Tightening of my Chest

I had my Pacemaker implanted January 2015 the following symptoms started in November 2015. While walking up to our mailbox (180ft from house) or walking anywhere, my chest tightens, breathing becomes erratic, dizziness, pain in left shoulder/arm and pain in back. This happens sometimes at rest. Told my cardologist he didn't think it was an issue. I have since fired him and got a new cardologist, he did a test and found I was in AFIB/SVT 82 times in 1.5 weeks. I am scheduled for a heart monitor among other tests to find out why this is happening and fix it.



1 Comments

Check with EP

by Theknotguy - 2016-03-12 01:03:46

You have a Medtronic pacemaker (per your bio). Check with your EP to see if your Medtronic has either APP, Minerva, or both.

APP (Atrial Preference Pacing) is a program on some Medtronic pacemakers that will help mitigate some of the effects of afib. It's a simplex program so it doesn't do all that much, but it's better than nothing. I had APP turned on five months after getting my pacemaker and it helped for two years in addition to medication I was taking.

The Minerva program looks for repeating afib sessions. i.e. when you go into afib for a longer time it sometimes settles into a repeating pattern. Minerva looks for a pattern then injects a change that will sometimes throw you out of afib. Minerva works in three heart rate zones so it will scale up and down according to your heartbeat speed. For me it was a game changer.

Not all Medtronic pacemakers have the programs so I'm sorry if I got your hopes up. You can also contact Medtronics via their website to see what yours has - that is if your EP and his office is too busy to do the research.

I hope you have good success with your new EP.

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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But I think it will make me feel a lot better. My stamina to walk is already better, even right after surgery. They had me walk all around the floor before they would release me. I did so without being exhausted and winded the way I had been.