Newbie

Hi, I am brand new to this site. I am a 46 year old woman and I just got my pacemaker 2 weeks ago. I was diagnosed with severe vasovagal syncope, my tilt table test was postive, I was without a heartbeat for 48 seconds. The doctors told me that medication alone would not be able to handle my condition, which has been getting worse in the last 6 months. My surgery went smoothly and I was checked today by my cardiologist-he said all looks great. Just wanted to say hi!

5 Comments

Me too

by caliope - 2007-07-31 03:07:41

Hi! I have cardiogenic syncope as well, i;m 29 years old and have had a PM for 5 years now. It really changed my life, because I used to faint almost every day. Tell me something, did you experience fatigue? There seems to be a problem with one of the leads in my PM and I;m soooo tired. I sometimes sleep for 20 hours! I wonder if you ever felt this way...
Welcome to the club!

Hi Looney27

by hooimom - 2007-07-31 04:07:58

Just wanted to say hi and welcome. I had a heart block and got my PM a little over a year ago. I am 43 and doing very well with my PM. Sounds like you are doing great!

Michelle

Welcome

by bini - 2007-07-31 11:07:53

I also had neurocardiogenic syncope (I'm 31 yrs old), mine was due to low BP and slowed heart rate. I was fainting almost daily for 3 years...I had no warning when I fainted so I was getting severely injured all the time.
I had my PM installed on June 27th and already am feeling so much better.
I wish you all the best and if you ever need to talk please feel free to email me anytime!

Christine

Question

by winelover - 2007-07-31 12:07:30

I too have severe vasovagal syncope and fainted seceral times per day with my heart stopping almost every time. I got diagnosed and was put on beta blockers which stopped the fainting spells - not the feeling that I was going to faint. After a few months I started fainting again and were diagnosed with complete heart block, then got a pm and is paced 100% of the time. I don't understand how your doctors could let you live with fainting for that long, where you not put on beta blockers? Or, did that not help. When I was diagnosed my drivers license was suspended since the doctors, at least in California where I live, by law have to inform the DMV. I did not get it back before it had been proven that the beta blockers helped, so I was on sick leave from work.
Hope you all feel better.

Hello

by ela-girl - 2007-08-01 02:08:50

Howdy, looney27!

I've had my pacer since 10-12-06 when it was implanted via emergency surgery. I have severe VVS, too, with heart block. I am still on my beta blocker (Toprol XL 50 mg daily). Doctors spent YEARS trying to figure out what was wrong with me but didn't believe a word I said. Just kept medicating me--how frustrating. It wasn't until I almost died and they weren't going to revive me that my heart spiked on it's own and they figured it all out. I'm 30 and my doctors said that they would never put a pacer in someone as young as me--thank God I moved states, had this episode, and was blessed by a wonderful EP! It's great to have my life back (I've been sleeping most of my life away for years), and I hope you feel the same as you get to recovering.

Thanks for saying HI to all us! You've found a great site! There are many of us here with VVS and pacers, so feel free to ask questions. Someone is bound to have some ideas!

Happy pacing-
ela-girl

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