Breathless after pm

I would seek advice from a doctor as soon as possible

by Gemita - 2022-12-30 15:14:23

Di please try not to self diagnose.  If you are in difficulty, I would seek help instead, especially if your breathlessness continues without respite?

It is hard to know what is causing your breathlessness.  I see from your history you have recently had an AV Node ablation.  You will therefore still be healing.  Your atrial tachy arrhythmias may still be present in your atria but these should no longer be able to pass through your AV Node to affect your ventricles, so you should really be feeling better, not worse.

I would send a transmission to your clinic (if you have home monitoring?) or seek help if you are in difficulty.  A transmission to your clinic should give them an idea of what is happening, whether you are still getting rhythm disturbances affecting your ventricles, for example.  

Do you have any other symptoms and do you have heart failure?  You really should be speaking to a doctor and getting the support you need

Reply

by DiD - 2022-12-30 15:51:31

Have contacted Arhythmia nurse before Christmas and she was going to talk to EP. Still nothing. 
My pm is monitored daily and they tell me all good. 

Be guided by your symptoms

by Gemita - 2022-12-30 16:21:57

Di, only you will know how bad your symptoms are and whether you can manage without seeking professional help over a holiday weekend?  Although I am reassured that your daily download monitoring is good and nothing worrying has been seen, you should still be guided by your symptoms and if these increase or worsen, you should still seek help.  

After any procedure, complications can arise like an infection and if you get worsening, chronic symptoms, these really should be investigated and treated as quickly as possible.

Try to stay calm because anxiety might make your breathlessness worse but please make a decision to seek help if your symptoms are difficult to tolerate.  I hope you feel better very soon and that the AV node ablation has been completely successful.  Do speak to your clinic again next week if you can and perhaps ask to be seen for a pacemaker check too?

breathless

by new to pace.... - 2022-12-30 18:21:36

make sure you keep drinking lots of water.

new to pace

Pursue it

by Lavender - 2022-12-30 20:19:00

Get back again to your doctor. Be relentless in seeking answers. It could be other things if it's only lasted a few weeks like covid, rsv or another illness. Anxiety can cause it as well. 
 

Do you have a pulse oximeter? Check your oxygen level. 
 

If it's an emergency, go to the hospital. Hoping you find answers soon. 

Thank you

by DiD - 2022-12-31 04:30:04

Many thanks to all of you for taking the trouble to reply. Pleased to say I have tested negative for Covid.  At 79 I have had five jabs and one taste of Covid. 
 

Have decided that ring hospital again Tuesday and if no luck will pay to see EP privately and chase pm clinic for a check. 
 

Di

Breathless

by Gotrhythm - 2022-12-31 13:05:39

I agree with others. Feeling SOB can have many different causes but the least likely cause is a malfunction of your pacemaker. It might take some detective work to sort out what is really going on.

If you don't have a pulse ox monitor, get one--available at any pharmacy. They're not expensive, and they are possibly covered by your insurance. It would be really useful to know if your O2 numbers are reflecting what you are feeling. It would also help your doctors to diagnose the problem if you could show them that your heart rate goes up, stays the same, or decreases when you are feeling breathless.

I, myself, have two conditions which can make me SOB, asthma and PSVT which is a kind of arrythmia similar to A-fib. To distinguish between them, the readings from the pulse ox are useful. With asthma, the O2 levels are down but the HR is the same. With PSVT the O2 actually goes up (even though I feel SOB) while the HR is very elevated.

Good luck in running down the real cause and hopefully, finding some treatment.