Postural Hypotension? Tapping?

Can't help much but...

by AgentX86 - 2018-10-20 11:47:22

After you send an upload, you might want to call the technician or your doctor's office (depending on the severity of your symptoms - in your case, I'd be all over my doctor) to "make sure they got the transmission".  That's code for "WTF is going on?".  I've found that they're not the best at getting back to me unless there is something really bad going on.  Also, there is only so much that the pacemaker can capture.  In your case, it's probably not reporting anything unusual so they're not getting back to you because there isn't anything to report.  In my case, they weren't seeing anything because I was having bigeminy (PVC between each normal beat) but the PM reported nothing because it needs a string of four PVCs without a normal beat to trigger it.  Single PVCs get ignored, even though it can go PVC-beat-PVC-beat for hours at a time.  I had to actually capture this pattern when I was uploading so they could see it in the 10-second (that's all it records) EKG.  Contrary to popular opinion, pacemakers can't record all that much.

Again, with your symptoms, I'd be camping out at my doctor's office until they got on top of it.  Syncope is serious stuff.

Really?

by asully - 2018-10-20 12:41:34

I think mine collects all kinds of data.  I know one transmission came back saying I had some elevated HR a few times, but the tech did not sound woried and passed it on.  I kind of feel like I am being ignored cuz dizziness and syncope generally come with territory, it feels like whining to keep calling.  I’ve rehydrated eaten well all week, but still having problems, I have trouble getting up to walk across the house but 3-4 months ago I was in the gym lifting for two hour a day.  I’ve tried the tapping thing but not effective when you want your pacer to help you GO somewhere at a reasonable speed.

Also: I recently discontinued lisinopril but stayed on my 80 of Lasix.  Could this be giving me lower blood pressure?

PM recording

by AgentX86 - 2018-10-21 21:17:37

I'll record statistics but the triggers for time stamping and snapping an EKG record are quite limited.  I was surprised that the EKG was only 10 seconds, too.

If you're having severe dizzyness and any syncope, get the attention of your EP immediately. If you can't get them to take you seriously you really have no choice but to fire them.  Syncope is nothing to fool around with.  It may just kill you, even if it's for a "benign" reason.  Think "driving" and "stairs".  They owe you an explanation for your inability to function at least as well as you did before, too. 

I've never done the tapping thing, so can't help there.  I doubt the accelerometer is that dumb, though.

Discontinuing Lisinopril should raise your BP significantly (I assume you were on it because it worked to reduce your BP).  It worked like a champ for me until my shoulders froze (two weeks after stopping it I was fine).  Nothing worked nearly as well, though it hasn't had to recently.

Meds

by asully - 2018-10-22 13:18:11

He did not discontinue lisinopril except by my request for side effects.  He also said I don’t need it anymore.  I’m also on 80mgs lasix daily he wanted to drop dose last visit, because I was feeling good at the time, however I battled chubby ankles all summer and asked to keep it at that dose and I can adjust as needed.  I have only been taking my lasix every other day cuz of dizziness.  I heard back by email from doc who said “your having short runs of a arythmias, this is normal, if they bother you too much let us know”.  I then emailed the EP and asked her more details about settings that could be adjusted to account for postural hypotension I guess some devices do that, not sure if mine can, or if it would be possible in my case.

I should also add that in last 3 months my weight has dropped from 145 to 125.  Which could be diet related or could signal something worse.

Sorry for rambling and obsessing but I was doing great for about a year, 2 hrs in the gym, not getting winded or tired; then all of a sudden a lot of it’s back.  I just want answers and solutions from the doctors so I do t have to speculate.

Thanks again for responses!

Never updated

by asully - 2020-06-19 23:24:57

Turned out I was decompensating from stress induced cardiomyopathy as a result of unrelated medication discontinuation, it took six months to figure out but my EF was dropping rapidly.  Got down to low 30's.  The docs did not figure out what was going on, I did research and sugguested it to them at which point they pretended they knew that was it all along.  Anyways good news, I survived and EF has been going up slowly over last year.  I just made a new post that I realized relates back to this one and the tachycardia.

One more note-

by asully - 2020-06-19 23:27:59

Tapping totally does elevate my heart rate, I use this trick now to get my HR up faster when I am on the treadmill and it's not sensing enough movement, I'm sure everyone at the gym thinks I am a weirdo.  Also have done it resting with heart rate monitor on to confirm it works lol you don't have to tap hard but you need to do it for about 2 minutes for it to work.