Most Recent Messages in General Posting

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How to manage

Hello everybody

Just a chit-chat post, but I could have selected "coping"...

I had my CRT-D installed 2 months ago. (My Chf was diagnosed in November 2020)

Healing went fine, scar is ok. No bruises, no problems... I have a control échographie end of may, and I'll see my cardiologist beginning of June.

I still find it a little bit frustrating that I need to wait so long, but, it is what it is...

I may have mentionned that I live in France. Luc...

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Tingling - Doubtful That It's From The PM

So I've had my Medtronics Dual Chamber PM (Sparky) since May 2017 and never had any problems with it.

Over the years, perhaps 2 or 3 times at most, I get a tingling on my right side, from the neck down and the to the right shoulder and maybe 2 to 3 inches down my arm.

It feels like a low level "stim" and can last a few days to a few weeks and then goes away.

I have no idea what it's from and fully doubt it has anything to do with the PM.

Any thou...

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exercise while device self check

i was not aware of the time around 1230am i was at the 24 hour gym and around 1am my device performs the daily self test or check and i do feel it if am awake i feel the device pacing and my heart rythm changing while the test is performing .no issues there ,.,,now i was at the gym running and when the device self check i stop cause i was feeling horrible when i stop i realize i was going thu the test, and my pulse was all over the place my rythm was not cordinated ,,i just felt like my heart...

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Pacemaker Makes Me Feel 15 Years Younger

After a continuous bout of Bradycardia (35bpm) I was hospitalized for a full week. The first half of the week was spent having Cardio docs see if eliminating my Diltiazem (Cardizem) would fix the problem. It did not - so they had to thicken my blood back up and then they installed a single-lead Medtronics unit. Now at 60bpm (minimum) I feel great and can walk over a mile without feeling like I had depleted blood in my legs. I will be 81 in June. I thank God regularly for the blessing of this...

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Pacemaker Always Jolting

So I've had this new pm for about a year now and recently on some days it jolts for about 5-10min at a time. I feel a little tired afterwards when it stops but other than that feel normal, should I be concerned? 

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Heart rate settings

What rates are you PM's set?   Mine is at 60 and 120, have a neighbor that had hers raised to 70 and says she has a lot more energy, any experience with that?   I've never been given that option or advice.    TIA

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Opinions on medical jewelry

Hi everyone. I am looking for opimions on a topic of very little importance! When I first got my pacemaker, 3 months ago, I thought it would be a good idea to get a medical information bracelet. I figured that, if I experienced an accident or illness & was unonscious, it was important that medical personnel know of my pacemaker before doing certain tests or procedures. Now that I think about it, at that point damaging my pacemaker would be the least of my worries! Also, since undressing m...

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the power of being optimistic

A cardiologist reviewed 15 studies - over quarter of a million patients between all of them- on the relationship between health and optimism. I think a lot of us know this intuitively but it's fun to see the science overwhelmingly back it up. 

"Rozanski called the data 'consistent' across the studies. 'In every case, there was a strong relationship between optimism and a lower risk of disease,'"

"Biologically, pessimism is associat...

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papers that show a potential link between covid and acquired heart block

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7311354/

https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/23/3/451/6085830

Here are two papers suggesting that some people with COVID have acquired heart block.

 

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Mammogram

I am scheduled to have a mammogram next month. This will be first since having a pacemaker. I am right to assume that the nurse doing the mammogram will not go too close to my pacemaker? I can tell her where exactly where it is. 

I have read online that it is all right but I am a bit apprehensive. What are other members experiences of mammograms?

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New Job?

Hi, I just had a PM put in a week ago today for Complete Heart Block 3rd degree AV. I’m using my vacation time now while I await my cardiologist visit and find out my work restrictions/limitations.

I work at a moving company, as a mover, so I’m used to carrying/lifting/moving heavy and awkward furniture/pieces. I’m basically taking this as a sign to get a different job, less labor intensive. I’m 40. Just started looking for jobs within my local hospital.

Ha...

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Sleep issues

Curious as to what people take to help them sleep I take a small dose of trazadone but would like to know what helps orhers

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update. 2 months after pm

hello. just to update. 2 months after pm. not dizzy any more after a change in meds. I stopped  taking lisinopral. and my blood sugar is better after changing  to Crester  overall I am finally  feeling better. so keep on looking at the meds you are taking. see my cardiologist  next week. keep a dairy  has been very helpful. good advice 

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pacemaker

I am 8 weeks with a pacemaker, and just now starting to get somewhat better, i had the implant due to aortic replacment_TAVR. in the beginning i was experincing lightheadedness but not as bad recently. Has anyone on the forum had this and if so how long does it take to be back to normal? I am able to do my workouts with not much problems and its also getting better. 

 

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EP vs. cardiologist

I am told by my cardiologist thatI have to make a decision between seeing him only on a regular basis or switching to the EP full time. My dilemma is this: I really like the cardiologist but I really dislike his device nurse. At best I think she's inept and I strongly suspect she's incompetent. One advantage is the company sends a representative to be present for the appointments.

I very much like the EP but I understand that my procedure is over and I probably don't need an...

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Collagen pepties could cause arrhythmia issues

I am not sure if anyone has had a similiar experience but i started taking collagen pepties for help with workouts and health but soon noticed that i was getting some palpitations during workouts, routine checkup also confirmed that since i started taking collagen pepties my pacemaker had to do a lot of pacing. 

I googled a lot on this topic and found some folks reviews on the products with similiar experience. doctor did say that due to the high levels of calcium in collagen pepti...

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Great article on living with serious illness

This article about a young cancer survivor is incredibly insightful and I think offers a lot of great advice for anyone living with health challenges.

"You think of health as binary: You're either sick or well, whole or broken. I think that kind of binary thinking is flawed," Jaouad says. "Most of us live somewhere in the middle. And so not striving for some perfect state of wellness is liberating. And learning to make a home in the wilderness of that in-between...

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What happened and why??

Hey everyone, I'm 28 next month and I've had my pacemaker for 4 years. Earlier I was cooking dinner on the stove. I was stirring Mac-n-cheese with a metal spoon in a metal pan and all of a sudden when holding the spoon it felt like my hand was cramping up. I tried touching it a couple more times before I realized that the spoon was actually shocking me! I thought maybe it was just a quick static shock but it did it a couple more times when I touched it again. It wasn't just o...

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Low Heart Rate

Past problems 
October 2016 – Implantation of Reveal device
Postural hypotension
Paroxysmal run of narrow complex tachycardia, possibly atrial fibrillation – longest episode was only 28 beats
No absolute indication for anticoagulation
August 2017 – Ventricular standstill (16 seconds pause) August 2017 – Implantation of dual chamber Pacemaker 

Hi I'm three and a half years post pacemaker. Recently had a remote pacemaker check...

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PVC's and salt crackers

Last week and today I felt little bit of light headedness and funny beats in my heart. I had a PM to ICD upgrade last month.When I called my doctors office they said its PVC's happening @ 8 per hour and its not denagerous and some people feel it and some dont. I never felt them when I had my PM and at that time the average was 3 per hour.They told me to drink enough water and cut down on coffee/alcohol to 1 beverage per day.They also said eating salty stuff like crackers help too. Just wo...

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You know you're wired when...

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

Member Quotes

My pacemaker was installed in 1998 and I have not felt better. The mental part is the toughest.