate you've been able to accomplish as much as you have in such a short time period.

Quick question

by tessenne - 2015-01-16 01:01:49

Somewhat selfish but...is being fatigued from normal activity normal? Like, walking in a grocery store? I am only three days out from my first implant but Ihave had surgery before and did better than I did today....just curious. Hope I do not offend the original poster here....

Recovery

by dlruddick - 2015-01-16 07:01:16

I was tired and had memory issues for at least the first 2 weeks after placement of my PM. I believe part of that was residual anesthesia in my system.

My full time job is sedentary. Your full time job is not!

I did not handle any shopping , cooking or cleaning for the first few weeks.

Give it a little more time. I felt the best at the end of week two.

Good luck. Be kind to yourself.

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