New pacemaker

Hi everyone!

Just joined this site as I had a pacemaker fitted last week - a BIG shock seeing as though I'm 27!

I have a history of black outs & had a loop recorder implanted a year ago. I blacked out on a packed train (I pick my moments!) last week & recorded my heart rate. When I went to the hospital on the monday for a reading they found that my heart stopped for around 20-26 seconds & i had an emergency pacemaker fitted on the Wednesday. I just wondered if anyone had the same symptoms & if this is a long time for a pause.

Thank you

Deb

8 Comments

Welcome!

by scadnama - 2008-02-20 11:02:04

I am 23 years old, and had my pacemaker implanted about 3 months ago. My fainting is due to Neurocardiogenic Syncope and bradycardia. I also had an implantable loop recorder, but I only had mine for about 2 weeks before receiveing my pacemaker. Never fainted on a train, but I did faint while driving once! Not fun!

Amanda

What is it about trains...?

by sboissonnas - 2008-02-20 11:02:38

Hi Deb, welcome to the site!

You know, you are the third person I know of on this site who's fainted on a commuter train and ended up with a pacemaker. (I'm one of the other two... I have a very similar story to yours, including my heart stopping for 23 seconds during a test. I too have a pacemaker, and I'm only 33. Nice to meet you! :-)

Unfortunately yes, your heart stopping for 20+ seconds is a long time. Or rather, long enough to show that there's a serious problem. The way the doctors explained it to me, they said yes, next time I faint my heart will certainly start back up again on its own -- "but maybe not in time"... (If your heart's not beating, then there's no oxygen getting sent to your brain, and there's only so long your brain can go without oxygen before suffering severe damage.)

So anyway, believe it or not, you're not alone! This site is amazing - there's almost always someone else on here who's gone through what we're going through. (And even if there isn't, there are a lot of wonderful listeners on here who are always willing to lend an ear or a sympathetic shoulder to cry on!) I hope you're adjusting well to your new pacemaker, and feel free to send me a private message on here if you ever need to talk or commiserate about fainting on the train. :)

Take care,
Stephanie

Welcome!

by tcrabtree85 - 2008-02-20 12:02:09

Hi Deb,
Welcome to this amazing club. You will fine a lot more people your age than you will imagine. I am 22 and have looked at a lot of people on this site as family. We are all here to help each other face the issues that come along with having a pm. I wish you a fast recovery and many thoughts headed your way.

Tammy

thank you!

by dw5281 - 2008-02-27 04:02:44

Thank you so much for the comments it really helps knowing I'm not the only one (that sounds so dumb!) Stephanie I couldnt believe it when I came round & I'd blacked out on the train - I felt like a total pudding but I suppose it was a good job I did or I'd never know!! just waiting for my follow up appointment to see how I'm doing - i might have to pick your brains at some point whilst I get adjusted - a huge thank you!

Deb

Your not alone

by grumpy0711 - 2008-03-08 08:03:22

Hi Deb,

I am new as well to this site. I had fainting spells off and on for about 20 years, but they were so sporatic that nothing was ever determined from various doctors. Until one day I was in MGM studios and passed out after riding the Tower of Terror. When I came around the paramedics were on top of the situation and took me to Celebration hospital . Finially they were able to determine that I was in afib and the diagnosis was sick sinus. They implanted my pm on the evening of the 23rd of December 2005 and I was released on Christmas Eve at noon. Happy to say that I was in EPCOT on Christmas day. I am 47 years old and looking forward to a long and magical life.

I had

by Megg - 2008-03-31 12:03:33

fainting spells prior to the PM,I would get a warning of about 3 or 4 minutes but the last time it was instantaneous,and I was riding a horse,fell off and got concussion.I have had no fainting episodes since the PM which pleases me no end :-)

Wow!

by kev-o - 2008-07-30 11:07:31

Hi Deb! I think you may hold the record on the length of time your heart shut off. My heart quit for 22 secs. Didn't hurt until I came to on the tilt table.I was not only blessed with a wonderful new wife to help me through this but I was able to find this amazing site with an incredible group of people with common ground. I am glad that you are doing so well!! Any suggestions on a good cardio workout I can get into? I am 43 year old male in reasonably good shape, but need to be beat back into good health. Welcome to the site!

Wow... my 9 seems so trivial

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-27 06:07:32

Just read this and got my PM for exactly the same reason but now my 9 second pause (with pauses around it of 4 and 6 seconds) now seems trivial. I am 50 and had just had a physical where my doc had told me he wished most of his 35 year old patients were in as good shape as I was. 3 weeks later I was calling him from the cardiac unit to talk to him about if I should get the pacemaker and he had already seen my records and said yep, but it was nothing a standard physical, treadmill or any other test he would have normally given would have caught.

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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