First check up

Check up.

by Bigdan - 2020-01-04 14:19:51

I had mine fitted 19th December and was in after a week just to take off dressing and check the device was still attached and how much it had been working. 

They check it by placing something on top of the device which hangs down from behind your neck. They took over my pacing for a few moments which just feels like your heart is racing a bit. Its amazing really seeing it controlled through a laptop!

Regards, Dan.

interrogation

by Tracey_E - 2020-01-04 16:24:44

To me it feels a bit like when an elevator comes to a stop, that up down feeling. You've probably already had at least one, they usually do it before we leave the hospital. 

Interrogation

by Gotrhythm - 2020-01-04 17:01:44

First of all--you may not notice any feeling at all. A lot of people don't.

But here's what you need to know: feeling something or not feeling something--both are okay. Neither is a sign that anything is wrong.

Me, I'm very sensitive. To me, it's like the old days when airliners were much smaller and you could really feel the plane going up and down, particularly on landing. 

I can assure you it doesn't hurt. There is no danger. And at the longest, it's only for a second or two, and then it's over. 

It can be a weird-feeling, that's for sure. But you might not feel it at all.

The point is, it's absolutely nothing to be "concerned" about.

Check up

by Graham M - 2020-01-04 18:31:32

I am due for my second check up in three weeks and am not concerned because my first one was a doddle.  It's interesting when they take over and pace your heart from the lap top, but nothing to worry about.

I hope yours goes well,

Graham.

First Pacemaker Check

by AgentX86 - 2020-01-04 20:04:30

The test everyone is referring to is a dependency test.  Essentially they run the pacemaker rate down to 30bpm to see where your biological pacemaker takes over.  If you're only paced 1% of the time, the test does nothing (they may not even do it).  Even if you're paced 100% or the time and your natural heart rate is 50bpm and your pacemaker is set to 60bpm, the technician simply runs the pacemaker's rate down and your heart will take over at its natural 50bpm rate.  In either of these cases you're likely to feel nothing at all. 

On the other hand, there are some of us that, for various reasons have no natural pacemaker.  When the technician runs the pacemaker's rate down, our heart rate drops to the 30bpm the technician set and we feel like we're in an elevator in a very tall building and the floor just dropped out.  If you're in this group, think of it as the first hill of a roller coaster ride and enjoy the ride.  It doesn't hurt a bit but they should warn you that it's comimg.  The techs I've had always say something like "this may feel a little strange.".

It doesn't hurt at all but it can be a bit surprising the first time, even with the warning.

Hard to explain

by benne81 - 2020-01-04 21:50:01

To me it feels like a sinking feeling but only lasts a few seconds or as one might have a different analogy. Does not hurt at all.

50/50

by Joe Newbie - 2020-01-05 01:28:09

They did that to me, where she dropped it down to 50 and I passed out. It feels like you are moving through mud and it sucks. BUT the good news is, it only lasts a few minutes.

PM check

by WazzA - 2020-01-05 19:47:07

I felt nothing at all when the technician scanned my device! Nor any sensation  when the lower rate was increased from 60 bpm to 65 bpm. No doubt some folk are more sensitive than others.

Pacemaker check - every year

by LondonAndy - 2020-01-07 14:54:48

As others have said, it is nothing to worry about, and even though I am 100% paced and have no natural pacemaker, like AgentX86, it just feels like my heart getting heavy for the short time they do it.  They place a kinda "puck" over where your pacemaker is, to put it into test mode and communicate with it, similar to a bluetooth transmission.  I find the puck surprisingly heavy, but it is not on for long.  They do the same sort of tests every year - I have had 5 annual checkups so far.  

Should you feel anything strange happens between your annual checks, make a note of the time and date and mention it to the technician at the next test, and they can look at that time to see if it was heart related.  Obviously if it is a significant bad feeling don't wait for the next annual check, go to the emergency room!