Weird pinch

Energy? Give it time

by Gotrhythm - 2017-05-29 15:31:06

Don't know about the pinch.

About how long til you get your energy back--that depends on a lot of factors and it's different for different people.

However, one factor is your base heart rate (the lower number.) Getting that right can make a big difference in how you feel. The techs are going to choose the lowest setting possible in the interest of making the battery last as long as possible. But how well you feel matters too. Some people will feel well at 50 BPM. Others are symtomatic and feel tired all the time. It's an individual thing.

I couldn't believe how much better, more energetc, happier even, I felt when my base rate was raised from 65 to 70. Response rate, how soon the pacemaker senses the need to speed up your HR and how fast it speeds up are also factors.

Right now, your pacemaker probably has the factory settings. When you go in for your first pacemaker check, discuss how you are feeling with your doc and the tech. It's not about whether your pacemaker is working right. I'm sure it is. It's working the way it's been set to work. I've mentioned two settings that can be tweaked. There are others. Don't settle. It can take several tries to get the settings optimal for you.

For now, it's early days. You've been through a surgery, your body has to heal, and your heart is still getting used to beiing paced.It all takes time (and energy.) Doesn't it feel great to be free of the brain fog! Happy for you. Feeling even better is in your future. :-)

Maybe you need a minor adjustment

by IAN MC - 2017-05-29 15:46:04

Hi  Thumbcoast     It is possible that your PM is stimulating a nerve somewhere in your upper digestive tract . It may be resolved by a small adjustment to the settings; possibly  by a change to the voltage .Mention it at your next appointment.

I agree with Gotrhythm's comments re the lower rate. I had mine increased from 50 to 55 bpm and it made a massive difference to my energy levels.

Best of luck

Ian

Rates

by WiredandTired - 2017-05-29 15:48:50

Thanks guys.  I will definitely talk to them about raising it and the pinch. Even before the surgery when I was monitoring my heart rate I was never comfortable in the 50s.

sleeping

by dwelch - 2017-05-30 04:09:52

how have you been sleeping.  I just had number five as you know, it took me a number of days to be able to get a decent nights sleep, took a while actually, first few days couldnt sleep on that side at all, then after that whenever I would roll over to that side would certainly wake me up, but got to where I could stay on that side longer.  Overall though wasnt getting normal sleep, so was tired for a while.

At the same time you have some new settings, i dont remember what you said your resting/sleeping pace was but maybe they have bumped you up, maybe with the smoother heart you are more energetic or something.  Give it a little more time.

The pinch it is not at the surgery site?  First few days opening my mouth to eat would pull the neck sink pull on the incision just a touch and make a little pain.  got better every day then was done with that in a few days.  Let them know about it, maybe related maybe not...

You're a mean one, Mr. Pinch...

by WiredandTired - 2017-05-30 05:50:50

The pinch is dead center of my chest (sternum?....oh, high school anatomy...).  Just where the bottom center of the ribs are and stomach meet. Not at the surgical site.  That's a whole other pain nightmare. The discomfort when swallowing seems to have stopped now, but every now and again I'm still getting the weird pinch in my heart.  As if I can feel the leads stuck in there.  Is that even a thing?  When I told the EP who did the surgery the day after, in the hospital, he ordered a limited echo and asked me to take deep breaths (not sure what he was looking for with the breaths -but fluid in the pericardium, I'm guessing, with the echo) and he seemed to think everything was ok.  It's just a few times a day so maybe it's just part of the healing,  I dunno.

As far as sleeping....yeah, not great.  A king's ransom to sleep on my stomach!  I'm limited to sleeping on my left side (PM was implanted on the right after he flashed my anatomy up on that big screen with contrast in the ER, and realized I have a twisty mountain range for a vein on the left.  Probably born that way) or flat on my back which is about as comfortable as fire ant underpants (Hey!  Rhyme!).  Today is actually the first day I can tolerate the pain at the  surgical site without Tylenol (so far).  (Post Op day 5.)  So either I am a huge weenie or some of you guys are made of iron and pure badassery. My surgical site hurt like a mofo, I don't mind tellin' ya.

I'm doing the device clinic on friday so hopefully an adjustment will help with energy.  My low is set at 50.  Thanks all...

Edited to add:  I also have low BP issues.  He put me on fludrocortisone (just for "awhile") til I get more stabilized.  I had an incident in the hospital the day after surgery where my BP dropped to 67/35 when they wheeled me down for an xray.  semi-passed out in the chair, soaked with sweat - the works.  They gave me fluids and whatever else they do, and I was fine soon after but keeping my BP up is always an issue so he has me drinking a ton of water and eating a ton of salt.  I feel like a blowfish.