Pacemaker implant one week ago

Yep!

by JennyFromHeartBlock - 2020-03-24 11:28:43

I got mine about 2 months ago and I still feel that weird burning from time to time. Doctor says everything is normal I'm just getting used to a normal, functioning heartbeat. 

Thumps, bumps, and other feelings

by Theknotguy - 2020-03-24 11:56:36

Post pacemaker implant it takes a while for the tissue in and around the implant site to heal.  How fast depends upon you, your body, time, etc.  You can expect to feel all sorts of new things.  It takes a while for the brain to adjust to this new piece of equipment inside your body.  Sometimes that can give you some strange sensations too.  If you do research on YouTube and see a video of a pacemaker implant you'll wonder why you don't hurt a lot more than you do.  

There is healing that goes on up to the time the surface skin heals over the implant site, then additional healing goes on under the surface skin.  I was doing OK, hadn't moved much so the underlying tissue formed scar tissues.  Went out to throw a ball for the dog and pulled that scar tissue.  It really hurt.  Then it took an additional six weeks to heal.  

I had a lot of itching in the pacemaker pocket at or about nine months.  Other people report "ant bites" as the tissue heals and the nerves regenerate.  I also had times where I would get a sharp pain in the pacemaker pocket that would last for about a minute.  Then it would go away and everything would be fine. I think that went on for about two years.  Doctor just looked at me, shrugged, and said, "You're alive aren't you?"

If you aren't running a fever, have chills, or have persistent pain you can probably ignore it as symptoms of healing.  

Hope your adjustment to your pacemaker goes well. 
 

"Perfectly normal"

by AgentX86 - 2020-03-24 14:41:22

You'll hear a lot of that from people with zero personal experience.  For me, at least, it was a comment void of information.  If I told them I stopped breathing for an hour or two, I know the response would have been "that's perfectly normal".

That said, what you're experiencing is indeed perfectly normal.  The incision for the pacemaker pocket usually rips up a lot of nerves, which take some time to grow back.  As they do, you're likely to get all sorts of sensations from that general area (left side from navel to clavicle, from scapula to sternum).  You'll likey feel random twitches, maybe stabbing pain, usually burning (like sunburn), and itching (the worst part, IMO). After I had my sternotomy, one morning I woke up with a bloody chest.  During the night I'd scratched so hard my fingernails ripped the skin and bloodied my shirt.  Yes, this is "normal" stuff. 

OTOH, you should report everything and anything to your doctor, and/or his nurse so they can both tell you "that's perfectly normal".  ;-)

Same feeling

by JaeJae - 2020-03-25 08:05:03

I have had the same feeling lately (had mine in a week on Monday). Mine was like sharp burning mixed with pressure. 

I did go and get some Voltaren ant-inflammatories and this has helped a little espeachially at nights. 

I'm having mine checked Aptil 1st and will be asking about it then too.

Good luck!