Can You Feel The Leads in Your Veins and Heart?

Not at all likely

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-15 20:44:39

I can feel mine (only two ventricle leads) where they're on the surface but once they make the U-turn they dissappear into the depths an I have no sensation of them.  I've learned at least one thing, here, though.  Never say "never".  ;-)

More nerves in circulatory system

by Theknotguy - 2019-05-16 19:47:41

Some people have more nerves in the circulatory system than others.  It's rare but it does happen.  I'm one of those rare individuals.  

I can feel my afib and can tell the doctors what kind of afib I have.  That's led to some interesting discussions with the doctors. The good news is I can tell when I have afib.  Bad news is I can feel every time they have to draw blood or put in an IV line.  I've thrown people out of whatever room I'm in if they start to mess up putting in an IV or drawing blood.  The ones who stick the needle in and then start wiggling it around are told very quickly to get lost.  When I got my pacemaker I came out of the hospital feeling like a pin cushion.  When they did a heart cath it felt like I had fallen on a concrete sidewalk and had gotten scraped - only it was on  the inside instead of outside.  

When they first implanted the pacemaker and the voltage was set higher I could sometimes feel the tickle followed by the hard thump of the heartbeat.  When they lowered the voltage I don't feel it as much.  I've also got two programs on my pacemaker for afib running all the time.  I can tell when APP kicks in because I get a hot flash.  When Minerva kicks in I'll get a stutter step feeling.  I can also feel when the ventricle side kicks in too.  Fortunately that doesn't happen too often.  When they do the pacemaker check at the doctor's office I'll tell the techs to take it easy on the ventricle side as I can really feel it when they run up the speed.  I always let the techs know to take it easy.  

So, you may be one of the rare people who can feel more.  Do the sensations go away.  Yes, after a while.  It's like wearing a ring or wrist watch - you feel them at first, then after a while you get used to it.  As I outlined above, I can still feel things but I've gotten used to it.  My other option without the pacemaker is being dead so I'll happily put up with the sensations.  

I hope everything else is going well for you.  
 

Feeling the Leads

by davbrn1765 - 2019-05-16 20:22:07

Thanks for the comments. I wonder that since the ICD lead is larger in diameter that it can be felt more? When I take a really deep breath, or arch my back a bit, I can feel the lead. I also can feel a sensation in my diaphram when I putting my socks on in the morning. It feels like a prick when my stomach is crunched up against my chest. Maybe I am getting some bleed over of voltage to my diaphram? I am on CRT so I am pacing constantly with two leads in the lower chambers and one in the upper portion of the heart. Yes, I have gotten a lot of lab techs that move the needle around. It is annoying, and seems to come from less experienced techs. I get an experienced nurse, and they do a great job everytime. Thanks again.