Tired, anxious and panicky

Rough times

by Gotrhythm - 2017-05-30 15:41:01

Sorry you're having a hard time.

Speaking from experience, an episode of pacemaker mediated tachycardia feels just like a panic attack. Feeling unwell, faint, etc. also do little to add to one's peace of mind.

By all means listen to your GP, but I think the cardio who put in the pacemaker needs to be consulted.

Sometimes you can have a situation in which the heart is fine, and the pacemaker is fine, but they are not working well together. As time goes on, they get more and more out of synch. Reprogramming the pacemaker is the anwer.

Thank you

by GnR - 2017-05-30 15:45:14

"Gotrhythm"....thank you for taking the time to respond. I will take this forward with my cardiologist. Something's not right. 

get it checked

by dwelch - 2017-06-01 02:27:06

Part of the first few months is scar tissue forms, this can change the size and shape of the electrical signal required to drive your heart.  There is a window where it works, not strong enough or long enough and the heart doesnt respond and does its own thing, too strong and the signal can bounce around and you get double beats.  So they might need to tweak your settings, they should know quickly from the EKG what is going on, or they may have to do an interrogation and test each lead. 

The first so many months to a year depending (back 30 years ago it took that long for me on my first one, today is probably much different, but still the body takes time to settle in, cant rush that).  Thus the extra visits the first year, then settle into 6 or 12 month depending on insurance, your doctors, condition, etc.

Any time, esp this first year, you feel strange things like this, EP or cardiologist or their nurse or whomever in that office you can get first, then GP second if it doesnt turn out to be pacer related.  If you are in really bad shape then go to the ER, they can get you hooked up to an EKG certainly and find a cardiologist, contact yours, maybe they have the right equipment, maybe not.  I would prefer to see my own doc if not an emergency, you start to get too many cooks in the kitchen and the ER docs might believe they need to muck with your settings and then dump you off on your regular doc to deal with it.  anything not pacer related I could care less about er doc vs gp or whatever, but when it comes to the heart/pacer once I settle in on a doc i stick with him/her for as long as possible.

New pm

by Bostonbionic - 2017-06-02 16:45:13

When I had my pm for heart block march 2016 I had the same symptoms you are experiencing. There were times I would freak out about it all especially when I couldn't sleep feeling my heart skipping around in my chest and constantly going back and complaining my pm wasn't set right for me. It took me six months before it all settled not saying you would be that long but each time they said it was working ok and it was my anxiety. This site helped me ask questions and I had my auto checks turned off and my volts turned down to 1.5 . I'm paced in my ventricular so I had the pacing set so it would kick in just under a second to allow my heart to respond first. I have no lower limit as such and as an athlete my heart doesn't need an upper limit so that is set high. Previous to all this I did have a 24 hour monitor and it showed I had lots of ectopic beats which I'd never had before just drop beats before pm. Once my adjustments were done I accepted all was ok and my heart was much quieter. It does take time for your heart to adjust to something kicking in that it never had before. I take magnesium which I believe helps and I do meditation and well being and trust my body so much more now. Deep slow gentle breathing exercises with help with palpatations. Each time I get my pm checked I get a read out of my results which you can obtain here in the uk. In time you will adjust but don't put up with anything that is uncomfortable go back and make sure it's all set right for you. Now I run cycle do anything and I totally forget it's there.

liz uk