Pacemaker Club: Would my Biventricular device move?

Would my Biventricular device move?

by Roger A
2021-05-30 18:09:41
Complications
893 views
2 comments

I woke up this morning feeliing that my device has moved to the left closer to my armpit, I am not sure if this is normal, I had my device impplanted on 3/15/21, so is this normal? Anyone experienced this slipping device?

Also, lately I have been feeling for the past 3 to 4 nights, my heart rate is going bananas, it beats violantly, I feel that I need to take fast breaths and move my body slightly to get it to slow down, my pacemaker is working I can tell but these heartbeats are strange to me, and I atribute it to the device moving, is that possible?

Thank you for any response and information.

2 Comments

Pacmaker walkabout

by AgentX86 - 2021-05-30 18:53:46

No, it's not normal for your pacemaker to move but it's not unheard of. You can search this forum for many cases of just this.

The bottom line is that pacemakers are sutured (once) to the pectoral muscle and sometimes this suture pulls out and lets the PM wander a bit. It's something that you should talk to your PM about. It's not dangerous but it can be uncofortable. If it's a quality of life issue and you think it's worth fixing, push hard for it (you may have to).

It's highly unlikely that your PM is causing a spike in your heart rate. It's far more likely that you have some sort of arrhythmia going on. Again, your EP is the one to talk to. If you have a remote monitor, you might send a transmission while you experience this issue. Your EP can then tell what's going on. This isn't right either, and while it's not likely to be immediately life-threatening, it really needs to be addressed ASAP. If it is an arrhythmia, there may be a substantially higher stroke risk. Don't sit on this one.

fast heart rate

by Julros - 2021-05-30 19:03:04

I agree with AgentX86, you should be contacting your EP. I can't quite tell from your bio whether you have a history of tachycardia? If so, you device may be programed to "pace you out of it." A rule of thumb in competing pulse makers, whether sinus node, AV node, etc, or pacer, is the fastest one wins. If your heart is beating fast, then the pacer will speed up to out pace it, and if it gains control, it will slow back down to baseline. Or if it continues, the device may be programed to give a shock to reset everything.

Your tachycardia may be related to an electrolyte or medication imbalance, so this needs to be followed up by the EP. A shock will save your life, but one wants to avoid needing one.