New owner of a handy dandy pacemaker

I'm a brand new member of the Pacemaker Club. Not sure just what to post or ask.

As of 9/25/15 I became the proud owner of my very own handy dandy dual chamber Biotronik pacemaker. I have SSS and was hoping this would regulate things. Before implantation my normal resting heartrate was around 40 or so. Now, with the device, it is at least 60 BUT I notice that if I move around even a little...like to lay down in bed, my heart pounds very hard and from the meter on my pulse oximeter, very irregularly. My upper extremeties feel weak when I try to do anything like folding laundry. It was like that before the implantation. My angiogram showed no blockages needing surgery or stents. Am I expecting too much of this expensive piece of equipment?

5 Comments

healing

by Tracey_E - 2015-10-01 01:10:18

Inga covered everything regarding settings. The only thing I have to add is give yourself some time to heal before you expect too much. It's a minor surgery, but it's still a shock to the body and it's barely been a week. Keep up the great attitude! That's your very best weapon.

My experience

by Bhamster - 2015-10-01 02:10:35

with my single chamber biotronik for bradycardia as of 8/12/15... felt kinda like a 'tiny' ping-pong match with a slightly elevated hr at times (mostly at night) for the first week or so. After that, it did get much better. Now at 7 weeks I still get some of that. However, the symptoms are far less. It is no longer a source of anxiety and I am able to get back to sleep. My settings are 60/50 day to night.

Rate response

by golden_snitch - 2015-10-01 05:10:47

Hi!

With SSS being your diagnosis, I'd expect that the rate response sensor in your Biotronik pacemaker is switched on. This is a sensor that helps to adjust the heart rate to the level of activity/physical exercise.

This might be a so called CLS sensor (special sensor by Biotronik) and this typically overreacts in the beginning. It gets better when you move around, for instance take a walk every day, but the first couple of days or - if you haven't moved much - even weeks, it tends to speed the heart rate up too much.
However, if this continues over weeks, it could be that the sensor is programmed too aggressively and needs some adjustments.

Hope you get better soon!

HI!

by Zetha - 2015-10-01 07:10:40

You sound very optimistic!!! I"m in my 4th week after PM and optimistic is not a word I would use to describe myself at this stage!!! Although so far I have not had major problems with recovery.

I am no expert at this club, I'm answering your question relating to your pounding heart: being at home the first 2 days after PM I also experienced this heartbeat, it was as if I could hear it going "clonk-clonk"! Quite scary... my husband said it was my imagination.... psychological, perhaps? Do not think so. I had an appointment with my cardiologist the following day.... he lowered the pacing from 60 to 50.... perhaps that helped, the 'clonk-clonk' has not happened since.

Good luck and keep us up to date.... the club members are very supportive..... but also in my life my husband, son and daughter-in-law and the whole rest of my family and friends have been extremely supportive. My husband has been totally shocked out of his comfort zone and I have been extremely pampered!

Thank you!

by gralady - 2015-10-02 05:10:09

Thank you for the information and helpful comments. I had major A-Fib when I went into the ER. My normally low (40) heart rate was a whopping 180 bpm and my BP was 80/38 and my heart was beating very irregularly. It self corrected as the called it, so I came home with the pacemaker, and no meds. I'm wondering if what I'm feeling and seeing on the heartrate meter on my pulse oximeter is A-Fib or my body getting used to the new hardware. Every little stab of pain or flutter gets my attention now, but it is the major flippity flop, flippity....flippity.........flop stuff that worries me. I see my family doctor next Thursday and go to the pacemaker clinic next Friday. IF I don't get scared and go to ER before that.

You know you're wired when...

You need to be re-booted each morning.

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