Shortness of breath

Shortness of Breath

by Julros - 2021-11-11 10:51:07

Hi Lorena and welcome. 

I think many members can attest to unpleasand feelings immediately after implant. I was short of breath berfore I got my pacemaker because my heart rate was between 35 and 40. I did a treadmill before implant, and I could only get it to 80 and felt like I couldn't breath. Afterwards, I had a great deal of pain, and anxiety with that pain.  Once the pain subsided, I realized the pacer wasn't  speeding up much with activity, and again, huffing and puffing. After several adjustments and a treadmill, I only get winded with a full on sprint. 

I would mention it to your doc, but also reccommend mindfulness breathing. I like "box breathing" and the "4 counts in, 6 counts out". Also Progressive relaxing is helpful for me. 

It get's better!

Yep!

by MinimeJer05 - 2021-11-12 09:33:18

Howdy,

I had my implant in early Sept. of this year and I still occasionally feel "weird" breathing spells. I can't describe if they're short or just like, my body forgets to breathe for a second. At first, they REALLY freaked me out and I think caused some sort of anxiety or panic, but lately, they've just become second-nature and I feel it for a second and then forget about it and keep moving on.

I mentioned it early on to the docs and they said they were normal and part of the adjustment and I don't plan on mentioning again unless they get worse or are tied to something else -- I am so sick of having to go into the doctors only to be told "this is a normal part of the process".

I hope yours go away, get better or morph into something less noticeable, such as mine.

I would bring it up to your cardiologist team if it gets worse or continues to bother.

Jer

SOB?

by Gotrhythm - 2021-11-12 14:13:00

Shortness of breath is one of those symptoms like headaches or nausea that can have 1000 different causes, many of them having nothing to do with the heart much less a pacemaker. As you know a very common cause is just plain nerves.

Because a pacemaker is the newest and most dramatic thing going on with you, it's tempting to relate everything you feel to the pacemaker. That's a mistake. Your body is still the same body and it still can have all the problems/maladys/pains/aches and just plain weird feelings it could have without a pacemaker.

Blaming the pacemaker for everything will keep you from looking in the right direction, which will cost you in terms of lost time and money for unneccesary visits to the cardiologist.