Most Recent Messages in Complications

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Exercise and PM's

In December 2007 I had a catheter ablation to rid of some PVC's. I awoke to my doctor saying that there was a complication and that my AV node was ruined. Although the pacemaker is better than living life at 40 beats a minute, I am finding it extremely difficult to get back to my intense exercise. I am a cyclist, runner and do a number of cardio classes at the gym. My upper limit is set to the highest that it can be set for my PM. When I get near 130-140 bpm's I start having PVC's again. They so...

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blood pressure increase due to pacemaker settings?

Help! Just received a dual chamber pacemaker set DDDR. Have partial AV block. Before, worked out regularly but had slightly elevated blood pressure well controlled with small dose of Diovan. Now have very elevated blood pressurs not controlled by twice the dose. Now told to take a beta blocker. Installers of pacemaker (arrythmia assoc in nothern va) claim the device does not increase blood pressure, but the only change made was the addition of the pacemaker. Since have left bundle branch...

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Low blood pressure?

Ok, recently I have been very dizzy, and it used to only happen after I made sudden movements. My mom thought it was low blood pressure, but now I feel lightheaded, tired, and can't think straight. Anyone know what's up? I am scared to death of stairs, because I am always afraid I will fall. I don't think Mom is taking this very seriously, but if things get worse, she is going to have to belive me.

Hope all is well with everyone else, Sydney

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PFO

I was wondering if anyone here has a PFO? (patent foramen ovale). I recently found out that I have one and my doctor wants to do surgery to seal it. He said it increases my risk of stroke/heart attack. This is scary! Does anyone else have this or have had it corrected?

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Symptoms back

Hi,

I had my pacemaker implanted July 2005. It has since then removed most of my symptoms. In the last fornight I have started to feel the irratic hearbeats rythmes again and yesterday they returned like pre pacemaker days. iIwas very unwell. I have had a pacemaker checkup last week and am now wearing a halter monitor. Today has been as bad. I do not understand what is going on as they say my pacemaker is working perfectly! Anyone had similar or has any idea what may be hppenin...

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Help! muscle twiching

Hi all,

I am getting muscle twiching since night on my chest above PM area. It is so intense that it can be seen above clothes also. I have not lifted any heavy weight in last few days, only reason I see is sleeping in an awkward position. The twiching (around 100 bpm) is even faster than my HR. I wont be able to see doc for few days.

Can anyone please help me with the reason on twiching, i am worried about any damage to leads.

Thanks all!

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first pacemaker

Hello, my father has just had his first pacemaker fitted 4 weeks ago at the age of 76, all i know about it is its a 3 wire type and has a combined defribrillator, the problem is that he actually now feels worse, he has been back and had it adjusted but still feels worse than before he had it fitted, my question is, is this normal, are pacemakers complex to set up, his doctor has mentioned he may have to switcht it off, has anyone else experianced this kind of problem, our family are obviously ve...

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ICD Repositioning

Hi There - I wrote in several weeks ago about a problem with my defibrillator. As it turns out, it is not infected, but has come out of the subpectoral pocket and is pushing through and a point of it is quite clearly just under my skin. It is causing me a lot of pain and numbness in my arm. I went to see my EP and since it is not infected, her response to me was to "deal with it" until it is ready to be replaced in approx. a year or so. I was quite upset with this response and don't know wh...

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Under the Pectoral Muscle Placement

I am 74 years old and had to have a pacemaker put in in October 2007. I noticed that one edge of the pacemaker was protruding near my armpit around Decmber of 2007. When I finally saw my cardiologist in February of 2008 he advised that I see the surgeon who implanted the PM. On March 14,2008 the same surgeon said that it had shifted and he operated and placed it more towards the center of my body. It moved again and is still protruding. I am 5'2" and weigh 123 lbs and do not have much fat ti...

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Pacemaker help

Hi,
I am new here and wanted to know if anyone could help or maybe have some of the same problems...
I had my pacemaker put in 2006 and ever since then nothing but problems!

1.The device moved/shifted from my left shoulder to under my left armpitt. (one of the Dr said that the hematoma shifted it another said no it was just placed wrong)

2.It is unconfortable to move my arm...actually very painful to move it.

3.I feel like the pacemaker is rubbing ag...

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diaphram pacing

i would like to hear from anyone who has successfully gotten rid of the diaphram pacing problem (cant't sleep on left side or slouch without feeling annoying "heartbeat" in abdomen. They have lowered my voltage once but the problem remains.
Thanks, Jeffrey
jpope5

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Bulging pacemaker/defib

My husband had his third pacemaker/defit implanted in Dec. 2007. In April he had a pocket revision as the skin over the device was to thin and causing him pain. Since then, the device sticks out like a baseball. He does not have an infection as he has been to the doctor who took cultures, etc. on three occasions. He is not in pain and has no fever. The doctor explained that this could be from scar tissue as this is the third device. During the pocket revision he attempted to remove some sc...

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everything was go along fine.....

Well its been 4 weeks post implant, and everything was going along fine, I even started to not notice the implant but the other night(1st time it woke me up and the 2nd time got up at 3am to go to the bathroom) my heart beat started to go really fast (same sort of feeling you get after going up several flight of stairs) and then it would go quite slow and then normal etc... This lasted both times for about 3-4 hours. Does anyone have any ideas on what might be happening
Thanks

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PM/ICD PRESSING ON A MUSCLE

Hello I hope Harley 63 gets this message, thank you i took your advice and went to see the surgent this week. Had pm/icd replaced 3/27/08, been experiencing pain under my arm pit for 5 weeks. They told me the pm is pressing on a muscle causing the pain 24/7. They told me they can go in again and move it under the muscle, I do not want to go thru surgery again, infection risk is high, they told me it would settle in within 4 to 6 months it should drop down once it does. Dealing with it and have t...

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defib is moving

I had a pacemaker for 9 years with no problems. in feb. 2008, i had a defib inplanted. 3 weeks later it moved out of the pocket, down near my armpit. very painful!
the Dr at first reccommended leaving it, but it was painful to move my arm to the right, pushing against the Defib there. my second consult with him he said he will fix it. do it over ,and put it back up where it belonged.
so, I returned for the new surgery. it was pulled out and the pocket was stiched up smaller to keep it...

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Heart failure

Does anyone know anything about a pacemaker causing heart failure after shocking the ventricles for a length of time? Or does anyone know of a site that I could read into about this? The reason is, my son said that he read somewhere about this happening but he couldn't remember the magazine name where he saw it at. He was reading a magazine in a dr's office while waiting. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Pacie

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April 10/08 sense brothers surgery

My brother had an implant of the pacemaker and defibrillator. He was told that he would notice an increase in energy that he has not felt sense the decline in his health over a year ago. Instead he has been in and out of the hospital after his implants on April 10th with far less energy then what he had before the surgery and unable to catch his breath. Just walking from his bedroom to the bathroom takes away all his energy reserves and we are talking a matter of only a 8 ft. walk. The breath...

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Continuous underarm, shoulder pain

A few weeks ago, I installed a patio in my backyard which involved moving 30 pavers. Since then my pacemaker has moved and has given me a lot of pain. It probably also doesn't help that I broke the stitch that held it in place about a month after I got it. I called my cardiologist and he referred me to the ER. They confirmed that it had moved, but nothing else was done. The pacemaker clinic at my local hospital also refused to check my pacemaker because I use a different clinic out of town....

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scared that my defibular will go off

I live alone but I do have my emergency necklace....when it goes off are you able to push the button? Some people say theirs have never gone off..
I try to stay very busy all the time...and just live...try not to get into my head about it...but at times it's hard to do. People tell me they admire me because I always smile and laugh...what they don't know inside I feel like crying....but I don't. When I am with my families on outings they watch me like a hawk.....I just don't want to be a bu...

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Infected Lead Removal - Recommend or No

My friend in Latin America went for a second opinion. The new doctor has hospitalized him for the infection, currently administering IV anti-biotics and is discussing his next step, PM replacement.

He has let me know the doctor has told him that the leads should not be removed, even though 6 other doctors have given their opinion that the leads should be removed, due to the infection.

The new doctor indicated that the leads are not removed in most countries around the...

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You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

Member Quotes

It is just over 10 years since a dual lead device was implanted for complete heart block. It has worked perfectly and I have traveled well near two million miles internationally since then.