Does anyone else feel their right ventricle being paced?

I'm 28 year old male with a medtronic AICD, which I've had for almost two years. With the exception of a few body positions that eliminate the problem, I can almost always feel a sort of tick or twitch on what seems to be the left side of my heart anytime my right ventricle is paced by the device. When I exhale completely, the twitch turns into a more uncomfortable pain more like a shock.

I was wondering if anyone else has this same problem? There are times when I'm paced frequently in the RV, and other times when I'm not paced but a few time per day. I ask all of this because my cardiologist wants to implant a Biventricular ICD, which will add a third lead to the LV, and pace both ventricles 100% of the time. At times this feeling from a RV pace is unbarable and makes it difficult to concentrate. I cannot imagine feeling it every time my heart beats for the rest of my life.

Please reply back with any experiences of feeling your pacemaker pace the right ventricle, and perhaps what the cause was explained to be. If anyone has a Biventricular ICD, please advise if you are able to feel the pacing.

1 Comments

Yes, Me Too

by TwoCents - 2008-02-24 03:02:17

I have a dual lead pm. I pace 100 % in the atrium and 40% in the ventricle. Over the past 7 years I feel a forceful and regular boom, boom, boom occasionally in my chest. I noticed that about 40% of the time I had this sensation. It finally clicked with me that the ventricle is pacing for the same % of the time. So, last doctor's visit I asked if the boom boom feeling was the times when my ventricle was pacing and the answer was....drum roll...."most likely, yes." So, there you have it. TwoCents

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