Questions

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by kmg021 - 2017-11-01 15:23:33

I am 4 weeks post op and havr had that type of feeling too.  I dont feel.it as frequent the past week.  I am transmitting every friday to my cardiologist and they have not contacted me so I am assuming this is all "normal" as my body adjust to this

Hope this helps 

Thank you

by Wade - 2017-11-01 16:18:20

Thank you both very much! It's good to know that there are other people going through what I am. The last few months have been very crazy with the ER trips, Doctors appointments, heart tests, and hospital stays. I was starting to feel like a freak for having such a low irregular HR but after reading several posts here it seems my story mirrors that of most of the people in the club. The fact that my story is not unique is the most comforting fact I have come across since this whole thing started. Thanks again!

It might not be this ...

by LondonAndy - 2017-11-01 19:18:44

... but I thought I would mention in case it helps when asking your pacemaker guy about what you are feeling..  I don't have SSS but "complete heart block" (or "third degree heart block"), following surgical complication where they accidentally damaged the electrics of my heart when fitting a mechanical Aortic Valve. In my situation the heart does not initiate beats at all, but can recover.

About every couple of minutes my heart would skip a beat or two - I didn't feel anything, but the gap between beats would show up on an ECG machine, and as mechanical valves tick like a watch, when it was completely silent I could hear the lack of a tick or two.

It turns out that the pacemaker was deliberately not initiating a beat in order to test if my heart would do so on its own - ie to see if it had recovered.  At the three month pacemaker check, they concluded that my heart had not recovered, and at this length of time from the surgery, it was unlikely to.  So they turned off the "gap test".

So I wonder if your device is doing some tests to do with the SSS?  Others will be able to comment more knowledgably, and as Robin1 says, it may be just your body adjusting to your new gadget.

SSS

by Cardiacdevices15 - 2017-11-02 00:58:43

Hi there,

without knowing your history there are a couple of things that could be going on. People with SSS will typically get "early" beats either from the atria (top chambers) or ventricles (bottom chambers) . They can be completely undetected or can be very noticable. Also, having a new pacemaker means  you are more aware of what your heart is doing. This is totally normal. Finally the pacemaker automatically runs periodic tests that may make you aware of a faster heart beat or a stronger beat. Personally for about two weeks after I got my pacemaker it felt like my heart was knocking on my chest wall. The heart doesnt naturally have metal and platic polymers placed in it so it can be hyperdynamic (more of an exaggerated muscle contraction) in the initial weeks. Age can play a role along with medication. A good rule of thumb is if you are feeling fine otherwise youre most likely just fine.