Feeling anxious

I just had my PM implanted 01/07/2019. The first week was horrible because they set it too high and my heart raced all the time and I couldn’t sleep. They dropped the setting and it’s been better but I still have trouble going to sleep as I feel like my heart is racing. It’s as if I feel my heart beating stronger than before. I also find if I eat a big meal my chest feels heavy after. Like harder to Breath deeper. I’m 52 female who’s always been super athletic with low blood pressure and HR. And over the last year I had problems at night where my heart rate drops super low and I almost pass out. And then this would happen more often. I know it’s only been over a week with my PM but I’m feeling anxious and worried about the future and living with a PM. I am a single parent who needs to be healthy for my kids. I workout on a stepmill and wonder if you know when I can start that again. The cardiologist said after 2 weeks I can do anything except lifting heavy items or things that involve swinging or raising the arm up. Does that mean I could do lunges, squats and other leg exercises? Sit-ups? Any answers or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

5 Comments

Fun with PM’s

by KirstyM - 2019-01-16 09:28:47

In terms of the settings, it depends on what your normal is. If you know yours, then it would be worth asking your doctor what your current setting is and lowering it if neccessary.

For me, I spent 10 days in hospital while I was getting my PM and ended up becoming aware of what my usual bpm was at night (46-50). 

When they fitted the PM though the standard settings were 60bpm, so my first night with it in hospital was a bit of a struggle. But, because I knew I usually have a lower heart rate at night I asked that they lower the limit and since then I’ve not had any issues with it in that regard. 

In terms of living with a PM, it really shouldn’t limit you living your life.

Obviously in the early stages it’s advisable to be mindful of the fact you have a wound that needs time to heal, but a week after my PM was fitted I did light excercuses like abs workouts and lunges etc :) 

In relation to anxiety though, I don’t think there’s a magical solution for that. I think it can be different for everyone, but personally I’ve found myself going through ups and downs. Sometimes as I’ve become used having a PM and I begin to forget about the fact I’m not invincable, something happens that shakes my confidence and brings it back. I’m hopeful though that as some point we’ll all find a way to disguard the anxiety altogether and regain the unconscious belief that we’re invincible. 

Thank you KirstyM

by Climbing Mountains - 2019-01-17 03:31:14

Just reading your reply helps. Thank you. The Cardiologist had to reset my PM to from 50 to 40 becasue I’ve been so used to sleeping at 33-39 for a quite a while. So even at 40 I feel it most of the night and seem to not be able to sleep as deeply as I used to. I’m sure this will take getting used to. And I’m hoping once I can exercise a bit more it will help my sleep at night. 

Sorry to hear you were in hospital for so long at that time. It must have been a scary part of your life. Here’s to better health for all of us! :)

anxious

by russell - 2019-01-18 12:00:45

When I got my pm 11 years ago I remember having the same feelings.  My bpm had been in the 30's and now they were in the 60's.  When lying down I was hypersensitive to what my body was doing and I felt like the bpm were abnormal. Totally freaked me out.  My wife laughed cause I'd say "i dont know how you people can live like this"  I had been training for a marathon when I got my pm and started to run again within a couple weeks, and still do.  I'm on my second pm and things are fine with my heart(it's my low blood pressure that's my issue).  I still get anxious at times but it gets better over time.  the bottom line for me is realizing i'm not perfect and infallible anymore lol.

Agreed!

by Climbing Mountains - 2019-01-20 15:05:48

Thank you Russell. And funny thing that’s exactly what I’ve been saying to friends and family! I find it hard to believe anyone can sleep with BPM like that. I’ve often said “how do you live like that? How do you sleep with it?”  I’ve been so used to sleeping in the 30’s. I’m glad to hear you were back running shortly after. I’ve always been very active and hope my PM doesn’t hinder that. Did you find your marathon time improved with PM or? Has your energy levels changed with PM? Any advice with endurance workouts with a PM? 

advice?

by russell - 2019-01-23 16:12:07

I'm not really a stellar athlete so I dont have any advice other than, for me, I needed to push myself as hard as I could.  That way when I didnt have an "event" I could relax later when I wasnt running, lol.  It took a while but now I see the pm as a gift.  The one marathon I did I met a guy in his 70's and he had a pacemaker and was drinking and eating hotdogs along the way, lol.  Another guy I met was doing his 5th marathon after a heart transplant(he'd mail his medal to the family who gave him his current heart) I was also able to do a canoe race from KC to STL on the Missouri that summer.

The "body monitoring" is the thing.  We get so sensitive to every little thing we feel that I cant just ignore the little twitches, blips and aches that were always there before.  I'm getting better at that.  I did talk with a counselor for a while to deal with anxiety issues

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