Its all wrong

Pacemakers are supposed to make you feel better. I felt fine before I got mine and in the 2 months since I got it, nothing has felt right!

I am in hell.

I have had one adjustment so far which helped. The EP turned off one of my leads that was giving me a weird heartbeat sensation below my left breast. He said I didn't need that lead on.

 

Since then though my BP is low, I sometimes get lightheaded. Everytime I bend over to pick something up I get extremely lightheaded.

I have been getting headaches.

I can't sleep comfortably on either side.

I am frequently tired.

I am too anxious to drive. (to combat the anxiety I started taking Zoloft on 5/8) I think the Zoloft is causing some random flutters.

I have to constantly clear my throat. THat started around 4/30. I am on day 5 of a z-pack for that. Can't tell yet if it is helping.

Pacemaker seems to have shifted and feels like it is pinching me from the inside out.

I. just. want. my. life. back.

2 Comments

Something is wrong

by Gotrhythm - 2017-05-30 14:39:40

It seems to me that you have issues that are not being addressed by your doctors. I'm sure they are good people and doing their best, but your heart's ressponse to getting a pacemaker is NOT typical and might be beyond their level of expertise.

In my opinion, even if you have to travel, you should go to a university associated teaching hospital where they have experience with rare cases.

Don't wait foir your doctors to say, "Gee, I don't know.." I mean no disrespect to doctors but when they don't know what is going on with a woman, they are much more likely to fob her off with psychoactive drugs.

Women's heart conditions are not the same as men's. Ask for a referral.

Educate yourself about Pacemaker Syndrome. Someone here can help you with anything you can't understand. If you are going to get the treatment you need and deserve, you will have to advocate for yourself.

I've traveled some of the same road as you. Feel free to email me privately.

Zoloft

by Kays - 2017-05-30 15:22:24

I had my pacemaker put in on March 5th. I am just now feeling like I am getting back to a normal life. I also had a lot of anxiety and took Zoloft for 6 weeks. I had a lot of side affects from Zoloft. The worse was the stomach pain. At first I thought it was my heart and went to the ER only to be told all was good. I finally made the connection to my stomach a few days later when I no longer could eat without pain. It took another three weeks to get off the Zoloft. Once off I am feeling so much better. Please look up some of the side affects of Zoloft and see if some of your problems are related to the side affects. This was my experience with Zoloft, not saying that you will have the same affects from it.

I still have some soreness around the pacemaker site. Feels like pinching or pulling. The more active I am the more I feel it. I am sure over time this will also improve.

Learn all you can about your heart and having a PM. I know I feel better the more I understand how things work.

You will find some great help and support on this site. I know it has helped me.

You know you're wired when...

You have an excuse for being a couch potato.

Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker when I was 11. I never once thought I wasn't a 'normal kid' nor was I ever treated differently because of it. I could do everything all my friends were doing; I just happened to have a battery attached to my heart to help it work.