Swelling and pain

I had my pacemaker implanted Wednesday Oct 7 2015. Only having one problem where my pacemaker is swallow hard and very painful. It looks like I have a baseball and is hard and very sore. Is that normal and any tips to help relieve it. I call my doctors office but they said he was out until next week.

6 Comments

pain

by wired-in - 2015-10-10 06:10:05

keep ice on it I had mine put in 9/16/15 and I kept ice
on pretty much none stop for about three days. I just
put ice in a zip lock bag and put a hand towel around
the bag of ice and let it rest on my shoulder and pacemaker with a shirt on . Do not let ice bag come
in contact with bare skin
good luck

swelling & pain

by Good Dog - 2015-10-10 07:10:42

If this is your first pacemaker, then swollen and painful is pretty normal after only a few days. As wired-in said, use cold (or ice) compress very gently.
If it is a replacement generator, then it should only be sore around the incision.
In any case, if it doesn't get better in a couple days (subtle improvement), don't be afraid to go to the ER if your doc can't see you.
It sounds pretty normal though!
Wishing you the best!

David

Pain

by erica2168 - 2015-10-11 04:10:16

Hi, I just had my new dual chamber pacemaker put in last week and my advice to you is getting a bag of ice, wrap it and place it over the swelling. I wouldn't let the ice bag touch directly to your skin but if this doesn't help is tylenol. Tylenol should help bring the swelling down. It also depends where the device was planted - over or under the muscle.

Hope this helps and get better!
-Erica

IF anything changes...

by PJinSC - 2015-10-11 08:10:25

What you need to watch for is any fever, or discharge, especially puss, coming from the implant site. Infection is not impossible and can become very serious. If something like this occurs go immediately to the ER.

The swallowing comment is interesting. I never experienced that symptom. I wonder if a lead is close to your esophagus. Have your doctor check it out. Some people have found that if the lead is near the vegal (sp?) nerve it causes spasms in the diaphragm.

Pain

by vegigran - 2015-10-12 01:10:14

I had my PM put in 3 weeks ago. I was very sore, bruised and swollen. I iced it continually and took Tylenol. I also had spasms in the diaphragm for a couple of days afterward and the pain in my throat is almost gone. The swelling in the pacemaker site is going down slowly. Hang in there. It's definitely a healing process that will get better with time!
Sharon 78 yrs old

Hi!

by Zetha - 2015-10-13 01:10:26

I am at 5 weeks past PM.... I developed a haematoma on the area under the scar, exactly where PM is, the haematoma went down after a week to 2, the scar is thin and red, but still purple and red bruising over the PM.... the left side is sticking out very obviously and I don't think it will settle in deeper under the skin. It is really something to get used to, also still somewhat painful. I don't know if I'll ever be able to sleep comfortably on my left side again and I have to put a sling on my left arm before I go to sleep .... I love sleeping with my hands underneath my head and my left arm goes into that position immediately when I fall asleep.

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