Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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help

Hi everyone,
well I flew out to Ohio last week to see my cardio. I have a biotronik cylos PM and am still slowly learning about it. I love this site, but most of you have a different kind of PM so things get a little confusing for me.

The Cylos is supposed to detect a drop in BP. My BP is very low so I faint all the time. I found out this week that my BP is so low that 24 hours a day I amon the threshold of syncope. I just got my rate response/senor turned up. That means t...

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Still short of breath

I have chronic a-fib/flutter. I have had an A/V node ablation and permanent pacemaker implanted in 1998. Since then, I have had to have it replaced in January 2003. Everything was going fine, until this past summer. I became short of breath, and it was getting worse and worse. I was hospitalized in Jan 2008, with dx of exacerbation of asthma. I was put on massive doses of prednisone, abx, and neb treatments. I did get better (was around cats, which I have a known allergy to.). But after 6...

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Checkup yesterday

With the dust up going on, I almost forgot to thank heckboy and smitty for giving me suggestions for questions to ask at my PM check yesterday.

I got the information I wanted, and also learned the pacing in the lower chamber has dropped from 34% last year to 18% this year. A positive for me! :-) The pacing in my upper chamber has held at 0% for the past year as well.

Again, thanks to heckboy and smitty for your great suggestions. I truly appreciate it!

Theres...

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Checkup Tomorrow

I am having a quick checkup tomorrow and just wondered if you all can tell me what questions I need to be asking. I'm not even sure what my low setting is! I am going to ask that one for sure. I am not having any issues, just have a PM (Guidant) that is under recall so it gets checked frequently.

Any suggestions/thoughts/ideas will be appreciated!

Thanks,

Theresa

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First Check Up

Well I went to the doc yesterday for my first check up. He said things look great. He did say I have a slight infection from where I had a bad cold. He said that it would get better in a week or so. He told me thats where the pain/pressure was comming from. So thats good to know. One down point. I did have another PE. (clot in my lung) Im a factor five so I have had many. But he wasnt very happy about that cause of the pacer wires! So ive been through the ringer! hehe My pm in now set @ 70 and 1...

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Tired

I was just relased after my pacemaker implant 6 weeks ago. The doctor wanted me to take 2 more weeks off. I am very stubborn and told her I was ready to return to work. She said ok but no heavy lifting and I said well then I can't go back to work. So she wrote my note with no limitations. After leaving my appointment in Chicago I went straight to work at the Rescue squad. I did not even run a rescue call and by the time I went home at 6pm I was so very tired. I was only there 6hrs and I am think...

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Not feeling well!

I have been fighting some virus or atleast I am sure that is what it is all week. I was wondering if anybody seems to have problems with settings when you catch something?
I have had so many palipations lately and can't get them undercontrol. They are disturbing me where I can't sleep or when I fall asleep my heart beating wakes me up. I am stubborn and try to avoid going to the dr for as long as I can.But I have a trip coming up to chicago so I called today and am waiting for the nurs...

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Made to feel like its all in my head

Hi

Since Christmas 2007 I have had some episode of light headedness, both arms feel heavy and numb (like when you have pins and needles, but without pins and needles sensation), awareness of my heart beating (although not too quick approx 105-115, sometimes it is low approx 60).

On Saturday 16th feb, I was sat having a drink at work when the above happened it was witnessed by my work colleges who said I went a grey colour and sweaty. From this episode I was admitted to ho...

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Check-up --- Thumbs up!!!

I spent most of the day at the hospital for my annual check-up (series of tests). I'm followed quite closely because of my congenial heart problems and atrial flutter.

The docs say my ablation last summer was a success. From my pacemaker check-up, they found I had short (a few beats) episodes of atrial flutter, but nothing to worry about. My stress test was also a success. They told me I did better that the vast majority of "normal" people. The remaining battery life of my pace...

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Tired and Weired

Hi I am all set to winge again. For the last week I was beginning to feel better. Went cycling and didn't feel to tired. For the last couple of days I have not an ounce of energy, I feel completely washed, headachey and didn't sleep last night because of a missed beat. I thought when the PM took over in my case at night there were no missed beats, perhaps I am wrong.

I went to the doc this morning and he checked BP and HR and told me I am probably stressed. Why, oh why do th...

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Remote PM checkup question

Hi!
I have another question for my more experienced pacers. I've had my PM remotely interrogated 2x now. (medtronic adapta) Each time, it took me 4 or 5 attempts to get a successful reading. The little green dots that progress during the interrogation would get almost to the end, and then the process aborted. A couple times the signal to reposition the device would signal, so I tried that. I haven't figured out what I might be doing wrong. The phone line is not the problem, as it even...

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Weird feelings explained

Hi,

I'm two weeks into my second PM and lead replacement. Since the replacement, I've had some strange feelings that concerned me. One was a sudden warmness that came all over my body when I was on the phone. I didn't get tingly like I was about to pass out, but it was similar in the way that the feeling spread. The other was a slowing of my HR while I was watching TV on the couch. It felt similar to an office PM check where they slow your pacing to test the threshold of the leads...

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JUST HAD PM CHECK UP

Hi All,
I just had my 6 months PM Checkup this a.m. and it is pacing quite nicely. Thanks to you, my newfound friends, I was able to ask some intelligent questions; some of which I had thought about and never asked. Others were about things I learned here. I feel better now that I know a bit more about my PM. I know that my levels are 70 to 130 which I didn't know. I know that my lead in the lower chamber has not had to pace, but the one in the upper chamber is pacing about 50% of the t...

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Difference between DDI and VVI modes?

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in a long time. I am now 1.5 years post unplanned PM for failed SVT ablation. Two months after getting my pacemaker, my EP changed my setting from DDD to DDI. I was uncomfortable and changed back after 5 days. At my November check-up, he told me that my battery was going quickly because my ventricle was being paced at 99%. After wearing a halter moniter for a week now, my EP changed my setting yesterday again to determine what my heart can do on its own. (We think I...

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New EP doctor

I asked my cardiologist to refer me to an EP doctor because I did not think my cardiologist knew what to do with me. He understood and I love my new EP. I had appt there last week. They interogated my PM and when he came in he was astounded at how many ventricular tachys I have had over the last 6 months. I told him I have been blacking out, having dizziness and lightheadedness, chest pain, etc.
He was so informative, looked me right in the eye the entire time he talked to me, not like some...

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pacemaker dependent ?

Hi!
I have just been for a check up today, to be told that my battery is running low. I have had this pacemaker for 3 years and I am shocked, my 1st pacemaker lasted 7 years.

It is documented in my medical notes that I am NOT pacemaker dependent yet today I was told my battery is running low becuse I am using it 99% of the time, does that mean I am pacemaker dependent now?
If I am not pacemaker dependent why is my heart using the pacemaker 99% of the time?
Can a pe...

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Went well

I just wanted to update you on my appointment. It was probably the best one I had. I asked to have my pacer self checked time changed. The tech had never done it and didn't know she could - she called the company and they were able to do it.

The Dr was also able to see I have been having times of fast heart beats. They suggested just watching it rather than meds or electrical study. It does feel strange but I'm Ok with it.

Thanks for your help!
Tom


<...

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Electricfrank

Just to say thanks ElectricFrank I went back to the doctor again today and asked why I was taking the Beta Blocker. He said that I had extra styoles but no heart problem as such. Have asked if I need to take them. He agreed that I should go without and see how I go.

Cheers

Julie

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Effects of Lowering Pacemaker Setting

I posted a few weeks ago about how bad I was feeling with the pacemaker. I went to my cardiologist last Thursday and he sent me to the hospital to have some setting adjustments made. The pacemaker was turned down from 60 to 50 and the rate response mode was turned off. They did detect at the hospital that I am having extra heart beats, which I just have to live with. Friday was the first time since I got the Pacemaker on December 14th that I didn't feel my heart beating at different rates const...

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Check up Monday

I have not written for a while, but I check out the site a few times a week. It feels good to know that others are here.
I have a check-up with the doctor himself this coming Mon. I only see the actual doctor 2x a year. The other times it's nurses and technicians.

I have some questions and I wanted to run them by you - I always get this reaction like " you are so strange/ annoying/ hypochondriac to ask this stuff."

1. I (still) get this "fast/flutter" kind of heart be...

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