Pain in chest when lifting arm
- by olderguy
- 2020-02-27 19:22:08
- Complications
- 1103 views
- 4 comments
I had my pacemaker installed Dec.20, 2019 for slow heart beat(30bpm)
Sometimes when I lift my left arm or yawn it is painfull between my pacemaker and heart, upper left chest area.
My six week checkup was fine.
4 Comments
Healing
by Theknotguy - 2020-02-28 12:11:04
There is a lot of healing that goes on for a while after the pacemaker has been implanted. The surface skin may be completely healed but for some people there can be additional healing going on under the skin.
They had done CPR on me and had broken ribs so, in addition to the pacemaker implant, I had other healing that was going on too. It was a two year process to get back to "normal". At six years out I'm still having problems because of the CPR.
You can search YouTube. Sometimes you can find a video that shows them implanting a pacemaker. I had found one and while watching I was glad I was out while they were doing the implant. After viewing the video you are left wondering why you don't hurt more than you do.
Also, the area under the collar bone (usually on the left side) is really sensitive with a lot of nerves. Consequently with the leads going through that area it can also cause pain. After my pacemaker implant on the left side I had pain going up into my left jaw and even my left ear. I still have problems with a muscle spasm on my neck on my left side and the only thing I can find that might have caused it was the implant and where the leads go in under the collar bone.
I also had soreness in the pacemaker pocket area. I went back to working at a charity woodshop making furniture. I'd be OK during the day but the next day it would feel like someone had wrapped my pacemaker in sand paper and then scrubbed it around. Tylenol, hot and cold packs were my friends. Also the area between my shoulder, the pacemaker, and my chest would sometimes get sore because I was always pinching the pacemaker between the shoulder and the chest wall. So everything you describe seems to fall in line with standard healing. Eventually, for me, the pain went away. Now, the I don't have pain unless I do strenuous work.
Hope everything else is going well for you.
pain when lifting arm.
by olderguy - 2020-02-28 15:25:55
Your comments has put my mind at ease, thanks
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by arent80 - 2020-02-27 22:22:51
One thing I've noticed personally and from being on this site is that everyone heals differently. All I expected after my PM surgery was a little soreness at the site and maybe some body pains. They don't say anything about the mental, emotional or even physical aftermath. I felt chest pains, pain by my implant site, pain by my collar bone, stabbing pains in my chest. I was even hospitalized for one night for Pericarditis. If your soreness/pain continues it could be your body still adjusting. It could be a pinched nerve. It could be anything really. But if it doesn't get better I would go back and push your doctors more. The other thing I learned is that if you stay in their faces the greater chances you have of getting a resolution so they don't have to deal with you any more. Sounds pretty bad but it's true. I don't stop pushing until I get what I need. I'm not at the dermatology office begging a doc to pop a pimple. This is MY HEART! So they need to do anything and everything to make sure I'm ok. Especially that I'm only 39. I have a lot of life left to live. Anyhow I hope you feel better soon. Take care sir!
Alejandro