At home check for bad battery?

My pacemaker is about at the replacement stage....I am 38...active....how can I test to know if it is at the point of replacement? Last checkup said I have 1 to 6 months left of battery life. Thanks

3 Comments

Replacement

by doublehorn48 - 2015-04-30 09:04:11

I was jogging and on my second mile I started breathing hard while moving at an easy pace. I knew I was at end of life. That was my last pm replacement.

I've always known because I am active when the pm was finished.

If you're concerned call your Dr's office and have them check your pm. That's really the only way to know for sure unless you start feeling less than 100%. At least that's been my experience.

Checdk your pulse

by donr - 2015-04-30 11:04:41

If you suffer Bradycardia (slow HR) it will be pegged at the PM's default HR, usually in the mid-sixties range. Same is true for AV blocks.

I have a Medtronic PM & it's default HR is 65. The day I hit the EOL stage, I knew it - instantly, but did not realize the significance of the low HR while being paced. It hit me at precisely 1222 PM,. Sat. Mon It struck me that I felt wrung out because of a slow HR, so I had my Wife check my pulse - it was 66. Close enough to really be 65. Had PM replaced that Thurs.

Donr

beep

by revelation - 2015-05-03 03:05:56

I have a Boston Scientific device and mine has a warning beep sound when the battery needs to be replaced. When it starts beeping I have between 1 to 3 months to replace the device. I also felt tired a lot more and would go to sleep easier in a chair--setting around watching TV.

You know you're wired when...

You have a shocking personality.

Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.