Lightheaded

Call your doctor

by AgentX86 - 2019-11-21 03:25:40

You shouldn't be feeling lightheaded. It's almost surely just an adjustment to your pacemaker but it could be more serious. Don't be brushed off.

I was (still am) having episodes where I was lightheaded one day a month (no, I'm a guy ;-) but up to two dozen times during that 24 hours. I reported it to anyone who would listen for two years, until I had a full blown tonic-clonic (aka grand mal) seizure a month ago. No one is brushing me off now. It has nothing to do with my pacemaker but may be a long term effect  of my Afib/flutter. MRI tomorrow,  finally.

Bottom line: it is probably a nothing but your body has given you a warning.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND YOU WONT GO WRONG

by Gemita - 2019-11-21 05:21:10

Hello Pacer2019,

Your final question is so revealing:  "Maybe they have treated a symptom, instead of the illness".  I would imagine and hope that you had your PM implanted for a reason (low heart rate).  When we need medical help, this help is usually initially directed at providing "symptom relief" as well as looking for an underlying cause for an illness, if appropriate.  Sometimes however a cause is never found and this is something we have to try to accept and move on.

You still appear to be doubting your original diagnosis, preferring instead to delve deeper into finding a "true cause".  Perhaps you are still in denial like so many of us.  I know only too well your dilemma.  I have many health conditions and potential causes for my symptoms that I wouldn't know where to start.  However, we have to start somewhere and treat each symptom as best we can.  Sometimes it is a slow process of elimination, listening to our body, making diary notes of when symptoms occur, possible triggers and so on.  Gather as much information as you can, learn as much as you can and take the evidence, if necessary, to your doctors.  You know your body best.

Clearly lightheadedness is not healthy and could lead to accidents while out driving for example, so I would definitely ask your doctors to investigate this continuing symptom.  Do you know whether you have any other heart arrhythmias like Atrial Fibrillation because that could definitely cause lightheadness as well as other troublesome symptoms.  But yes, start with the Pacemaker clinic and have them interrogate your system to see whether any changes could be made, or ask for closer monitoring.  But be patient and proceed slowly and effectively.  Your body needs time to heal. and you need time to get your head around all of this and consider all options carefully.  Direct your questions to your doctors like perhaps (1) Has the cause of lightheadness been adequately addressed by my PM ?  (2) is there an underlying cause for my lightheadness which has not been found and what further tests could be carried out to look for this ??

settings

by Tracey_E - 2019-11-21 09:45:07

It's pretty common to need the settings fine tuned. They start out with a good guess but no two of us are alike. If you have a home monitor, send a report. If not, call and ask to be seen. Write down the day/time you had the dizziness. It's no reason to be alarmed, but it does need follow up.

My guess? Your atrial rate got over your upper limit. With av block, the sinus node works normally so when you were working out your rate got faster. The pacer makes sure the ventricles beat when the atria does, however it can only go as high as the pacer allows it so if your atrial rate was 160 and your upper limit is 140, it's not going to feel good. This number almost always needs to be increased with active patients. When I got my first one, I felt fantastic right after. One day I felt so good I went to the mall and started speed walking. Next thing I knew I thought I was going to pass out. I freaked, called my doctor, went straight there. That's all it was, I'd bumped my upper limit. Easy fix, if that's what it is. 

Al;l o9f the above...

by donr - 2019-11-21 12:35:24

...comments are very germane to helping you.  Read them again and answer a question for me - How many tyimes does the word "Lightheaded" appear and how many times does "Dizzy" appoear.  Until you answer that, & the following question, NO ONE can help you!  The question is "DO you know what loightheaded means.  Can you describe the difference between Lightheaded and dizzy???  I'm not sdure at this point that you can.  All those people who have commented are old timers , abd they throw aroubd both terms in discussing your situation.  Lightheaded and dizzy are two compleyely different terms and describe symptoms of two TOTALLY DIFFERENT  causes.  One can be fatal & the other can make you feel like crap.

I am 83 + YRS OLD - and I did not comprehend the difference till 21 months ago when I experienced lightheadedness that preceeded a heart attack. I had been experiencing dizzy ever since I was about 15 yrs old.  Thank God for small favors - I was smart enough to recognize what I felt was NOT dizzy, soit had to be lightheaded.  I hightailed my miserable old buttt into the ER, where I had the attack the next AM while in the ER.  Dizzy is easy to  describe - the world is spinning aroind you (Or you are spinning on the surface of the world - depends upon your frame of reference) and you probably want to fall down or grab something to hold yourself up.  Like grab a door jamb or flop down on a bed.  You may want to puke.  Vetry dramatic.

Lightheaded affects me as follows:  the world gets hazy; I feeel disoriented and stagger - but the world does not spin, mor do I spin.   I feel like I want to pass out.

Dizzy is also known as vertigo.  IT is an ear based problem in the section that gives you inertial references for up, down, right, left & rotation about all three axes.   It gives you your balance information.  Ligghtheaded is a symptom of lack of Oxygen to ther brain - it can no longer process data rapidly enough for you to finctionnormally.  I THINK it can be a symptom of orthostatic hypotension - feeling hazy when you stand up suddenly from luing down, kneeling or sittting.

After being relatively inactive for a month, you could be suffering from EITHER of the two symptoms.  Like a couple of people said - you could have multiple problems - perhaps some of both.  So you are close to 60.  Growing old is not for the faint of heart!  It is also surprising that as you grow older, if you become inactive, you deteriorate FASTER and recover slower.  You obviously had a cardiac problem - heart block.  The PM took care of that.   You can now walk multip[le miles per day & you got back in the Raquetball court.  Clumsey footwork.  THAT is deterioration, most likely, but NOT if you reall have lightheadedness.

This not for us to diagnose or sort out.  You need to talk to your EP about it.  First, however - make sure you give the CORRECT symptom.  Make sure you know whether it is dizzy or lightheaded.  If you cannot, do what Will Rogers suggested - see a veteranarian - their patients cannot describe symptoms, either.  (Sorry 'bout that, I just could not resist, the Devil was whisperingf in my ear.)

Donr 

Thank you

by Pacer2019 - 2019-11-21 13:52:38

Mostly all good information except the guy who said I was wasting mine and his time ! LOL ..... I'm fine managing my own time so please don't be concerned - as far as others being stewards cot their own time , I would suggest if you have some to waste ...scold me- anyone who knows me will tell you THAT is a huge waste of time .

for the overwhelming majority who did invest some of their time in helping me with constructive feedback - thank you , it means more than you know at this stage of my journey.

i called my EPS nurse and had a great conversation - she even eliminated one concern I had which was interrogating my PM ( that's the term she used) ... moved the date from Feb 7th to Dec 11- that's progress in my mind. 
 

dizzy vs lightheaded ?  It's hasn't been like vertigo or serve drunkenness where I am staggering around.  More lightheaded is how I would charterize. 
 

my nurse suggested I monitor blood pressure and pulse, so I now am with a blood pressure device (cue the guy to tell me it or my watch isn't accurate  and I need a stethoscope or an internal heart monitor) .

i took BP sitting then I stood ....no change which is good , I think.

years ago I mentioned standing and feeling dizzy .... the elderly PCP said "don't worry about it unless you black out and bust your head open" ..... lots of benefit in a doctor you respect telling you to not worry lol !

next time I feel lightheaded I'm taking by BP ..... my EPN also had me send a transmission she will get looked at . 
the conversation was good ...she seems sympathetic to me wanting to understand more and stay on top of recovering.

I feel I learned enough from others experience and willingness to share to have the confidence to ask questions. 
 

*still haven't gone on the Medtronic link .... I'm a guy .... I don't read instructions. * 

thanks again !

T

Lightheaded?

by donr - 2019-11-21 14:27:47

It is good to know which it is - I at least know what you are experiencing.  DARNED GOOD thing you got to the Dr's office - sounds like they got you on the right track.  That sounds like a decent discussion.  If she got you on BP monitoring, that's a great thing.  High BP is a silent killer - when it is symptomatic, it can really be bad news.  Until then, it just works on wearing you down and slowly killing you.  And it is so easy to control w/ meds.

Chalk up another win for the A Team!

PS:  Go read about your PM  It's not a set of directions, so you can safely reaAD IT W/O THE "gUY'S uNION" GETTING AFTER YOU.  it IS UNDERSTANDING

dONR

Good progress Pacer2019 !

by Gemita - 2019-11-21 15:34:43

Thanks for letting us know about your progress.  Really good news you will get an earlier interrogation of your PM and that your team has been alerted about your symptoms. 

When you go to the PM clinic on 11th December try to get them to give you a copy of your downloaded data (at least a summary page) or better still some members ask for a "complete" download onto a memory stick. Then you can wade through it at your leisure and study what it all means. 

Yes blood pressure surges or drops can cause so many symptoms as I well know. Unfortunately our pacemakers cannot control what our blood pressure is doing. I really hope in the future they can make pacemakers capable of controlling both falling heart rates and falling blood pressure. When you next get lightheaded and if your blood pressure is low, try drinking more water. I even have to add some salt when my blood pressure  is really low (on doctor's advice).

Lightheaded.

by Graham M - 2019-11-21 15:58:28

I am also new to having a PM for heart block, and know how you are feeling - I am still feeling lightheaded occasionally. I did fall over and bust my head open, and I don' t want it to happen again so  I am pleased to have my PM.

It is easy to forget that because of our heart condition, every cell in our body will have been deprived of oxygen and essential nutrients, possibly for years. Now that our hearts are beating normally again, it is going to take a while to re-adapt, so I don't expect to feel 100% straight away.

I have an appointment with my EP soon and will discuss things with her.

Graham.

Very good

by Pacer2019 - 2019-11-21 16:02:15

Thank you - I am very happy to be interrogated (fortunately not by a congressional committee ) earlier than planned on 12/11.  

My fear was it wouldn’t happen til February and I would just be wondering and tip toeing around .

Finally spoke to someone in this Clinic who seemed patient enough to help ... then my doctors nurse who was very helpful - I am encouraged.

i also credit most in this group who have shared no matter how many stupid questions and how no matter how many times I post stuff ( I also like to chat with people in my circumstance) - 

what I have learned here so far gave me the confidence to advocate for myself. 

I have felt well today - tracking BP it looks decent 125ish/80ish - not perfect but I’ll take it . 

The best I feel is when I am active and moving ! 

Great day

by Pacer2019 - 2019-11-21 17:53:55

I was out walking today and my phone rang .....it was my Doctors nurse .

she told me she sat down with the doctor and looked at my transmission.

i braced myself as I had understood she would only call if something wasn't normal. 

she said based on what they knew about my lifestyle and age my pacer definiteky isn't set appropriately. They want me to come after TG so they can make adjustments once a little more data is gathered. 

she

She was very patient and very helfpful ..... I got kind of emotional LOL .... I was getting the feeling I was in this alone ..... in fact I told her I was prepared to advocate for myself but I felt like in her I have an advocate.

Truthfully ?  I really don't want to know all the ins and outs of how this stuff works .... I don't want to read the directions and jeopardize losing my "Hard headed mans club card" ..... I have no desire to be an expert in the field of electrophysiology or know in great detail how this little box in my chest works. 

I want to have experts around me that understand the technology who I trust that can just handle things ...

like when I get on an airplane .... trust the pilot.... not read the flight Manuel 

me ? I want to run, play racquetball , get sweaty , and out of breath like I was a month ago until I can no more. 
 

#feelingEncouraged 

Hahahah

by Pacer2019 - 2019-11-22 22:42:21

famous last words !

my Mom used to say hers should be “I told you I was sick “ 😂