restrictions

Hello everyone! I've looked at a lot of messages but none are answering my question. I had a dual chamber pacemaker put in one week ago. Is it bad to bend over at the sink to get my hair washed? Also can you feel when your PM kicks in? Thanks in advance! Charlene L.

5 Comments

Feelings

by Bigtex1622 - 2015-01-26 04:01:32

I am one of the lucky ones that feel it pacing.
My Dr. did not think so, till the Medtronic guy started the test, and I told him when he turned it on and off.
The Dr. now knows that I can feel it.
I also feel it when it does the self check, it was setup to do it early in the morning, but he changed it due to it waking me up, while the test is performing.
But do not worry, most do not feel it going off.
It feels like when you touch a 9 volt battery to your tongue. - its a guy thing !

I can feel it too.

by Artist - 2015-01-26 08:01:17

I have a dual lead St. Jude PM that was implanted on Nov. 7th, 2014. In the beginning I could feel my PM a lot. During the initial stages your PM voltage is turned way up to speed the formation of scar tissue that helps the PM leads adhere to the heart wall. The voltage on my PM was turned down during a follow up visit with the EP. I can still feel the PM do its thing, but not as frequently. I get a dull stabbing feeling in the middle of my chest that is short in duration. I have faced skepticism when I tell some medical personnel about this. It is "shocking" news to them! It almost feels like my heart rate slowed down and did not responded promptly to PM "nudgings" so it kickrd the power up. p.s. It is a gal thing for me Bigtex.

Hair

by WillieG - 2015-01-26 10:01:20

I was washing my hair in the sink the next day and in the shower after 4 days. I did have my arm raised slightly over my head to shampoo my hair but gentle movement and all is fine. I had glue over my incision. I tried not to lift anything over 10 lbs. although I did with my right arm after a couple of weeks. It took 2 weeks for me to be able to sleep on my right side and 3 for the left. Overall, it was about 6 months before I didn't feel it with movements such as raking leaves, etc.

I never felt it pacing.

Good luck with yours! It is an adjustment!

Wilma

bending

by Tracey_E - 2015-01-26 11:01:03

It's ok. The only things to avoid are raising your elbow above shoulder level and lifting too heavy.

I can feel that my heart is faster, but can't feel the pacing itself.

Welcome!

Can't feel anything

by Busdriver - 2015-01-27 02:01:40

I bent over the sink a couple of days after my PM was implanted to wash my hair. No problem! Like others have said, just don't raise your left elbow over your head or lift more than 5 to 10 pounds. As for being able to feel my PM working, I can't feel anything like electrical shocks or jolts.

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