New to this

Hi all. I'm new here. I'm 21 and had a pacemaker fitted on Friday. I have a dual chamber pacemaker. All is well at the moment, however ever since I've had the pacemaker fitted I've been experiencing daily flutterings in my chest. Very uncomfortable and they make me cough! 

I told the pacemaker clinic and they checked my pacemaker on the machine and apparently all is well and it's only been used 1%. There was a recording on the pacemaker where my heart went to 160 and that was when I was having the flutterings in my chest! But she said she's happy with it as the rhythm is totally normal and regular. She said it could be anxiety but I definitely don't feel like it is. I had them this morning as well. 

Has anybody else experienced this? Thank you! 

8 Comments

episodes

by Tracey_E - 2016-11-02 09:23:51

So, when you get up to 160, the recorded beats are perfectly normal and you are just sitting around? How long does it last? I would try to discuss it with the doctor, not the person reading the report at the clinic. 

SNAP!

by Beckiiejayne - 2016-11-02 11:42:12

Hey,

I had my pacemaker put in just under 3 week ago. Im also 21 and have had exactly the same feeling! I tried to expain it to them at the hospital and they just gave me anti sickness tablets for it. To be fair they did help but it doesnt give you the reason as to why it happens, im still trying to get to the bottom of it myself as it still happens to me when my heart rate increases.

HOW STRANGE!

160

by Good Dog - 2016-11-02 14:28:37

I don't know about the pulse of 160. That just doesn't sound normal to me unless you were running the 100 yd dash (or 91.44 meter dash in Europe or that rogue country: the U.K.). 

In any case, I did experience the fluttering you spoke of almost immediately after getting my first PM. Of course in the beginning you are super vigilant with regard to any unusal feeling as a result of the initial fear of having a PM. Well, with me it was just simple harmless palpitations. There are occasions when the PM doesn't sense a beat, so it sends one at the same time the (delayed) natural beat (contraction) occurs. So it is like a double-beat or flutter. That has happened to me many times. Usually though, it is the palpitations that will give me that uncomfortable feeling. They are much worse for me when I consume too much cafeine, alcohol (with others, not me) or endure a lot of stress. If you doc isn't concerned it may just be one of those issues. Nothing to worry about.

Flutterings

by Diane C - 2016-11-03 11:16:21

Hi, 

I had my pacemaker fitted two weeks ago and whilst I had previously had bouts of flutterings I did notice a huge increase in the frequency of them within the first week. I have been advised previously that the flutterings are ectopic heart beats (extra beats) which are totally harmless. Apparently most people get them at some point but not everyone is aware of them - for me they were fairly frequent and quite irritating. As Gooddog says they can be exacerbated by stress so it may well be that you are simply more aware now and stressed because of the op etc. As I said I definitely noticed an increase in the first week after the insertion but they have calmed down a bit now. 

Try and relax and hopefully they will stop.

cough

by confused - 2016-11-03 13:32:05

Hi,

I am only starting week three after having my pm surgery but I know what cough you are talking about.   I did that before my surgery.  I would flutter and it felt very high in my chest.  Then it would make me cough.  Then all the sudden it would all be over.

I mentioned it to my EP and he didn't seemed concerned.  

I haven't done it after my surgery though.  

Tammy

 

 

hi,

by Jenx - 2016-11-05 06:56:10

I'm feeling much better now! Day 3 of no palpitations :) although now I'm just worried about the leads coming out of place! I'm scared I lifted my left arm in the night but I've actually no idea if I did. I usually sleep on my left side so I'm worried I'll do it or raise my arm In my sleep without realising!

Raising your arm

by Good Dog - 2016-11-05 17:58:43

The possibility of pulling-out your lead(s) is so slim it isn't even worth worrying about. It is much like all the warnings on medications. 1 in 1,000,000 chance.

If everyone with a new PM implant raised their left arms above their head 10 times a day for the 1st month. Maybe 1 in 1,000 would have a lead dislodge.

Not to worry! 

Hr160

by Commando42 - 2016-11-10 19:19:04

I hope you are well and getting on OK with your new best friend. Do the palpatations follow any pattern, I.e same time each day. I only ask as I experienced the same thing when my box was first put in, at exactly 10:23 pm each day. The PM has a self test function which was not turned off, so every day it ran my heart up to 170 and paced my ventricles ( am atrial but have a dual lead) which I am very sensitive too. Anyway to cut short a massive rhetoric, I had it turned off and that was that.

kindest regards 

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