Pacemaker Club: Feeling unwell with a pacemaker

Feeling unwell with a pacemaker

by Jamesormsby
2019-04-10 12:24:18
Complications
1082 views
1 comments

My first post so hello! I had my pacemaker 9 months ago then an ablation procedure 3 months ago. Also had a flutter corrected late 2016. I was mostly well before the ablation 3 months ago but now having regular spasms of feeling faint (but not blacking out). Had a change in medication last month too. See my cardiologist next week but feeking increasingly anxious. Any views out there?

1 Comments

Spasms of faintness

by Selwyn - 2019-04-10 13:49:57

Well done on posting and welcome to the Club.

Sorry to hear you are not well.

I have been the victim of a flutter ablation and two atrial fibrillation ablations. Let me tell you, there is no guarantee that the ablation has been successful. If you check your pulse when you feel faint, any irregularity would point to an arrhythmia continuing.

Clearly medication can cause you to feel faint. Particularly beta blockers and calcium antagonist type of meds. lower blood pressure and this can cause light-headedness.

Having said that, anxiety itself can cause light-headedness and feeling faint. There is a 'long standing' association between emotional state (eg. receiving terrible news) and fainting. If you appreciate the 'long standing' humour- most people will feel faint with a vaso-vagal attack in the upright position. Should you feel faint lying down, this is not likely to be due to a vaso-vagal attack.

Other causes of faintness can be anything from neurological, biochemical, haematological etc...

At the end of the day, if you check your pulse at the time, that would be a help to your doctor to know if there is a pulse irregularity. Keeping a written note of the circumstances at the time of the episode would also be of help.

At least with a pace maker you can be reassured that your faint episodes are not likely to be due to your heart slowing and stopping.