Battery End Of Life (EOL)

Hi,

I recently went for a check up which I had requested as I had been feeling breathless and exhausted for afew weeks. I was told my pacemaker battery was showing EOL and had to be admitted as an emergency, and after a stressful 15 hour wait and ambulance transfer to another hospital with a cardi lab I was given a shiny new pacemaker. I have had it for a month now but still don't feel 100%. I am slightly breathless still and falling asleep on trains which I never used to do.

Does anyone know what damage/strain is put on the heart if a battery reaches its EOL? The cardiologist has raised an AI (? Not sure what this is, but maybe Active Investigation?) as there was clearly an error within the pacing department (I had been sent away from an appointment in September untested, and at the previous test in July 2018 they said I had a year and a half battery life left, although in February of the same year they had said it only had a year left - When I queried this at the time they told me it can happen. I was dubious but had to trust them as they are the trained technicians).

When I had my previous implant I recovered much quicker. I am still only 50 and was swimming 1km 3-4 times a week, so am not unfit. I just don't feel right. There is still bruising around the immediate pacemaker area and swelling round the pacemaker and armpit and slight pain down my left arm, although the leads weren't replaced.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

3 Comments

call them

by Tracey_E - 2019-02-23 13:10:56

Being EOL isn't good, but it's not damaging either. It's more likely they didn't put the settings on this one where your last one was or the new one has features the old one didn't that need to be fine tuned. I'm on my 5th and have had to go back in for settings adjustments after two of them. Call and tell them you don't feel right. 

Thank you

by LondonMel - 2019-02-23 14:35:22

Thank you Tracey, I will book an appointment and get them to tweak the settings.

Battery life

by Jpickett - 2019-04-04 12:58:34

Received PM July 2018 doctor said it has a 10 year battery, on my 6 month exam the tech said I have 7 1/2 years left at this rate I'll need a new Pm in

2 1/2 - 3 years

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Member Quotes

It is just over 10 years since a dual lead device was implanted for complete heart block. It has worked perfectly and I have traveled well near two million miles internationally since then.