Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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Living life

Hello to everyone! The first few months of the year were spent in seeing my various doctors and specialists. Every one has said there will be no need to visit more than once a year from now on. It is funny to say, but I feel like a "normal" person again! I mean, really normal people don't take several kinds of medication & have a device in their body to make sure those meds don't kill them, but still...My body is woring (almost) the way it should!

I took a sightsee...

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HCM and Co-enzyme Q10

Morning everyone 

pick anyone's brain,, I've read that over the counter Co-enzyme Q10 helps with the thickening of the heart walls and blood pressure of HCM suffers. Any thoughts of this? Anyone tried? 
willing to try most things to make the day a little better,, 

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Cardiologist Recommended I Get A Pacemaker

I just received the recommendation to consider a pacemaker.  I spoke to the surgeon yesterday by phone.  I started reading everything I can find on the internet.  The advice seems legitimate. I've had heart disease and prior heart damage, 3 way by-pass surgery 18 years ago, brachycardia, (38-42 bpm resting) Get winded with exertion, tired, etc.  I'm nervous to have something foreign put in me and wonder if it will be worth it, since I've lived th...

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Watchman

Does anyone have a watchman....j so , how do you like it.

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Biotronik- CardioMessenger® Smart Transmitter

Hello everyone,

I received a call today from Biotronik. They are replacing my CardioMessenger® Smart Transmitter with their latest model which is now running on 4G. The one I currently have is 3G and will become obsolete as soon as the 4G system Is fully up and running. Anyhow for those who may have moved, or changed your number it might be a good idea to give them a call. They had my old address on file, but my correct phone number. I just thought I would share for&n...

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Bone Scan

My urologist scheduled a Bone Scan for prostate cancer.  I am not familiar with a bone scan details and wonder if anyone knows if the bone scan equipment would interfere with a Pacemaker. I have a Boston Scientific two lead pacer.

 

Tony

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Biventricular Pacing

Currently sporting a Dual chamber pm. Cardiologist wanted to upgrade that to a Biventricular. I'm 80 with permanent afib with no further attempts to get me into sinus rhythm (2 cardioversions lasted a few weeks and thay say RF catheter ablation will not hold SR). Recent surgery to implant 3rd lead failed - 3 hours on the table!! . Where do I go from here? Waiting for cardiologist to enlighten me. Anyone had His Bundle pacing? End game is an AV node ablation and then they knock me off...

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A Flutter

I have posted in the past regarding movement of my pacemaker to near the underarm.  I was seen yesterday by my new Cardiologist plus the St. Jude rep.  A-flutter episodes seem to be increasing but not at an alarming rate.  I will soon be 79 years of age and apparently this increase is not that uncommon.  I am scheduled for a Nuclear Stress test in about 3 weeks.  I am paced for 100% heart block.  Is there treatment for this A-flutter in those of us with a pa...

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Health After Implant

I've had my PM for 2 months now and have not noticed any improvement in my health. I had been having mild dizzy spells and shortness of breath and that has not changed. Just wondering how many others have experienced the same thing. I've been to the doctor and he says I definitely needed the pacemaker due to complete heart block.

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Sleep position and AF

Came across an interesting study which correlated the frequency of AF events with one's sleep position.  Posting a part of it here, with link to full article below it.  Bottom line, sleeping on your right side has fewer AF events, with prone having the fewest.  Works for me, having my PM on my left side (as do most folks).

                                         ...

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First Post - Finding my Voice

Hi everyone,

My name is Ed, I'm 30 and based in the UK. 

This is my first post so bare with me.

I had a Biotronik Dual Chamber Pacemaker fitted in December 2020 when I was 28. This was due to symptomatic bradycardia and vasovagel syncope with asystole. The latter, I had four episodes within a 30 hour period. Each time my heart stopped for 2 minutes but luckily three of them were in the hospital and I was on a heart monitor so they could see what had happened. I was...

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update on tint for glasses

When i was on before about having to get new glasses.  Will say they are working really well.  Now can see the street signs, am sure those driving behind are happy also.  Reduces the stress of not seeing the road signs. No fast heart beats.

Got new non-glare tint.  Called Diamond Plus non glare.  Although the gal at Optical Outlets said it was their own brand.  Am sure if you ask your place the should know what you speak of.

Was finally able to look i...

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Pacemaker Dependent

Hi all, I saw my cardiologist last week and it was the first time I heard Cardiomyopathy diagnosis even though I have had arrhythmia problems and LBBB  for 30 years with a pacemaker for the last 5 yrs following cardiac arrest. I was told in December 2021 I had 3rd degree heart block and my PM was pacing at 100%. Spring ahead to last month and I had a blackout and ended up in hospital. Last week at the follow up I was told my heart had significantly deteriorated since Dec (EF 36) and they...

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Post -Op Dressing Question

So, I just had my pacemaker put in on 3/31. At discharge, I was told to remove the waterproof dressing from my surgical site after a week. So, last Friday I did and was surprised to find steri-strips (they're those white adhesive strips that look like white tape) underneath that no one told me about. I had an appointment at the device clinic that day and asked about them. I was told they could take up to two additional weeks to come off on their own.

Seeing as how no one mentioned t...

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Allergies

Hi! Brief update since my last post. I have been feeling much better and my tests from March  revealed that my heart function had improved, but recently I've been having my heart failure symptoms along with allergy symptoms. Has anyone else experienced worsening heart symptoms from allergies? Just wondering if this is a thing before I call my doctor. I've never been asthmatic or had allergies this severe. My doctor has only recommended I take Zyrtec in the pas...

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Does every PM patient need an EP (in addition to cardiologist?)

Hello,

First time poster here. I’ve only had my pacemaker since the end of November 2021, so everything is still a bit new to me. A LOT of this I’m having to figure out on my own, as my providers don’t want to spend a lot of time with patients, and maybe worse, aren’t even asking if I might have any questions. This has been one of the most frightening and frustrating times of my life, honestly, and has caused me (and my husband) more anxiety than I can e...

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update to my vision problems with floaters

i know this subject is not considered to be a heart issue, but who knows.

The cardiologist just cleared me for the surgery(april 25,2022) and nothing needs to be done to my pacemaker.

Retina specalist  said i need to have the  jelly like substance replaced with saline.  Called Vitrectomy in my left eye. For multiple floaters.  As the right one had been done years back when i had a macular pucker wrinkle removed.

Did listen to my heart and took my pulse, g...

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Pacemaker fitted 3 months ago - still getting feeling faint symptoms ?

I had a double pacemaker fitted over 3 months ago - one of the symptom's I had was feeling faint. It was after 18 months and 5 heart consultant's when I finally had a loop recorder fitted - that showed my hear 'pausing' - taken straight in and had the p.maker fitted.  But still getting the feeling faint carry on - have had 2 check-ups both saying pmaker is working fine - told go back to docs. The doc says not sure what else to do!!  So have arrange to pay to go...

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AMS hasn't switched back for 3 days

I've had my PM for a little over a year. All has gone pretty much as expected until 3 days ago (4/6/22). I have a finger pulse monitor I use from time to time. My base rate is set for 60 bpm, but I noticed my resting pulse suddenly always seemed to be 80 bps when I measured it. Some research enlightened me to the AMS system. Here are its parameters:

DDDR switches to DDIR; Trigger rate = 180; Base rate = 60; AMS base rate = 80

I've had 22 AMS episodes since 11/15/21 bu...

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Resting rate

I am a 68-year-old male who has a fib. Four years ago I had three ablations they did not work. I still had a fib so they put me on a strong heart medicine Tykosyn which seem to work for a couple of years I was in normal sinus rhythm. However about a year ago I got Covid stuff despite being vaccinated twice for whatever reason the doctors think that the Covid blew out my AV node system and I had no electrical going  to my lower chamber and I was having complete heart f...

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Member Quotes

I just want to share about the quality of life after my pacemaker, and hopefully increase awareness that lifestyles do not have to be drastically modified just because we are pacemaker recipients.