New pacemaker, likely old questions

My pacemaker (for sick sinus syndrome) is set at a minimum of 60 and during inactive times is on target. Am also on low dose beta blocker to prevent tachy rhythms. I have had it three weeks and feel really good but have reduced stamina and am sleeping significantly more than before. Also better quality sleep! How long have others found the increased need for sleep persists?

I have pulsatile tinnitus and several time a day, perhaps greater than a dozen, I hear dropped beats, confirmed by radial pulse count. Steady rhythm then resumes. The pauses are brief and I am not symptomatic so I'm not worried, but curious. Is this a failing of the device or something that pacemakers generally permit from time to time?

3 Comments

This really sounds like a....

by donr - 2015-05-01 08:05:23

....PVC.
I read your Bio & see that you are n RN, so I expect that you are familiar w/ PVC's.

However, if you have never "Heard" one before, they can befuddle you. Since the premature contraction is wimpier than normal, your hearing just might not sense it, because there is no precursor event alerting you to a coming wimpy beat. Since you cannot take your pulse till after the wimpy beat, there is no evidence of it ever occurring.

The physical sensing of a PVC does not even begin to match what a PVC looks like on an ECG. I describe the physical sensing sequence as: Thump, Thump, Thump, thump, pause....THUMP, Thump, etc. Where:
Thump is a normal beat
thump is the PVC, &
THUMP is the harder beat that follows the PVC.

As to the PM's reaction to a PVC:

The PM can do NOTHING about a PVC, since it occurs early. PM's can ONLY affect beats if they will be LATE or NOT AT ALL (Infinitely late).

Also, unless your PM is very, very rare, indeed, it does NOT fail to pick up a late or potentially missed beat. They are that reliable.

BTDT w/ PVC's & my PM. I have them all the time, but no longer sense them - unless I have a run of them.

Donr

Need for Sleep

by MathTeacher - 2015-05-01 10:05:48

Hi,
I'm only nine days post op (with SSS, too). I still need an afternoon nap, or I'm totally exhausted at night. I read on other postings that the need for a nap went on for three or four weeks for some people. They commented that we're still adjusting to foreign objects in our bodies. Makes sense to me. I'm just following what my body tells me it needs. The beta blocker will also make you tired.

Thanks

by 0300hours - 2015-05-05 07:05:25

PVCs makes sense. Thank you.

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

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