SOB, chest pain, lack of energy

New here, just had a pacemaker implanted about 8.5 weeks ago, I believe, due to right & left bundle branch blockages that were discovered during a cardiac ablation procedure.

Since having the pacemaker implanted, I now feel worse than I did before. I have chest pain frequently (I've been hospitalized for it once), I'm so short of breath that daily activities of living such as washing dishes, swapping laundry from the washer to the dryer or walking around our small neighborhood grocery leaves me short of breath and dizzy. The implantation site, while appearing to have healed nicely outwardly, is extremely sensitive to touch.

I have been to see my electrophysiologist about every 10 days since my surgery and I'm assured everything is working perfectly but something doesn't seem just right. I was just released from the hospital yesterday and there's nothing wrong with my heart in the way of blockages.

Does anyone else have any experience with something like this? I'm currently waiting to hear back from my electrophysiologist for his thoughts.

3 Comments

Hugs

by Lavender - 2023-04-11 22:22:00

I'm sorry to read that you're suffering without any resolution. I'm also stunned to hear you're seeing your EP every ten days. If they checked everything out and haven't put you on meds or changed your meds, what solution do they offer?

Do you have anxiety which would be helped by talk therapy? Is this something you have to live with and thus adjust to?

Being sensitive to touch is not uncommon at the two month mark. You're still healing. Stop touching the surgery site. I was told by my cardiologist not to touch the area at all. 

Eight and half weeks

by AgentX86 - 2023-04-11 22:33:00

Have you had an appointment with your cardiologist or EP (hopefully) since your PM was implanted?  Have you had your pacemaker settings adjusted?  You shouldn't be doing worse but it might take some tweaking to get it right. Make sure they understand (in no uncertain terms) your symptoms and how incapacitated you feel. One of the primary purposes of a pacemaker is to improve the quality of life.

Edit:  Sorry, It's been pointed out that I missed where you stated that you saw your EP every ten days.

Persevere With Questions

by SeenBetterDays - 2023-04-12 10:36:22

You are still fairly early on in this process so potentially may still have healing to do and time for your body to adjust to the pacing. I have ongoing issues of fatigue and chest pain which have a significant impact on my ability to function so understand how debilitating this can be. Agent is absolutely right, I have often been told that the pacemaker is working fine, but fine for who? There are tweaks to settings which can make a considerable difference to how you feel and how the device can meet your needs. Go to your next appointment with a record of your symptoms and activities which you find particularly difficult at the moment. Ask if they can review your settings and if they can suggest any potential changes which may help to improve your symptoms. It may be that you need an exercise stress test to see exactly what is happening with your heart under exertion. Really emphasize the effect this is having on your quality of life and be persistent. Good luck and let us know if are able to get any answers. I hope your symptoms can be alleviated as quickly as possible. 

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But I think it will make me feel a lot better. My stamina to walk is already better, even right after surgery. They had me walk all around the floor before they would release me. I did so without being exhausted and winded the way I had been.