Typical symptoms?

I'm happy to find this group. I had a pacemaker installed 10 weeks ago for a complete AV block. I've been having a twinge/flutter sensation in left lower chest which is sometimes associated with a mild light headedness. My doctors office evaluated my remotely sent data and said I had no events. But, they are not interested in evaluating me in person or explaining my symptoms. Wondering if this is a common, familiar symptom?

10 Comments

Frustrating

by Lavender - 2023-01-08 21:44:12

When I first got the pacemaker there were two events that caused me concern. I had lightheadedness and felt anxious at that. The cardiologist said my pacemaker was working fine but I needed to drink more water. The heart was beating faster than I was used to and more efficiently so I was getting dehydrated faster. Since I learned to drink more water, it never happened again. 

Thanks!

by PuraVida - 2023-01-08 21:47:26

I'll give it a try.

Takes time

by Lavender - 2023-01-08 22:18:09

I have complete AV block too. It takes time to get used to the pacemaker. I've had mine almost two years. It took me seven months before I realized it was finally settling in and not causing weird sensations all the time. Your brain is adjusting and you get hyper aware of the new sensations. 
 

It will be okay. In time you won't think so much about it. Drinking more water made all the difference for me. Those darn cardiologists don't take enough time to explain things while they're busy saving lives. 

flutter

by AgentX86 - 2023-01-08 22:36:25

This can be explained by PVCs, too. If you can send a remote interrogation when you're having these symptoms, it might get to the bottom of them.  Pacemakers can't store everything for later transmission and can't see, or record, every intermittent, one-off events but they can send an electrogram of current activity. I had this issue for a while after my implant.  It went away with magnesium suppliments (as did my leg cramps) and, as others have said, water.

I exercise a lot and often forget to rehydrate.  I recently went to the ER after a fall and they found that I had low sodium.  I spent two days in the hospital to make sure it was a one-off.  I'd walked my usual 10mi that day in 80F heat and hadn't replaced enough salt (I usually have the opposite problem - eat too much salty food). One bag of saline and I was good.

Electrolytes are critical for proper nerve/muscle function.

Thanks!

by PuraVida - 2023-01-08 22:44:19

Lavender and AfentX86, really appreciate the words and advice. Love hearing about the 10 mile walks, as I am working to get back to long hikes and swimming. Making progress on the stamina, but slower than I'd hoped.

Thanks again!

typical symptoms

by Roger A - 2023-01-09 01:26:32

I had similar feelings, but I had to learn to balance drinking water and my medications, I would keep a journal and write down everytime you take the meds and how much water you drink, for me, it turned out that the medication for my blood pressure was too much and had to reduce them from two a day to one a day, also, you will be dehydrated and get dizzy, so ask your doctor how much wateer you can drink and be safe, some people retain water and that is not good. 

Share your journal with your cardiologist in order for him/her in order to figure out what is causing you these symptoms and correct it, they may have to do another adjustment on your ICD for the twitch you are feeling.

Good luck

 

Thanks

by PuraVida - 2023-01-09 01:33:51

Thanks Roger A!

AgentX86-good point

by Lavender - 2023-01-09 08:55:07

See I've already forgotten some parts of my recovery from the pacemaker insertion! I had a lot of PVCs. 

From Mayo site: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra heartbeats that begin in one of the heart's two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt the regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing a sensation of a fluttering or a skipped beat in the chest.

I felt a pounding, fluttering, jumping brief sensation with the PVCs  The heart is agitated from the surgery and it can take quite a while to settle.  I still get PVCs but not daily.  That may be what you describe. Drink water!  ðŸ˜˜

 

Thanks Lavender

by PuraVida - 2023-01-09 10:55:37

That's helpful to know!

See I've already forgotten some parts of my recovery

by Persephone - 2023-01-11 20:21:24

I'm glad for you, Agent :) I think we're on a similar time trajectory, I celebrate 5 years next month!

With regard to the water, I will splurge on "vitamin water" or similar occasionally - it has a waste component but encourages me to drink and contains electrolytes

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I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.