Anxiety/ Nausea

symptoms following pacemaker implant

by Gemita - 2020-03-07 08:29:59

Hello Yaz,

I am sorry you are still feeling poorly.  I had a quick peep of a previous posting from you on the same subject.  It would perhaps be all too easy to blame your current symptoms on the pacemaker alone, the implant surgery and being paced for the first time when in fact you could have another health condition present.  Have you been back to your general doctors for a few checks ??  Nausea is a clear sign of a gastric issue, including esophageal reflux disease, problems with stomach emptying or digestion, gastric ulcers, gastritis (inflammation) and so on.

It could be that you became very anxious during the lead up to your pacemaker and the stress has caused a gastric problem to surface.  Maybe a short course of an indigestion medication might help or a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) like Lansoprazole if anxiety is causing increased stomach acidity and reflux.  These are things I would be asking my doctors.  Stick to a bland diet (nothing too heavy, rich or spicy)  and drink plenty of clear fluids will also help.  Avoid coffee, cola for a while since both can cause worsening of any esophageal reflux.  It can do this by causing a relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and allowing more stomach acid through to affect our esophagus.

I did have a worsening of my gastric symptoms shortly after my implant (but I already had gastric problems before).  I found that the implant surgery (mainly from the throat intubation during surgery) affected my lower esophgagus for weeks afterwards and caused increased gastric reflux.  A short course of a PPI helped.  I also find a low dose beta blocker like Bisoprolol can help dampen any anxiety and keep my heart rate and rhythm stable.  I now have no major symptoms and my pacemaker is doing a brilliant job of keeping my heart firmly under control.  

It is possible that due to the proximity of all of our organs:  stomach, esophagus, heart, some damage might have occurred during pacemaker surgery and this may need to be fully investigated.  My husband for instance had a complication which caused a build up of bloody fluid to develop bottom left lung.  It had to be drained to relieve his symptoms.  Some people get damage to their phrenic nerve causing difficulty with their diaphragm.  The list is endless so this is why if you are in any way concerned, you should keep going back to your doctors until you get some answers or respite from your symptoms.  I do hope for the very best

Coping

by Yaz - 2020-03-07 08:50:21

Thanks for info. I've had three chest X-rays over past 6 weeks and they tell me wires all good but just needed pm programming better. Numerous members seem to have a few odd feelings post reprogramming so hopefully things will calm down. I think I'm over thinking it all and just struggling with getting used to the idea of a pacemaker. Need to calm myself I think. 

You are probably right

by Gemita - 2020-03-07 10:19:51

and I wont be helping you by putting more thoughts into your head.  The body is quite capable of looking after itself without any input from us.

I know from personal experience that when my heart rhythms are a bit "off" I can often feel palpitations in my stomach rather than coming from the heart. This can make me feel weak and  slightly nauseous.  Quite strange really, but many others have commented on this too.  As I said our stomach, esophagus and heart are so closely positioned and often a problem with one will affect the other.  Cardiologists are fully aware of a gastro-cardiac link.

Maybe when they have got your settings right for you, you will feel the pacing and your symptoms less.