Burning pain

Ok I'm 37 years old and have just had a ICD put in two wks ago. I am experiencing severe burning pain coming from the site. Is that normal? It travels from the incision down my arm and feels like a burned myself. It's a really sharp burning pain that takes ur breath away. Is this normal? Compared to all my surgeries, this is a minor one for me. Any assistance is appreciated. Besides the burning pain, the pain is minimal. I figure if I can deal with cancer as a kid and then being pregnant and getting my leg cut off, this is a walk in the park just don't want to ignore this if its not suppose to happen.

2 Comments

Don't ignore it

by Grateful Heart - 2014-11-29 03:11:48


From your description of severe burning pain, you should be checked out so go to the ER.

You've been through a lot already so please don't ignore this kind of pain.

If it is an infection it needs to be treated immediately.

We can only help so much on this site. You need to be seen by a Doctor who can get to the bottom of your pain. It may be nerve regeneration but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Grateful Heart

Four thoughts

by Theknotguy - 2014-11-29 09:11:37

Four thoughts:

1) Do you have a fever? Any redness? Any extra swelling at or on the incision or PM site. PM site super sensitive to touch? If so, probably infection. Go to ER and get checked out.

2) Nerve damage. It may be damage to a nerve from when the PM was inserted. I had all sorts of weird feelings for about 5 months after the PM was inserted. I also had a lot of other trauma which may have added to the feelings. Also swelling at the PM site may be pinching nerves. Tylenol and cold, dry compresses. I would take a Tylenol, get one of those things with the blue fluid in them, freeze it, wrap it in a towel and lay on PM site.

3) Nerve regeneration. It may be nerve regeneration where the nerve connections have regenerated and it is more sensitive. Although most of my nerve regeneration resulted in itching. Tylenol and cold, dry, compresses. If the pain comes out of nowhere - i.e. you aren't moving, haven't gotten into a particular position, or haven't done something such as reaching - and you get the pain, it may be nerve regeneration. For a while I'd just be sitting there and my PM pocket would just start itching like all get out.

4) There are posts on this forum where the PM was implanted too close to a bone. Movement pinches the PM against the bone and it causes more pain. You'll have to be the judge but mostly it's just waiting to see if you perform certain movements and you get the pain. EP doctors are reluctant to go in and reposition the PM because of danger of infection so you may have a hard time convincing them to reposition the PM. It has happened but it's rare.

Hope it's nerve regeneration. Hang in there. Life gets better!

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