2 days post Op

I have vasovagel syncope which causes my heart rate to slow down resulting in me passing out. I have 2 questions:
Does anyone have this condition and if so did your pacemaker stop the passing out?
Although I was allowed to come home the same day of surgery, I feel that I am having a lot of pain; when did your pain subside after surgery?
-Pam

8 Comments

minimum heart rate setting

by zawodniak2 - 2015-05-15 03:05:44

My pm is set at 60 bpm minimum and in over 7 years I have never been below that rate (at least to the best of my knowledge) I am paced at 99.9 % for bradycardia and left bundle branch block.

Pain

by Grateful Heart - 2015-05-15 03:05:52


I can only address the pain. We all recover at different rates and our pain threshold can also be different but 2 days is very early. If you are home recovering and they gave you any pain medication, take it a few days longer if you are able (not driving, working, etc.)

I found after about 2 days I only took any pain med at bedtime and stopped it within a few days....but again, we are all different and I have been told I have a high threshold for pain.

It will get better soon.

Grateful Heart

Vasovagal syncope

by Suz - 2015-05-15 08:05:04

Since the others addressed the pain, I'll take a stab at addressing the pacemaker for vasovagal syncope. Vasovagal syncope is a widening of the blood vessels and a slowing of the heart following a stimulus. The pacemaker will correct the slowing of the heart, but will not correct the widening of the blood vessels. I have vasovagal syncope and got my pacer in January. I used to pass out about once a month, sometimes more. Not often, but dangerous since I passed out once while driving with my child in the car. Since my pacer, I have not passed out. Not once! It has saved my life, quite literally. Hope this helps!

Thanks from the newby

by Pschartner - 2015-05-15 10:05:33

Thank you for your quick responses; I especially appreciate Suz commenting that she no longer passes out. I hope I have the same outcome with my pacer. I have lived with that black cloud hanging over my head my whole life. So looking forward to a life with no more Syncope :-)
-Pam

All good on PM

by Greendirt - 2015-05-16 04:05:16

Before I got my pacemaker in January 2014 had (have?) cardioinhibitory vasavagel syncope / sleep syncope (ie: wake in the early hours feeling nauseous, get up, go into asystole).

Every aspect of my health improved dramatically as soon as it went in. I still get dizzy periods from time to time, say if I get up too quickly or if I get a nasty surprise at the wrong time. That may be the low blood pressure aspect of VVS as much as the low heart rate aspect, and the PM doesn't do anything directly to blood pressure.

I have about 10 rate drop episodes a day and my pacemaker works for around two hours a day keeping my pulse above 40bpm.

I have not passed out since the pacemaker went in.

I had no pain and needed no pain meds, a bit of an ache for a few days I suppose, but nothing more.

Look forward to good things Pschartner.


3 days post Op

by Pschartner - 2015-05-16 05:05:18

Wow woke up this morning and almost all the pain was gone. It's like night and day, I read on here where someone used ice packs so I tried that yesterday and it made a huge difference. Now my only issue will be to not overdue it until everything is healed because my discomfort is so minimal today :-)

suprise

by rolson - 2015-05-16 08:05:38

Don't be surprised if you have good days and then bam! Not so fun stuff happens and you wonder why and go through tough periods. It is different for everyone and I hope it's all down hill for you. For someit goes...Everything's is great and then not great and then great and then not so great. After 6 months, I have not had a not so great time for almost a month. I feel normal again! I think we will always have questions as to why we feel as we do each day. Just never give up!

give it time

by knb123 - 2015-05-17 10:05:16

Hi Pschartner. Congratulations on getting a pacemaker. It will literally change your life.

Meanwhile, please permit yourself to be pampered. You were discharged about as early as I've ever heard. That in itself helps explain why you're in pain: your body has sustained a shock, what with the tests, implant, meds, etc.

Speaking one PM recipient to another, I encourage you to take it easy and be good to yourself. Don't try to do too much. When you're tired, lie down. Accept the offers of help from friends and family. It will take you several days--perhaps a couple of weeks--to start feeling yourself again. Meanwhile, remember--as other posters have said--that everyone's pain threshold is different, so your experience may vary.

And, as a nurse told me on discharge, don't try to be a hero when it comes to the pain meds; take them on schedule and don't wait to start hurting before you take it. (A couple of weeks on percoset does not an abuser make.)

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