Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

Update on changing settings

I had written last week about wanting my upper limit raised as it was set very low. I thought it was 120 BUT it is only at 100! No wonder I would try to exercise and be huffing and puffing!

After meeting with my Cardio he actually listened to me and said that the upper limit is the highest the PM tracks. I said - remember my hr drops during exercise so it is not going to go up on its own....

He agreed and tried to reach the EP to discuss. of course they weren't availabl...

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PM Setting Changes

Hi everyone! I have an appointment Friday with my Cardio to discuss changing my PM settings. I have thought long and hard about this as everything is going ‘OK’ and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to mess with them. BUT I think the time has come. I have AV Block 2nd Degree Mobitz 1. My hr mostly drops during exercise. I have only had the PM for about 1 ½ years so this is all still new to me. They had turned on my rate response to a low setting early on as I was still having sob going upstairs....

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I am confussed - need some advice

I am about 8 weeks post PM surgery. I feel like I got my life back - getting more energy everyday and feeling great. I had my appointment and asked about the % of pacing my PM is doing because I always see that number on this site. I was told that my atrium is doing the pacing and my problem was with the conection between the atrium and the ventricles. My ventricles would only beat about once for every 3 or 4 beats of the atrium. My doc told me I was paced at 100% even though I am not being...

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Return of AF

I had my first pacemaker implanted in 2000 following a failed ablation for atypical atrial flutter - had a few events thereafter then was free of events for 8 years (taking 5mg Bisoprolol & Warfarin therapy daily).

2nd pacemaker implanted July 2008 and all went well until January 2010 when the pacing check was failing to pick up 'p' waves - nothing done other then monitor in 6 months (June 2010). Just two days before the check up AF returned - confirmed at the check up, again the 'p'...

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Outstanding checkup!

That's right after the year I have had I am so happy to share that I just had an excellent doctor visit!

I have had a stress test and a heart echo. Had my new pacemaker interrogated and everything is clicking and humming along as it should!

I asked about my medications, (no change) I asked about my old pacemaker... as in "Where is it?" (they seemed to have lost it). The EP asked me if I knew the serial number and I said "sure" and said that I could email it to him if he nee...

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check ups

I have had my pm for about 6 months and had a check up, the st jude rep checked my settings,90% pacing upper, lower was 2% which was a surprise since that leed was put in for insurance. Mine is set at 70bpm. Not sure if rate response is set. My problem was bradycardia, in 30'sbpm, fainting episodes. was able to go up.

Anyway my question is does anybodies cardiologist turn their pm off during their check up to see how your heart is naturally. To see if our hearts are the same or have g...

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I am so happy

Hey all

Just had my yearly check up (7 yrs this year) & extremely happy to report Dr doesn't want to see me for another year & reckons he would look at replacing pacey within 9 months after that. I am so happy that my first pacey is lasting the distance (have met a few people who only got 5 yrs). So I just wanted to share how happy I was with the only people in the world who really do understand the highs & lows of being wired for life!
Cheers everyone :-)

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How low should you go?

At my last appointment they changed my low setting from 50 down to 45. They did this because while laying in bed my RHR would get down and very close to 50 if not hit 50 and I could feel the pacing here and there.

But then over this weekend I had dizziness-something I haven't had in a very long time. It could have been the warm weather and working in the yard-not totally sure. My blood pressure was good so I don't think it was anything serious. Other than a flashback to when the block...

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PM check up

I went in for my three month check up and the doctor changed some settings. First when I was getting checked by the tech he asked me to walk up and down the hall so I did and then when I sat back down my heart was skipping beats and going up and down. He said your still having sinus node problems but he said that the pacemaker only came on when the pause was too long while I was walking and when I sat down. He said I was pacing 41% overall. That is all he said and left. Then the doctor came in a...

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YIPPEE!

NO CT scan for me! That is my good news for the day. That and I have now lost 5 pounds!

As I understand it when the nurse asked the Dr. about my questions he asked to see my record. He looked it over and said "Susan is right she should not have a CT scan nor does she need one"! My CT has been cancelled!

AWESOME! hee hee... I can't believe how HAPPY I am. He went on to say that I would need a Stress Test, a Heart Echo and something else. Non-invasive procedures. hee hee....

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CT Scan

My CT scan was scheduled for today. I called and had it rescheduled for later this month. While I had the nurse on the phone I asked her why the Dr. had ordered this test for me? I went on to explain that I am very allergic to the contrast iodine used in the CT scan and if I am expected to place myself in such a precarious position I need to know why. She had no answers. She was evasive, said she didn't know why and that she would ask the Dr. and call me back. That was at 8:30 this morning. I ha...

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Mode Switch/ EP visit update

So I visited with the fine EP today. Started out kind of weird because the physicians assistant came in and interrogated my pacemaker. Usually I have a nurse do it, so that was a bit odd, she was very nice though. My EP walked in the door and no joke he said "hey, how is my problem patient". Really? Dang, I guess I am his problem patient but I hadnt seen nor talked to his office for 3 month which for me is a record, but apparently he knew what was going on with all of my other health issues...

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CT scan

Well, today in the snail mail a very interesting letter arrived. it appears that the dear cardiologist has determined that I (the patient) needs a CT scan. What in the world I thought!

My appt. was set for Wed. There is the holiday on Monday, they're out of the office on Tuesday and the appt. is for Wednesday at 9am. I called them and just caught one of the staff in the office.

You see I suffered a very bad reaction to the contrast iodine that is used in the test. So I ha...

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Home Monitoring

My pacemaker is now checked via home monitoring. I send readings from my pacemaker to the hospital every three months. But I am never told what the results are and when I called and asked was told "no news is good news" I have not seen a doctor or indeed a nurse or technician for two years. Is my experience normal? Am I worrying too much?

Thanks

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mode switch = ON topic

Ok, well I am about to go to that fine cardiologist next week and being as though I thought I was going to have a heart attack yesterday I thought I would post my question and see what recommendations are out there....

I am set as DDD, rate 70 - 125. Above 135 I go into that mode switch. I believe it switchs to DDI or DDIR but I cant find any info about it on my pacemaker report. I understand what it does, by ignoring my atria and essentially putting me into heart block 2:1 or 3:1....

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transtelephonic transmitter

I went in today for my first 3 month check after having the pacemaker installed. The tech checked everything but didn't tell me any of the readings. Why do they make you ask the questions like; how much is it pacing? How long does it say the batteries have left etc. Anyway I asked about the transtelephonic transmitter and how do I get one. Mine should be coming in a couple of weeks. Does anyone know if that method of monitoring is as effective as actually going to the clinic? Also, is it...

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rate response

I'm having a love / hate relationship with my rate response. I can't function without it, but yet I hate living with it. UGH....

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Timing

My PM is set to "help out" at 45. But what about the pauses that I still get? While at the Dr.'s visit yesterday we saw a premature beat, a little extra beat and then a quick pause. Does the PM wait until my resting heart rate is at 45 to work or does it also help out when I get these pauses? Is there a timing interval of some sort?

I have a printout from yesterday but not sure what it all means and forgot to ask her about it when I saw it happening...her only response was that "ever...

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WHAT A DAY!

So I had my follow up visit today at 3:30. However, I was already in the Emergency Room because my daughter is sick. Thankfully she is OK now and we are home!

Made it downstairs for the follow up and the "flicks" were happening while I was being interrogated. She said they were premature and skipped beats I was feeling and nothing to worry about. She did lower my PM to 45 thinking that may help. Pacing 1% ventrical and 5% atrial.

I've been having chest "pressure" too latel...

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EP Visit Today

Hi everyone,
I am going for a follow up to the EP's office today. Something I want to know about it is the settings. I was under the impression that I wasn't supposed to feel myself pace.

But when I lay down to go to bed, I'm relaxed and I feel like a little "flick" in my chest. I check my RHR and it's hanging out right at 50....at the exact setting the PM is supposed to help.

It doesn't go on for very long...a little "flick" here and there, but is it possible for the...

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You know you're wired when...

Your kids call you Cyborg.

Member Quotes

My cardiologist is brilliant and after lots of trial and error got me running. I finished this years London Marathon in 3hrs 38 minutes.