I keep getting 'kicked' by my pacemaker

I am just wondering if anyone else has had this happen

Every now and again 1 - 4 times a day I get a jolt in what I presume is my diaphragm - it jolts me about 3 times in a row. It has no correlation to exercise -
Has anyone else had this?
My nearest Cardiologist is 5 hours away and I don't feel like running to him if it is harmless

Nicky

6 Comments

jolting

by Blueaustralia - 2008-11-16 02:11:28



I used to get jolts from my pacemaker. I would have to get up if I was sitting down as it was uncomfortable. It did not happen all the time. When I explained this to the tech they altered the settings and I have not had any problems since. I forget I have a pm most of the time. Take care, all the best.

Hi

by Gellia2 - 2008-11-16 06:11:52

Diaphragmatic pacing is a bit different than impedance checking. Pacing of the diaphragm is caused by the voltage affecting the diaphragm muscle with each pace and causing it to contract. In its most severe form, it can make you hiccup with each beat. If the voltage is extremely high, it can take your breath away. The voltage can be lowered to make the diaphragm stop contracting, or sometimes it is the wire placement and that must be corrected.

Impedance check is a feature that the newer pacemakers have. The pacemaker sends out a higher than normal voltage in a series of three shocks, many times programed for every three hours. This checks to see if the wire is working properly. As I am 100% dependent, my ventricular wire is in use all the time and doesn't need to be checked. I had the ventrical impedance featured turned off.
If your individual situation requires the check to be on, many times they can program the check to occur in the middle of the night.
I also have my atrial wire impedance check for 1a.m.
That way, I don't feel it at all.
Hope this helps.
Best to you.
Gellia

Kicked by Pacemaker

by livinlife - 2008-11-16 08:11:17

Hi,
I have had my pacemaker for nearly 3 months.I have had to have 3 'fine tunes' of the settings.
One of the reasons was I got a kicking feeling, once or twice a day, especially whilst driving.Seemed a very odd story.However ,my cardiologist said it was sometimes a problem for some people who were especially sensitive to feeling their pacemaker at work.
Usually the ventricular pacing started up when the pacemaker sensed body movement similar to excercise, but no increase in heart rate.That's why I paced whilst driving, the bumps in the road tricked my pacemaker into thinking I was exercising!
It sometimes happened for no reason too.As well as feeling a kicking sensation ,when pacing, I also get a strong desire to cough.I was told this can happen too.
My pacemaker has now been set to a lower voltage and a threshold of missing 2 ventricular beats in a row.Bumpy outback roads are no longer a problem!
I am also sleeping tons better as my atrium was pacing at 60 beats a minute when the pacemaker was first inserted.Every time I dozed off ,the sensation of my pacemaker kicking in, woke me up (between 5 and 12 times a night!)
Since my final visit to my cardiologist, all the fine tuning has paid off and I forget my pacemaker is there.
Give your cardiologist or technician a call.5 hours is a long trip, but could be worth it.After all ,pacemakers are made to be fine tuned to suit the individual .
Good luck.Hope it is sorted soon.

Hi,

by Gellia2 - 2008-11-16 08:11:28

If the "jolt" come three times in a row, try timing them. If it's the same time each day, this could be your impedance check. The newer pacers have a built in feature that checks the impedance of your wires. It sends out a higher voltage in a series of three jolts to check them. This may be what you are feeling. If you don't need the check, your dr can turn it off. It can also be programmed to do its "thing" in the night when you are less apt to feel it.
Please do mention this to your dr. I had to have mine turned off because the voltage would knock a cup of coffee from my hand every three hours. I had to become a clock watcher.
Now it's turned off and there is no problem. You may need the feature on, but it can be fixed to better suit you.
Good luck and best to you,
Gellia

UPDATE:

by nickydroo - 2008-11-16 10:11:09

I have an epicardial pacemaker (meaning attached to the outside of the heart)
There is no rhythmn to it - and I have had this pacemaker in now for 8 months and it has only been the last month that it has started happening.

I rung and left a message with my cardiologist

2 lead revisions

by berks41685 - 2008-11-19 12:11:43

I had diaphragmatic pacing about a week after my first implant. They tried to readjust the settings, turn the voltage down, ect with no relief of my symptoms. They actually went back in and moved the lead in my ventricle because it was too close to my frenic nerve "so they said".

the first surgery didn't help at all, a week later the symptoms returned and my Cardiologist was speechless, saying he'd never seen anything like this. So unfortunately another week later we went back in and place my ventricular lead on my septal wall. Since then I've had no problems with my diaphragm.

I hope you don't have to go through all this, but if necessary it's not soo bad. Good luck!

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