Battery life

Hi. I have a Medtronic Adapta. Placed in 2010. (This is my second pm, but I'm finding the battery info a bit different this time around.) My battery life seems to be depleting quickly at this point. Last month it said 6 months. This month, it says 3. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar situation and if they could explain the schedule to me. From what I understand, this particular model will not beep or vibrate once it reaches the end of life, and as a single mom and a small business owner, I'd love a little time to (within reason) plan what to do once it's time for a replacement. 
I guess my question is: once the three months is depleted, do I then have another 3 months to get it replaced? Has anyone experienced a jump from 6 months to 3 months in a one month time period? And if so, how soon after that did they jump to zero months? 
Thank you. 

3 Comments

end of service

by Tracey_E - 2022-12-12 17:48:31

How long you actually have depends how they're counting the 3/6 months, if they're counting until it switches to elective replacement or end of service. But yes, the numbers are just an estimate so they can jump around. I've had it say 6 months for over a year, I've had it say 6 months then 2 months later it was already eri. Ask them 3 months to WHAT. Are they checking you every month now? If not, ask if they can and know it can be time at anytime. That doesn't mean it'll be an emergency, that just means you have about 3 month window from the time they say it's time.

How it feels when in end of life mode

by LondonAndy - 2022-12-12 22:22:45

I had a Medtronic Ensura as my first device in 2014, and that didn't do any alarms when the battery reached end of life mode either. So at my first check-up I asked the technician how it would feel if I got to that point. He set it into that mode - which is just basic operation, no "rate response" or any other sexy stuff - and told me to walk down the corridor. The only thing I noticed was that my heart felt heavy. So if you do get that far, which is unlikely, see how you feel.

They increased the frequency of tests to three-monthly - I never did feel that EOL mode. In October they inserted my second device. All was done the same day - piece of cake!  You'll be fine. At the hospital I had this done, St Bartholomews in London, a specialist cardiac hospital, they did 8 pacemakers that day, and the nurse said it was a quiet day! These things are completely routine to them.

Thank you!

by Jasclay - 2022-12-12 22:53:56

I finally heard back from my doctor's office this afternoon. They said I have three months until I reach the EOL, which is then another three months. So... Phew!
 

I had my first one placed when I was 21, and that one lasted 9 years. This one is over 12 years - so I've definitely been more aware of time. I don't use it much, so they said I most likely won't feel much of a difference. But due to 2nd degree heat block and abnormally low blood pressure - the few times a day I DO need it, it's key to have it working. Thank you again for your replies!

You know you're wired when...

Your life has spark.

Member Quotes

I'm 35 and got my pacemaker a little over a year ago. It definitely is not a burden to me. In fact, I have more energy (which my husband enjoys), can do more things with my kids and have weight because of having the energy.