burning pain from lead

I got my pacemaker on Oct. 16. I expected pain/discomfort from incision. But now, whenever I am active I get a burning pain above my pacemaker. I showed my doctor where the pain is and he says that is the location of the leads. Neither my cardiologist nor cardiac surgeon say that they have ever had this reported before, and can offer no help other than try something over the counter for pain. Can anybody tell me anything about this?

3 Comments

Burning Pain

by SMITTY - 2007-12-28 08:12:15

Hi Vonnie,

No, I haven’t had a pain like that with mine and I’ve never heard of it before. But one thing I have learned about pacemakers is that each of them can bring their own brand of misery and way too often our doctors take the nonchalant attitude you have found. The pain from mine went on for several years before I got relief and all the time the electrophysiologist that implanted the thing tried to convince me it was not my pacemaker.

Be all that as it may, I have a few suggestions for you. The first is to get different doctors if possible, but I know from experience that is easier said than done.

My next suggestion is if you can tolerate this pain, give it a few more months to subside. Once in a blue moon these pains will go away just as mysteriously as they come. When it becomes obvious that the pain is not going away, you might try the same thing that solved my problem. Get an injection to deaden the nerve that is being “stimulated.” Now I’ll be the first to admit that what I’m suggesting may be totally out of reason and will not work for you, but it solved my problem. However, my pain was located on the right side of my chest, several inches from the pacemaker/lead implant area.

The only other thing I have to offer is do your best to make those doctors as miserable as you are until they get off their duff and fix whatever has happened. I’m of the opinion that if the doctors are smart enough to implant pacemakers, they should be smart enough to solve the problems that can sometimes come with them or get out of the business. This old crap of "I never heard of that before" is no solution, so far as I'm concerned.

I wish you the best,

Smitty

lead pain

by aldeer - 2007-12-28 08:12:35

My pm was put in end of August. Very definitely when I am very active I have discomfort with the lead.(so much I want to slow down). My lead is just under the skin and pm is down much lower then the collar bone area. After swimming or even anxiety, I feel the pain. I am not sure it is "burning", but up near the collar bone & shoulder area at times it really hurts...definitely from the lead area.

I have some lead and implant pain

by turboz24 - 2007-12-28 11:12:45

After 3+ months, my implant still hurts to an extend and when I move, sometimes the lead does cause discomfort. I am seeing another EP in another month, for a 2nd opinion. Even if you have a good Doc, a 2nd opinion is never a bad idea.

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The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.