Most Recent Messages in Complications

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Beta Blockers

I keep seeing people ask quesitons about beta blockers. Maybe the following will answer a question or two.

by Jill Ferguson, PhD

Negative inotropic drugs - beta blockers - lessen the heart's workload by decreasing the rate and the strength of the heartbeat. These effects decrease the amount of blood that the heart pumps, the blood pressure in the vessels and the amount of oxygen that the heart uses. The action of these drugs also leads to a decrease in the electrical acti...

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robot

Once in 4th grade I told my friend about my pacer and for the rest of the year I got called Robot by her for the rest of the year. She was really mean.If anyone has advice on how to deal with this stuff, then please leave a comment.

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been a while~!~

Hey pacemaker friends!! Its been a while! Well for those of you who dont know me my name is Rachel. I got my first pm Jan 2008. I just wanted to know if it is normal for the pain around the site to get worse! I mean its not like it was the first week after the pm inplant. But the skin around there is so sore now!! I just dont know why. I know my left brest is pulling on it....but dang! hehe Miss ya all!

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Biotronic

Hi fellow Biotronic patient. I had a two lead pm put in Feb. 2007. One lead in right atrium and on in right ventricle. I am 100% dependent because of a complete av node ablation due to atrial fibrillation and palpitations. I have two email addresses that I have contacted Biotronic for. They are andrea.jabel@biotronick... and dan.dahlke@biotronic... My questions were answered almost immediately. My pm is set at 60 for low and iam not sure what the high is. I agree with you the best person...

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Diaphragm Contractions

I have a two-lead pacemaker which was implanted almost two weeks ago. I go back to my Electrophysiologist in three days for a follow-up visit. All is well except that I have a twitching in my diaphragm - so strong that it's easily visible through my clothes. It feels like a hiccough, but without the catching of the breath. It occurs several times a day, lasting only a minute or so.

Is this abnormal?

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HELP Still in the Hospital

I have got a lot of e-mails asking if I am ok, I am doing. I am still externaly paced and that causes every beat to come with pain. Currently both of my leads are not working and getting a DR to fix me was difficult. I was transfered to a different hospital yesterday and am still waiting to be fixed. I have a post that I need some help with.

I have talked with many of you in the chat room would like to ask for your help again. I am a deaf young woman who knows very few people in the...

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Lead trouble!

I just got home from having an echo and the tech said that one of my leads had pireced through the tricuspid valve and was causing it to bleed. Has anyone had this happen to them? Does anyone know what they might do about it? I have been have chest pressure and shortness of breath walking sometimes from one room to the other.I have had my PM for 9 months. Would appreciate any help!

Thanks,
Amy

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Pacemaker Complications

Hello everyone. I do't have a pacemaker, but my mother had one implanted about 4 weeks ago. For some reason the incision did not heal 100%. She went back to here surgeon and he had here immediately admitted to the hospital thinking that her body may be rejecting the pacemaker.
Is this common?

Since this is all happening now, I have no follow-up information.

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defibrillator

Hi. I have had my Medtronic pacemaker for a few years and it has been a God-send. But, lately, I have gone into afib and my pacer can't break me out of it. To make a hugely long story short, I have extreme problems with most meds, have had over 250 sites ablated, an atrial appendectomy, and was the first Texan to have the Maze surgery (unsuccessful). My heart is a real problem child! My doctor is beginning to consider changing my pacer to a combo, adding in the defib function. I have heard horro...

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av node ablation

I had an AV node ablation performed for supra-ventricular tachycardia. It was done at Columbia Pres. in N,Y, back in 1990. The ablation was done several times over several days because it simply would not "hold'. My back was totally burned from these repeated ablations and of couse I then needed a pacemaker because I was in heart block. Although I am a nurse this was all Greek to me since I worked in the Public Heath field. I don't know what damage those ablations had on my heart or more specifi...

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Burns from ep testing and ablation

I know it may sound crazy but the burns I spoke of were really there. I was never sure why and when I asked I was never given a straight answer. Now remember this was in 1990-almost exactly 18 years ago. Somehow I think it was done differently. They had to treat the burns with sulfadine cream and other antibiotc ointment and I was in the hospital for 2 weeks. Today you're in and out in a day or two. I think had my ablation been more recent I would not have had such problems. They are a lot more...

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pacemaker movement

Can the pacemaker become dislodged and what would it feel like? I am 4 weeks post op and have been active but not up to my normal activity level. The site burns and I am aware of the pacemaker at all times. How do I know when the tissue has grown around the site enough to be able to pick up my little grandchildren? Thank you.

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"Ringey Dingey"

Does anyone have ringing in their ears? Is that a part of pacemaker syndrome? I know the throbbing in the neck and chest can be but what about that high pitched ringing in the ears? Anybody know? Hope all are well.

sistermary7

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Laptop Computers

I was reading an old message last night about Toshiba laptop wireless computers. The lady said her regular computer didnt bother her but her husbands wireless laptop bothered her pacemaker. She also said it was in the Toshiba manual that warned about this. Especially the Bluetooth wireless.I called Toshiba today and asked about interference with my pacemaker although I have had no problems. He said that he could find nothing that would indicate there might be a problem with pacemakers. The...

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Mild Shortness of Breath

Hi Everyone!

Just before I had my PM implanted last June 2007 due to complete heart block I was beginning to walk. I had got up to the point where i could walk about 1 mile each day.

Since 1999 I have had to deal with Chronic Fatigue, anxiety, and the loss of vision in my right eye. So, I was very pleased about this new ability to walk that far.

My shortness of breath is much better than it was a few months ago. It doesn't happen all of the time. For instance, I...

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Two and a half weeks post PM placed

My incision wound reaction appeared to originate from a severe allergy to the steri- strips(which were used in place of sutures)over my incision. The blistering around the incision was like a first degree burn. I do not think the cardiologist had seen this before. He put me on prophalactic antibiotics for 2 weeks. I was to clean the area with normal saline and to keep it dry. This appears to be working. The blisters are drying up, the reddness is disappearing, there is no discharge from the site...

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Diaphragm contractions

Hi. I received a dual chamber PM 2 days ago (my first) and during the second night of sleep had "chest contractions" which were strong enough to wake up my wife. The contractions were infrequent but I decided to go to the emergency room at the hospital. It was determined that my diaphragm was picking up an electronic single from the cardiac pacemaker and causing my diaphragm to contract. Has anyone heard of this condition? Can it be resolved by changing programming settings in the PM? Are...

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Anyone hear of this one?

Hey all, I've been dealing with a new complication. Anyone ever hear of, or have a blockage in the subclavian vein? Evidently this is the newest blockage I've developed. It has been causing steadily worsening symptoms of swelling in my arm and hand, bulging veins, and severe pain. Another venogram is scheduled. Dr.'s can't figure out why I keep developing blockages. Been in and out of the ER. Also found out my pacemaker has moved. Not been a good couple of weeks!
Bambi

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pacemaker syndrome

Hey everybody,
I have a question then a site to give you. Friday while I was talking on the phone I felt a tiny little pop in my chest midline just below the sternum followed by a searing burning pain that started out the size of a small pin prick to about the size of a half dollar. Before I could even say the words out loud "wow that was stange" I felt just like I did when my hr was 280 and blacked out to the same way it felt when they turned off my pm (to check me ) and my hr fell to 30....

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Incision

My PM was installed Feb 27th/08. I am 60 yrs old. I suppose like all of us dealing with this has not been easy. I am faced with coming to "grips " with the aging process and what is worse my mortality. My problem today is this. I have burning and discharge at the site. The discharge seems to be coming from an area blistering just above incision line. Needless to say I am very concerned about infection. I went to an ER last night and the ER MD was just as puzzled as I am about this. Has anyone el...

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