Dizzy, light-headed, and tired

My best advice to you;

by Janenotarzan - 2015-04-01 05:04:41

Call &; leave a message for your Cardiologist's RN. When you get the callvack, be prepared with detailed symptoms & questions. Also, do not drive anyone anywhere until a Doctor who understands your exact situation says you can do so safely.
Call the hospital where you received your pacemaker and ask for a phone visit from the social worker in charge of your case, or assigned to patients on 'your' floor. They can get detailed answers sooner than you will.
Follow to-the-letter all advice, guidelines, and restrictions you are given by Drs,, PAs, NPs, or RNs returning phonecalls on thier behalf.
Everyone's experience with pacemaker implantation qnd recovery is unique. Although each of us mwy relate to parts of your own journey, we can only share, suggest,, and support you through your own journey.
Besr wishes! ~Janenotarzan

Be Prepared

by NiceNiecey - 2015-04-01 07:04:17

Welcome to the Club.

I think Jane made some great comments. I also think you need to be prepared to make a visit to the ER. Since many of the tests that need to be performed are not available at a doctor's office, the hospital is where they'll tell you to go. DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED. Most of us here made a couple trips to the ER in those early days (and some of are STILL going to the ER!). They usually turn out to be nothing worrisome but sometimes they DO turn up a problem.

In the early days after receiving my PM, I still had a lot of dizziness. About 4 weeks into my journey, the light-headedness basically stopped and I'm so glad to have my brain back!

You'll feel a lot better if you have it checked out - just to be sure a lead hasn't come loose or anything like that. Do you have Carelink box so you can send a transmission to your doctor's office? That's another way to possibly avert a visit to the ER. And don't be shy about asking your doctor to see you earlier than your next scheduled appointment.

Keep us posted!

Ask your doctor...

by Terry - 2015-04-01 11:04:03

...if they bypassed the cardiac conduction system. If so, His bundle pacing can correct any acute hemodynamic compromise. (See PacemakerPatientAdvocacy.com.)

Ask your doctor...

by Terry - 2015-04-01 11:04:32

...if they bypassed the cardiac conduction system. If so, His bundle pacing can correct any acute hemodynamic compromise. (See PacemakerPatientAdvocacy.com.)

Ask your doctor...

by Terry - 2015-04-01 11:04:45

...if they bypassed the cardiac conduction system. If so, His bundle pacing can correct any acute hemodynamic compromise. (See PacemakerPatientAdvocacy.com.)

Ask your doctor...

by Terry - 2015-04-01 11:04:53

...if they bypassed the cardiac conduction system. If so, His bundle pacing can correct any acute hemodynamic compromise. (See PacemakerPatientAdvocacy.com.)

Thank you guys for the feedback

by tk - 2015-04-02 11:04:34

Update.. I have a cardiologist apt tomorrow afternoon. I have been feeling flutters, small but almost constant shocks or "zaps," (on a scale of 1-10 about 6-8) sharp, quick pains in chest and heart. Dizziness seems constant. But also having signs of allergies with ear ache on left side off and on, as well as pressure in sinus between eyes with a migraine. It seems like I've felt worse each day since my first pacer check with St Jude. I can't seem to figure out why I was feeling better for a few days now totally crappy.

I am feeling motion sickness or something which seems to be the thing that's scaring me the most. The constant dizziness is just hard to deal with. I feel like super anxious also, and its not making thing anything easier. I've even had to get rid of my regular physician because she has missed all the signs of heart problem, sinus infection, etc and dismissed it all and tried prescribing several time various antidepressants instead of listening to my symptoms. Its upsetting and frustrating. I just wish I had answers. I'm exhausted and uncomfortable but grateful to be alive. Just really scared by what I'm experiencing.

Were your issues resolved?

by TooYoung41 - 2017-03-06 04:26:46

Hi, just got areplacement pacemaker and all hell has broken loose -- just as your symptoms have described.

Were you able to get relief? What did they do? My doctors are clueless 

TooYoung41 - Issues

by Astralis.tk - 2017-03-07 16:42:53

I'm not sure how to directly respond, hopefully you get this. 

So, in like 2 weeks it will be 2 years since I got my pacemaker. After tons of testing and xrays to make sure everything was connected they gave me an option to have the pacemaker reimplanted but said it was likely I would continue to feel the same because everything was working as it is suppose to.

Apparently it is normal to feel all of those things in the beginning, not for everyone but a lot of ppl. I do not ever feel shocks or anything like that now, but my settings have been adjusted multiple times in the last two years. I do still feel all over body pain and weakness, which is due to RA which I didn't know I had until all the more extensive testing I had to pressure my many doctors into doing. They originally tried to assure me it was anxiety and in my head. Turns out I also had a very dangerously low level of vitamin D which in my research I've discovered can be linked to organ failure. Since being on 50,000ius weekly for an extended period my level is up in the low but normal range and my dizziness has subsided quite a bit.

I no longer notice my pacer every day. I do get really intense arrhythmias occasionally which can be nerve wrecking. Also, I have experienced some tachycardia or fast beating in upper chamber which is weird because I have the pacemaker for slow heart beat or bradycardia. My doctors told me that the arrhythmias will never go away and to learn to control my stress and anxiety. And as far as fast heart they suggested medication if it continues or worsens. 

I don't think my issues were ever fully resolved, some of them I learned to live with. Some went away on their own. And some were attributed to something else. I would maybe ask to be reffered for a second opinion. If you don't trust your doctors it is important that you be active in your recovery and find doctors that can help.

Also, you can bypass your doctors and make an appointment to discuss anything you're concerned about with your pacemaker company representatives. Like I have a Saint Jude pacemaker, so they do my pacer checks, and if I want to call because I'm worried about my pacemaker zapping me or not working properly I can call them up and have them come out and check everything. 

I will add that after I gave birth to my daughter, I started having many more arrhythmias and fast heart rate. I also had intense moments where I was woken from sleep because I got super intense heart discomfort and felt like I couldn't breathe heavy chest fast and irregular heart. An ambulance even came to check on me one of the times because I was so worried. It turned out to be my body and heart adjusting to all the crazy changes with fluid and blood flow etc. I mean I feel like that was the best answer my cardiologist and Saint Jude tech could give me.

I would def advise you to get a full body/blood workup done by your regular doctor to make sure youre not experiencing these symptoms due to a combination of issues. If your doctors suck, get new ones. I always find myself at odds with doctors trying to dismiss my concerns. They make a lot of money, and there are plenty of them out there.. Find someone you're comfortable with. Good luck!