multiple beeping episodes

I have a 7 year old medtronic ICD. The low battery alarm has been beeping for almost a year now. It goes off every morning at 10:30,
but for the past few days it has ALSO started going off a second time at random times.....
I don't intend on having anything replaced. Can anyone tell me if the beeping episodes will increase to several times a day ?
It has shocked me more times than I can remember, 4 times back to back last May. That hurt like hell. I'd rather just have the damn thing run out already.

Anyone else getting more than one beeping series a day ?

5 Comments

Nobody on here can answer your question

by IAN MC - 2015-03-15 01:03:42

You want to know if your battery is really flat or not ; nobody on here knows . The only way to get an answer is to have a PM interrogation. One thing for sure is that when it is REALLY flat it will stop beeping !

Your quality of life sounds horrendous but the question you need an answer to is " Is this as good as it gets ? " If the answer is "Yes" then I can understand you giving up and just waiting for events to unfold.

BUT , what if a second medical opinion , or a different drug would mean that the answer is "No , this is not as good as it gets " . It is worth trying !

Best of luck

Ian

Hi Richard

by IAN MC - 2015-03-15 08:03:53

The audible signal i.e. the beep that you are hearing may, or may not indicate that your battery is getting low and my understanding is that if it is the battery then you will usually hear the beep the same time every day.

Other problems such as a change in the impedance , or lead problems may cause a beep at any time depending on the make of ICD. ( why don't you try asking the manufacturer what the change in beep patterns means )

Whatever the cause it means that something isn't right !!

It is obviously your decision as to whether you do anything about it . Having an ICD is something of a trade-off ; most people think that the potential benefits outweigh the draw backs; you seem to have arrived at a different conclusion !

Best of luck

Ian

me

by rchrd - 2015-03-15 09:03:40

I have not seen a doctor in about 4 years now. The battery is definitely low. It has seven year battery, it's been seven years, and the maker says every shock uses 2 weeks of battery life. I have been shocked at least 2 dozen times, along with all the pacing.
I stopped seeing doctors when the medicine they gave me made life unlivable. I could not even roll over in bed, the medicine made me so weak. When they said I had to take the medicine, or they would not treat me, I made the choice to just stop......The doctor would not turn off the defibrillator without a signed letter from a lawyer absolving him of all consequences.....then refused to do it either way.....
I have had 6 heart attacks, but only one in the last 4 years.
Now I just sleep a lot. Hard to stay awake for more than 6 hours at a time.
Does 3 naps a day seem excessive ? ha ha ha
When this thing shocks me it is like getting hit by lightning and a baseball bat at the same time. Had I known what it did, I would have never had it put in.
Sadly, the cure is often worse than the disease.
But when it is a disease that kills, the scared have no choice. I am not scared, just tired.
At least I have faith, and not fear.
If I go, I go. If I stay, I stay.
I will leave it in the hands of the Lord to decide.
It is not as if He doesn't always decide any way....ha ha ha

me

by rchrd - 2015-03-15 10:03:40

Can anyone tell me if the battery is really dead when the beeping daily stops ? The maker says the low battery alarm is to alert the patient there is 2-6 months left in the battery life. ....mine has been beeping for a year....
Can't seem to get a straight simple answer to my questions.

what if?

by tammyjk1021 - 2015-03-17 10:03:31

rchrd, as Ian has suggested "what if"? There are new drugs, new devices ect. happening all the time. I just got a new PM implanted and it has no leads or incisions. Who would have thought that was even possible a couple of years ago?

I had four years that were horrendous before one doctor finally figured out what was wrong. I was weak, sick and fainting. I was diagnosed with everything under the sun and meds to boot. I got other opinions until one doctor finally figured it out. Like others here, I would urge you to seek out another opinion and another doctor.

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I am no expert, but I believe that without the defibrillator that I have, I would be dead.