CRT-D: Thumps & Hiccups

• by IBWired
• 2015-09-09 07:09:32
• Checkups & Settings
• 2303 views
• 3 comments

Hi, Club! I've been a lurker on this site since Jan 2014. My very unexpected gift of a dual lead pacemaker was gifted to me at 44 on Christmas Eve 2013. One minute I was home wrapping gifts, the next I was feeling downright crappy and told my husband we were going to the ER. The next minute I was diagnosed with 3rd degree heart block with no prior history - and was discharged on Christmas day with a shiny new St Jude dual PM. Fast forward 6 months and I started feeling exhausted - steps were a challenge, walking to the mailbox was a challenge, etc. To make a long story short - after med adjustments, echos, etc, it was determined that my dual PM created LBBB which made my EF drop to below 30%. Naturally, I was devastated because I was feeling so good immediately after my procedure - and with an EF of close to 70% prior to the PM.

As a result, my EP prepared me to be a candidate for a CRT-D. That procedure happened on June 1, 2015 - so, I'm a little over 3 months out and being paced 99%. The posts on this site have kept me sane. While I definitely notice a big improvement with the CRT-D - I can breathe and walk at the same time, my recovery wasn't as quick as the first time. I think I was just plain out of shape because I had no energy to do anything for close to a year. I'm working, I'm being a mom and a wife, but I'm also being anxious about some thumps and literal and figurative hiccups that I've been experiencing, so I'm writing to the board that has guided so many.

One of my leads was 'powered down' a bit before discharge because I could feel it firing. It wasn't the 3rd lead like they expected that usually thumps on the diaphragm - regardless, the adjustment felt better and I could lean forward and left without feeling the pulse. Since my implant, but after my first pacemaker clinic after my implant, I've been having these episodes of fullness high in my throat and stomach (gas-like). I hiccup (loudly and embarrassingly) without warning sometimes. Sometimes a belch makes it feel better...sometimes it doesn't. I just want to know if anyone else has experienced this? My post-surgery PM adjustment was supposed to be scheduled for October, but I can't wait until then. Has anyone ever had gastric issues post PM implant? I'm getting bummed out because there are days that I feel great and then all of a sudden, I get these random thumps and hiccups, which is usually followed by a period of not feeling all that great. Whether anyone can shed any light on my situation or not - I'm grateful for the stories and the info I learn from this site. Be well!