What does pacing feel like to you?

Hi everyone. I had my pacemaker surgery 8 days ago. The surgery and recovery was the most painful experience of my life. I was in the hospital for 2 days after the surgery.  Today when I went for a checkup with my EP cardiologist. He asked me how I've been feeling and am I noticing an improvement with the pacing help. I told him that I'm not sure that I know when the device is pacing or not. Can you describe what you feel or notice when the device paces for you? 

3 Comments

Only feel lower one pacing when in self-test

by techiej - 2016-09-24 14:59:47

The only time that I feel the pacing is when the lower ventricle is being paced during self-test - feels like my heart is in my throat.

Feelies

by Gotrhythm - 2016-09-24 16:48:10

By and large, most people do not sense the activity of their PM. I can't feel mine working at all. The only time I'm aware is when they turn it off briefly during interrogation. That I feel. And boy oh boy, does it feel better when they turn it back on.

Usually in 2-4 weeks, your doc will want you to come in so they can check your pacemaker and make any adjustments that might be needed. That's when they'll want to know if you are feeling more, less, or about the same energy (than before the PM) sleeping ok, going up stairs--that kinf of thing.

Sometimes, for you to feel the best you can, it needs to be speeded up, or in some cases, slowed down. Either way you won't actually feel the PM working, you will only feel the effects. 

 

Pacing

by robinclaire93 - 2016-09-26 22:03:57

I can't tell when mine is pacing. All I know is that it is, because my heart rate was 20-40 before surgery, (I am 23) and now it is in the 90s 100s. They actually had to give me medicine to slow it back down some, cause I couldn't breathe with my heart rate that high because my heart was not adjusted. I still can't say if I feel better than before the surgery yet or not,since it's only been a week since. 

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A pacemaker completely solved my problem. In fact, it was implanted just 7 weeks ago and I ran a race today, placed first in my age group.