Jolt under right ribs

Hello all.

It's been a while since I posted on here. My issue isn't new either. I've had a PM for nearly 10 years. This issue has been happening randomly and sometimes quite intermittently however of late it's been more often. I have always forgotten to ask my cardiologist however I did yesterday. Does anyone experience a jolting sensation on their right side below the ribs. Sometimes it's quite intense and quite a shock.It's not a twitch I can actually see the "jolt" I noticed it more so when I'm laying down. I'm seeing my cardio in August and he will run some tests. He says sometimes it's a a wire stimulating the diaphragm however it's not dangerous. Has anyone experienced this?? 
                                    Thanks Chris
 

 

2 Comments

Jolt sensation under right ribs

by Gemita - 2021-05-15 06:30:29

Chris, hello.  Just briefly looking at your history I see you originally had a pacemaker implanted following an Atrial Fibrillation ablation.  Your history states that your pacemaker was implanted in 2011?  Is that correct or have you had an upgrade since then?  If not, an upgrade is probably imminent I would say.  (Sorry Chris, I see you confirm you have had your pacemaker for 10 years).

I note your cardiologist will run some tests in August, but in my opinion I think it might be worth asking if the appointment can be brought forward, especially since you are getting more of these jolt-like attacks.  It may be just as your cardiologist says and nothing to worry about but on the other hand, could the stronger, more frequent attacks of this sensation spell a problem (failure) of the battery or leads?  That would be my main concern.  

Are you getting any other symptoms, like more breathlessness, fatigue, poor exercise tolerance or any other signs that the pacemaker may not be performing well, or any other symptoms that you may have had before your implant?  If you feel well, other than your sudden jolts, then that would be a good sign.

As a matter of fact I have had a shock-like sensation occurring in the same area as you describe for a number of years, starting way before my pacemaker was implanted.  This also continued after implant, so clearly not pacemaker related.  It was traced back to an earlier surgery and was felt to be nerve related.  Neuropathic pain medication Pregabalin was prescribed and successfully treated the condition.  

In your case though I would perhaps ask for an earlier appointment to rule out battery end of life or lead problems and/or to get those adjustments as soon as possible.  You could keep a diary note of when it happens again and perhaps send a transmission to your clinic (if you have home monitoring) for them to check for any obvious signs of a problem?   Good luck

Jolt under right ribs

by tcm - 2021-05-16 03:19:46

Thanks you so much Gemita for your response. I don't think it's battery related as it started happening after my PM went in. I still have at least a year of battery left as it's checked every 6 mths.I'm thinking more diaphragmatic irritation somewhere. Will see what happens at next appt.No other symptoms. Thanks again.😃

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