First Post for SlowSam

Let me introduce myself. I'm 73 years old with a long history of a slow resting heartrate, quite often in the low to mid 40s for the last 10 years or more. On December 11, 2019, I had a pacemaker implanted: a dual chamber SJM.

I was having some episodes of light-headedness and some instances of struggling to stay awake, especially in the afternoon. My EP considered that these symptoms plus some ECG anomalies, were enough to convince him that I needed the pacemaker.

I know three weeks may not be a sufficiently long time to judge the effectiveness of the pacemaker, but as far a I can tell there is not improvement in the bouts of daytime sleepiness, and little if any improvement with the lightheadedness.

Of course, this is just a rough sketch of my journey with bradycardia. I'm sure that I will be adding more posts in the near future. 

So far, I have found this website to be very helpful and interesting

6 Comments

Tiredness and lightheadedness

by Selwyn - 2020-01-04 07:33:22

The indications for pacemaker insertion are medically  well documented.

Tiredness and lightheadedness may be associated with many different conditions, of which having a slow heart rate is one.

There is always stress having had a pacemaker inserted. Tiredness and lightheadedness are associated with stress.

There are many other causes ( eg, thyroid, sleep apnoea etc ).

If you remain with the symptoms by your first pacemaker check, you should again be talking to your physician about this.

Also ...............

by IAN MC - 2020-01-04 07:59:59

In addition to the points made by Selwyn, tiredness is a common side-effect of many drugs.  You don't mention which drugs you are taking .    It is just possible that you are that rare species... a 73 yr old who doesn't take any drugs , if so, congratulations !

On the other hand , if you don't have other medical conditions causing your symptoms you may just need some minor adjustments to your pacemaker settings.  It isn't normal to feel the way you do so I do hope that you resolve it at your next Dr appointment,

Ian

 

Slow Sam

by Kimmiee2 - 2020-01-04 11:10:06

I am 7.5 months post pm and I have the dizziness and fatigue more now than 4 months ago. I do not take any meds.

i have a dual chamber Biotech I have been using 42 percent upper chamber and nothing lower but I go for a check up in two weeks 

I started experiencing more symptoms now and the anxiety is very real 

I do feel better after walking and stretching. I also have good  days and even forget sometimes I have it.

i am 61 years young and felt great before being told I need it....be patient it will get easier but listen to your body you know it!!!

Happy New Year!!

First pacing check

by WazzA - 2020-01-04 13:13:49

Hi Slowsam, I can understand your expecting immediate improvements to sleep patterns & light headednes. 3 weeks is pretty early to expect too much though some folk do get fast/immediate releif. Once your first pacing check takes place they may well make some minor tweaks for you. Meantime you could ask for a reveiw to your meds if you are on any.

 My lower rate was increased when I told them I was still feeling short of breath at my pacing check.

 As ever if you are unsure of anything go straight to the professionals without delay. Best wishes.

Early days.

by Graham M - 2020-01-04 18:17:32

You don't say why you have bradycardia, but I presume it is some form of heart block.  I am now 64 and have had my PM for nearly 5 months for Mobitz Type 2 block.  My heart was missing beats and I felt tired and lightheaded for about 18 months before having an episode of syncope which resulted in me having a DDD PM implanted.  For about 3 months, I continued to feel lightheaded and my heart still missed the odd beat, but that all gradually improved and is OK now.  I still don't sleep very well at night, but I can snooze on the train to and from work each day.

It had been explained to me in the hospital that it would take several months for my body to adapt to the PM, so I wasn't too worried that it took 3 months.  I now feel so much better than I did before.

Welcome to PM Club and best wishes for your recovery.

Graham.

Sorry for the delay in replying. However, I am SlowSam.

by SlowSam - 2020-01-15 18:39:43

First of all, in my first post here at pacemakerclub, I had intended to merely introduce myself, but I did get carried away with adding stuff that did suggest a desire, on my part, for advice, etc. To be sure, I do welcome the replies of all of you.

Yes. I expect to get some answers regarding my pacemaker and related issues at my next EP appointment.

 

You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

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