Feeling beats from pacemaker

Hello, 3 years ago my wife was fitted with a two-wire pacemaker due to AV Block. My wife also uses concor or tenoretic because she has tachycardia arrhythmia. AV Block condition was more evident under medication. We have been experiencing the removal of AV Block for 6 months. This time, while the heart is beating normally, the pacemaker sometimes comes into play. My wife feels the pacemaker beats very strongly. When my wife takes medication, her pacemaker works more actively. I would be very grateful if anyone who has experienced such a situation could share their experiences.

2 Comments

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2023-12-11 10:09:20

I would suggest she check with her doctor. The pacer makes a very small signal which mimics what the heart should be doing on its own. The heart responds by contracting. It is much more likely it is her own beats she is feeling rather than the actual pacing. 

Being aware of our heart beats

by Gemita - 2023-12-11 12:19:19

Artos, you are describing very well the symptoms your wife is experiencing.  I hope her cardiologist is as attentive as you clearly are in trying to help her to understand what might be going on.  

I see she is taking Concor and Tenoretic to control the tachycardia.  Because of these meds, her heart block is likely to be more evident as both meds will slow her heart rate and lower her blood pressure, so any slow conduction is likely to be more pronounced with these meds.  Also sometimes a pacemaker is able to cause some unexpected rhythms, either due to medication or due to settings, so it is wise to have a word with the doctor to rule out any problems if she is symptomatic.

As Tracey says, I also believe that what your wife is feeling is her own heart beat.  I have tachycardia and take similar meds.  When I go into an arrhythmia, I am aware of stronger, irregular, slow, pausing or rapid heart beats, but these are always my own heart beats that I feel, not my pacemaker beating.  

So it is perfectly understandable that when we take medication, it can affect the function of our heart as the med tries to control our heart rate and rhythm as well as our blood pressure.

Hope otherwise, you are both doing well

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