Function

Who knows?

by AgentX86 - 2019-08-03 13:39:50

You've given aboslutely no information.  Episodes of what?  I assume you're talking about an ICD.  It hasn't "shocked" you. You wouldn't need to ask the question if it had.

Shock

by Buzzys246 - 2019-08-03 14:44:39

First thanks for being soo blunt!  You need not respond again....

i had sharp pain three in row mostly in my chest area in my back, had it numerous times while not exerting myself at all. Have had pacemaker for two years. Maybe it was nothing but have never had this before.

Thank you for any information

wow

by ROBO Pop - 2019-08-03 19:04:04

Nice body slam...

So 3 episodes means something happened, but what ...there's no way we can know. Next time ask your dr what the episodes were. My interrogations show multiple episodes every time but sometimes they are A-Fib, SVT, PVC, V-Tach, and so on, so you see there's a lot of different things and it's important to know what they are as some are just annoying and some can ruin your day (ie fatal)

I see your EF is 30% so It would appear you actually have a CRT-D which if that is the case you should refer to it as a defibrillator. Yes, a CRT-D does have a built in pacemsker but when you refer to it as a pacemaker it makes it difficult to interpret what you are saying. For example a pacemaker does not provide shock therapy, what we refer to as a Jesus Jolt. Whichever you have you should update your profile to either CRT-D or CRT-P which is strictly a pacer.

Just so you know a CRT is "cardiac synchronization therapy" and comes in 2 flavors strictly a pacemaker or a defibrillator. You will also see CRT's called 3 lead devices or Bi-Ventricular devices. All the same.

Now like or not, Maxwell (AgentX86) is right. If you received a Jesus Jolt you would almost certainly know it. It's an instantaneous thump of your heart that startles you more than anything and causes you to exclaim 'Jesus'. I don't consider them painful but they get your attention. Most doctors would say you had 3 instances of therapy if that were the case.

Again whatever you felt and the Dr saw on interrogation was not likely to have been full therapy, but make sure he clarifies when you see him.

Good luck hope this is somewhat helpful

Shock

by Buzzys246 - 2019-08-03 21:32:26

Extremely helpful Thanks

Episodes

by Marybird - 2019-08-04 14:59:37

The term, as others have said, could refer to any number of things. The tech should have specified what he/she meant in your case, or you might have wanted to ask your doctor about it.

Do you have an arrythmia ( such as a-fib, v-tach, SVT or other) that your pacer would document? If so, the episodes might have been one of those, whether or not they reached the threshold of needing some sort of intervention ( such as a change/ increase in medication), or was just noted for the record. 

Just as an example, I have a pacemaker for sick sinus syndrome, which keeps my heart rate from going too low with the antiarrthymia medications I take to keep my atrial tachycardia under control. Among the buzzers and whistles on the pacer ( a St. Jude Assurity MRI compatible dual chamber) is an Atrial Tachycardia (AT)/ A-fib alert which sends alerts to the provider in the event the patient has a significant AT or AF incident. The threshhold ( ie, heart rate and duration) for considering an event "significant" is pre-set by the provider. And for a significant event, the patient will be notified and appropriate interventions taken. 

But as explained to me by the pacing clinic manager in my doctor's office, the pacer keeps records of all such episodes, and these become part of the patient's permanent records when they're uploaded. If the incidents don't reach the threshold for a significant event that may need intervention, they're just noted, for possible future reference. I think the tech, or possibly the doctor, will generally inform the patient just FYI. 

But I'd sure want to know what it is they meant by "episodes".

Mary