General weakness

I had a Medtronic two lead pm installed in December of 2006. Two weeks ago the EP adjusted it. Since then I have felt progressively more weak and tired. In addition I have a aching left arm and hand. Yesterday it got so bad I went to the ER. They found nothing else wrong, but could not check my PM.

Today it is back again. Called cardio and they said the PM could not be causing those symptoms. I insisted and am going to see the Meditronic rep today at 1PM Pacific time.

If some of you have had any of the same symptoms please post as soon as possible. Thanks, Luke

2 Comments

what's your illness

by Whitman.family - 2007-10-23 07:10:35

I don't want to scare you, but my husband passed away 16hours after getting a medtronic pacemaker. They addimittly deny that it was the pacemaker that malfunctioned. My adviced to you would be to constantly check your heart rate. Make sure the pacemaker is not over pacing or not pacing at all.

Weakness

by SMITTY - 2007-10-23 12:10:16

Luke,

I would never be foolish enough (I hope) to try diagnosing your problem but the following article on Pacemaker Syndrome mentions some of the symptoms you list, especially the tiredness. My thought is this may give you something to discuss with your doctor. I would suggest that you pay special attention to the last line in the article.

Smitty

Pacemaker Syndrome

What is pacemaker syndrome?
Rarely, pacemakers can make some symptoms better but cause new symptoms. People with pacemakers may no longer have fainting spells, but they feel tired and listless. They notice pounding in the neck or chest, and generally don't feel as good during daily activities as they once did. This is called pacemaker syndrome.

Why does it occur?

The heart's pumping action depends on a number of things. It needs good inflow from the veins, a proper rate of beating, and heart muscle that squeezes well. The heart also needs to squeeze in a proper pattern. Each heartbeat starts with squeezing (contraction) of the upper heart chambers (atria). A short pause is then followed by contraction of the lower heart chambers (ventricles). If the pattern is changed even slightly, the heart doesn't pump efficiently.

Artificial pacemakers may help the ventricles, the atria, or both to contract (squeeze) at the proper time. They are designed to follow the heart's normal rhythm. They can be fine-tuned to maintain the normal pattern of the heartbeat.

However, in some people a pacemaker impulse may travel backward. This may cause the atria to contract at the wrong time. A pacemaker that fires at a constant rate may be just fine for someone at rest but may not work well for exercise. Either of these situations may cause symptoms.

How is it diagnosed?

People with pacemakers help make the diagnosis by telling their doctor about their symptoms. An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) or a 24-hour tape recording of the heart's electrical activity may be needed to identify just what's happening. The doctor may find abnormal pulses in the veins of the neck during a physical exam.

How is it treated?

Pacemakers can be programmed to change their pattern. The doctor may change heart rates, strength of impulse, and the small built-in pauses that are part of heart contraction. Most of the symptoms can be made better by changing these settings. Several tries with different settings may be necessary. On rare occasions, the pacemaker may need to be replaced by one that can pace both the atria and ventricles, or by a pacemaker that can respond to exercise by increasing its beating rate.

With the right pacemaker and the right adjustments almost all pacemaker syndromes disappear.

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