Shortness of breath

I'm not sure where my post would go so I'll just post it here in the general postings. I got my pacemaker last month so I'm probably still recovering but I seem to be short of breath alot. Just doing the littlest of things wipes me out. I monitor my rate multiple times of days and it seems to be in the 80's and 90's. Loading the washing machine this morning it raised to 117, I have an appointment with my primary dr tomorrow and my pacemaker rep/cardiologist next month. Is this something that is normal? I do plan to bring it up tomorrow but should I call my cardiologist and get in sooner? By the way, I am a 55 yr old female who is somewhat out of shape but never this bad.

Thanks
Dot

8 Comments

You're Now Officially PC

by NiceNiecey - 2016-04-25 04:04:51

Better make that IN PC: Pacemaker Club. Welcome.

What you're describing is "normal" as in it's not necessarily unexpected. However, this is not how you want to feel nor should it be. You're very new to all of this and your heart is adjusting to having a couple screws put in it.

Good news is that you've got appointments lined up and you can work with your team as they make adjustments to your new device.

Others will tell you not to obsess taking your pulse but I found it strangely comforting. In time, you won't even bother and then you'll forget you even have a PM!

Give yourself time to mentally and physically adjust to all the changes you're going through. Keep us posted.

Niecey

Normal

by Good Dog - 2016-04-25 11:04:14

It is not normal to have shortness of breath. I experienced it when my PM went into end of life mode (due for battery change). In my case it was due to my heart being out of sync. I was being paced in the ventricle only.
The heart rates you posted seem high, but I don't know what your activity level was at the time. Loading the washer should not have raised it to 117, but again, I don't know how much effort that took.
It sounds like you need to have your PM adjusted. You should be feeling good even if you aren't in the best of shape. If you aren't in good shape, sure, a small amount of effort may raise your HR higher and faster than someone in the best of shape. Although certainly not to the extremes you noted and certainly not causing shortness of breath.
It isn't an emergency. So when you go in make sure you see the doctor and make sure you tell him about the shortness of breath. Make sure you tell him you haven't been feeling very good and you want him to do something about that. Tell him what you wrote here.
Sincerely,

David

Thank you

by beaddot - 2016-04-26 01:04:40

Thanks for the responses. I saw my primary doctor today and she felt that it was high. She put me on a low dose beta blocker and she told me to see if I could get in to my cardiologists office sooner than the middle of next month. I called and they have an opening next month. She felt that my PM could possibly be adjusted.

Yes, happens to me too

by Shaun - 2016-04-26 10:04:39

I do a reasonable amount of exercise cycling though not as much as I would like with this awful British weather and yet something as trivial as climbing stairs while talking can leave me short of breath. I never experienced this before the PM and none of the tests carried out have highlighed anything sinister. In the 18 months or so that I've had the PM nothing "bad" has happened and so I've just come to accept it as normal. Just shutting up for a few moments and taking a few deep breaths resolves the problem and also gives everyone a few moments peace and quiet.

thanks

by beaddot - 2016-04-26 12:04:02

That should be "next week"....need to proof before hitting send

Just a guess...

by Skippy123 - 2016-04-27 01:04:20

I had a similar problem after my triple bypass. Turns out my surgeon likes to turn up pace makers during surgery. My resting heart rate has always been about 60-65. I was being paced at 80 bpm for 6 weeks until i went for my follow up with my cardiologist. He turned it back down to 40. Since then its been easy as hell to breath, no more dizziness and i feel incredible!! Ate u being paced above ur normal heart rate maybe?.....jyst a thought

nxt tuesday

by beaddot - 2016-04-27 12:04:56

I will know next Tuesday what I am being paced at. The beta blockers are doing the trick but I have to take one mid day to slow it down again. I used to smoke and I didn't get this out of breath!

follow up

by beaddot - 2016-05-06 08:05:35

I had my dr visit and of course at the office my heart rate was normal. There was a tech there that was able to see what my pacemaker was doing. I am being paced at 100%. The tech said that the reason my heart rate was spiking up there was because it was detecting movement so it thought that it needed to ramp up. Of course it was ramping up too high so he lowered the reaction time and also the severity of it. I go back on the 18th to see if that had solved my problem.

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