6month interrogation ...pacing %%%

My atrial has been pacing at 77%  and my ventricular 30% since implant Dec 17,2018. My latest check up..interrogation ..Sept. 12,2019 shows a dramatic increase in ventricular pacing...it jumped to 86%. My atrial remains the same.  77%. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED WITH THE INCREASE.  I know it can fluctuate .  My doctor did not mention this until I pointed it out. I am concerned that something is going on with my heart..when I asked him why it was happening ...and so dramatic he could not answer...and got annoyed.  Note. he is just a regular heart doctor..not a electrophysiology.   

Can anyone give me some guidanc??

Steff

3 Comments

Conduct of physician

by Rivithead - 2019-10-26 08:23:58

Your heart doctor seems a bit of a jerk---if I may say so.  We all need to remember to be our own best advocates.  "He could not answer and got annoyed."  Truly a JERK of the first order.

Continual watching

by Theknotguy - 2019-10-26 10:45:54

Your pacemaker does a continuous watch over what your heart is doing.  Consequently it picks up things that you might not otherwise see or know about.  As Swangirl said, your heart may have changed and now you need the additional pacing.  The hardest thing to accept is you pace what you pace.  When the pacemaker sees the need for action it steps in and takes over.  

Non-EP doctors really can't answer questions about why you need to pace more or less.  And, quite often, EP's can't answer the questions either.  My favorite saying is that all heart patients are the same and all heart patients are unique.  Each person reacts differently even though things ar

e similar.   So your question would be a good question for your EP.  In the meantime, if you're feeling OK, I wouldn't get too worried about it.  Also remember the report numbers you see are statistic numbers and it's hard to get a handle on those numbers.  

Unfortunately some doctors react badly to being questioned.  When you're treated like a god it can be really disturbing when you're questioned.  Some doctors get really sensitive and annoyed about that.  My EP will readily admit he doesn't know everything about the heart problems he treats.  

I hope everything else is going well for you.  

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2019-10-26 10:50:25

First, I'd see an ep rather than a regular cardiologist for care. Cardiologists are plumbers, ep's are electricians. I'd also see a doc who's not a jerk. 

Second, it's possible they changed the settings last time to give the heart less time for the ventricles to beat after the atria does so it's jumping in sooner. That would cause a sudden increse in pacing.  It's also possible you are in heart block more often, heart block tends to do that. Either way, if you feel good, don't worry about it. If something has changed, the pacer changed right with it and is keeping you feeling good. There is no right or wrong amount of pacing. Many of us pace every beat and have for years. 

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

Member Quotes

I am no expert, but I believe that without the defibrillator that I have, I would be dead.