Pacemaker Shielding Materials

Please help!

I've had a Medtronic Advisa for the past 9 years. For the past few years all has been well. But late last year my PM check-up showed a 30 second pacing inhibition. When it occurred I was staying at a large rented property that my husband runs a classical musical festival at. I've been there twice a year for 5 years with no incident.

PM tech suggested the inhibition was caused by either a faulty shower or ungrounded appliance. But I've checked with the owners and there are no showers with electrics, and I had no experience of any kind of shock. My only thoughts are a commercial microwave in the kitchen or there is an electric fence outside for sheep, but I am sure I never touched it.

I now need to return to the property for a week later in the month and am stressing out. I've seen various fabrics advertised: the Lebok EMF shielding clothes and also TitanRF faraday fabric. I am wondering if anyone has any knowledge of if these would make any difference to possible interference, or indeed might even be harmful?

I know I probably just need to put it down to experience but the not knowing and the needing to go back is really worrying me as I keep thinking what happens if the inhibition happens when I need to be pacing. 30 seconds then seems like a long time!

Any advice much appreciated

Thank you,

Genie x

 

5 Comments

Hokum

by AgentX86 - 2020-02-02 13:14:00

I think your PM tech is a few bricks short. Nothing you mentioned can possibly affect your pacemaker, if not abused of course  (e.g. touching the fence or climbing IN the microwave).

Faraday fabric is just another way of separating you from your (considerable amount of) money. Pure snake oil. A tinfoil hat would do more good. "Faraday fabric", that's funny!

Then what was it?

by Genie - 2020-02-02 18:03:19

I think you are probably right about the fabrics! Thank you.

But I know I didn't touch a fence or climb into a microwave so where does this leave me? I've had no contact with obvious interference. The tech originally thought it was when i had my MRI it was so pronounced but the dates didn't match. 

Pacing inhibition

by AgentX86 - 2020-02-02 22:29:59

I think you have some more questions for your PM tech and perhaps your EP.  What sort of PM do you have (#leads, chambers, mode)?  Why do you have your PM?  Which chambers were inhibitied? What's your pacing percentage.

This could be just coincental but it's not something to ignore, either.  I understand your wprry.  You don't want your PM inhibted when you need it.

Did you, by chance, feel anything weird on your last trip?  Do you happen to know what time of day it was (looking for some coorelation here).

Devices are subject to error, but you always know how you feel

by Gotrhythm - 2020-02-04 14:24:10

I'm struck by the fact that you don't say you had an episode in which you felt bad, fainted, or some other physical symptom of a lack of pacing. 

If you had no intimation that something was wrong, the first thing to do, I think, is repeat the check up that "discovered" the "problem."

Before going on a major search for some interference when you have no idea what you might be looking for, It makes sense to me to make sure the glitch really occurred in your device and not in the machine used to check the device.

I'm pacemaker dependent. If I weren't paced for 30 seconds, my first clue that something was wrong, wouldn't be a device check. The effects of not being paced would be unmistakable, even if the cause were unknown.

Regardless of what a pacemaker check shows, what really matters is how you feel. 

Check up tomorrow

by Genie - 2020-02-05 17:57:28

Thanks everyone. I have my next pacing check tomorrow so will ask the tech then.

I am on demand paced, and didn't feel a thing i presume because it was mid afternoon and i tend to pace in the evenings. What is bothering me is if this happened at a time i do pace. I am on beta blockers for sss and my pacing rate has gone up since implant.

I never though the issue might be in the device as they did a physical exam and thought leads were fine. 

Will report back tomorrow!

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