Lead anchor moved after exercising

I had my first pacemaker at the age of 4, 22 years ago, and i haven't had really any issues since then.

i've been exercising more during the pandemic, and i just kept doing it. nothing heavy, no gym, just body weight exercises at home. Last week while i was doing some pushups i felt a strange pain/discomfort below the collarbone, close to the pacemaker. i didn't think about it too much, but the morning after, i still had a slight pain/discomfort, so i decided to go to the ER to get checked (i thought i might have broken one of my leads). ECG was nominal, x-rays too, so i was let go without fuss.
i now noticed that just under my scar i can feel the ridges of the lead anchor. it wasn't there before... so i managed to move my lead (not inside the heart luckly) while exercising.
 

has anyone experienced something like this before? right now it isn't painful, but i can feel something is off, i usually don't even feel having a pacemaker

5 Comments

Lead pulled?

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-25 21:46:27

It would be really surprising that your lead pulled out of the pacemaker. More surprising because the x-ray showed nothing unusual.

My leads are easily visible and I can feel the ridges as they exit the PM (don't play with it). 

Since the emergency room hasn't been helpful, it's time to see your cardiologist to make sure. If you have a remote unit you can send a remote interrogation to your cardiac team.  That'll certainly show a broken lead.

talk to your ep

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-25 22:33:55

I moved my box scaling a wall during a Spartan race. I sent a report and nothing had changed so nothing to worry about. We discussed repostitioning it but it's annoying, not painful, so I chose to wait until my next battery change. 

If you have 22 year old leads and have had a replacement, you've probably got one of those huge connectors like I have. That's how they connect new boxes to old leads. They are a lot tougher than we are. If you look, at it on the xray, it's amazing it's not hugely conspicuous to the touch. 

If you have a home monitor, send a download. If not, ask to be seen just to make sure all is well. 

 

Feel

by PacedNRunning - 2023-03-26 03:09:13

I've always been able to feel my leads connected my device. Sure it wasn't there before?  Feels like peas under the skin and wire. 
 

more info

by Ubs - 2023-03-26 19:07:47

i don't think i detached the lead from the generator, my pulse is ok, and the ECG didn't show any odd electrical activity. I'll send a remote report as AgentX86 suggested.

PacedNRunning i've always felt my leads ofc, i'm fairly thin, but i've never felt the lead anchor (a plastic sleeve around the leads sutured to the pectoral muscle) this low. i could feel some of it quite deep close to the clavicle, but it is right next to the generator now. i can feel its ridges just under the scar

Compare

by PacedNRunning - 2023-03-27 04:25:58

Can they compare a previous X-ray the the recent one to see if it moved or slide down? I was told you can't feel suture sleeves. I have them but only feel the connectors. 

You know you're wired when...

You fondly named your implanted buddy.

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