new pace maker patient

I'm a 41 year old woman, with angina and I woke up one day and I felt sick so I went to a doctor and after checking my vital signs he said my pulse is only 30 and I need a pacemaker,is this normal?

3 Comments

Normal?

by ela-girl - 2008-06-26 09:06:45

I'm not sure what you mean, martika 7. Do you mean is it normal for a pacemaker to be suggested for someone with a heart rate of 30 BPM? Because 30 BPM would not be considered normal in my book! Nor is any other heart related problem normal. What kind of angina do you have? I would think it is common these days for doctors to suggest pm's for low heart rates because low heart rates can lead to low BP (blood pressure) and not enough blood flow to the brain or other important organs in the body. This can cause a lot of problems like blacking out, dizziness, etc. I suffered from severe bradycardia, and this is one reason I now have my pm.

So, I hope my comment helps a little and if not, keep asking questions. We'll all try to help you out the best we can from our experiences!

ela-girl

new pace maker patient

by Dorothy - 2008-06-27 12:06:29

I got my PM last year because I felt dizzy as I stood up from planting flowers and then started checking my Bp and pulse and pulse was always below 40.went to the doctor and found that my AV node is messed up. to this day I swear it is caused by dental visit to get two crowns.I could be wrong and it is in my head. the reason my pulse was low due to the lazy AV node which sends out the electrical impulses. I hope that makes sense.there should be a reason for low pulse.
Dorothy.

PPM

by TexasBeat - 2008-07-06 11:07:26

Whenever we had a patient go below 40 bpm it was most likely we implanted a PPM. I was taking a medication that sent my heartrate down to 36. I was monitored as they took me off the med. They thought all was ok... hindsight, it was a big signal I had a problem and now have a defibrillator.

Most patients reported Heache, dizziness, Chest pain, excessive Sleepiness when heartrate was below 40. Unless your a marathon runner or extreme athlete..your doc is going to advise a pacer.
Continue to follow your Doctors advice, please ask questions and be a voice in your treatment.

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Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

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