Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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1st Checkup, Pacing 99% / 47%

Great Site!! I've learned a lot in the past 2 weeks since my pacemaker implant and hope to learn more!

I had my first follow up on Thursday, the tech said there could be a problem with one of the leads placement but they would wait and see and make changes slowly. If they have to turn something(?) up too high, it may quickly drain the battery - but it might work better on its own? Does someone know what she was talking about? My Atrial paced was 99% and Ventricular paced 47% -...

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Had my first week inspection

Incision is almost healed and they said it looked good. I had already come to the same conclusion, but glad to hear it anyway. First pm check will be in 3 weeks. So far I am VERY pleased with this new one. No events so far that I am aware of. I'm hoping some of it was pm induced by the old unit. Got my fingers and toes crossed!

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1st. PM check

I had my first PM ccheck yesterday. The Techo. said all seemed OK and It had been 20% of the time, he did not seem to want to expand on this apart from saying thePM was doing it's job. Any comments on this?
Arty

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Interrogation

Next month I will be going for my first in-office interrogation. I'm not sure what this is exactly. I'm guessing that they will hook me up to a machine to test the pacemaker.

I've had my pm for about two months now. I received it due to SSS. I saw the doctor two days ago and after talking to him I now know that I am having PVCs. I thought the pm was supposed to solve problems, not cause them.

I thought by now I would be feeling back to my old self, but I'm not. I st...

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1 week on a PM

This site is Great!
I really did not know what to expect with a PM.
So tonight I'm Googling "pacemaker/shortness of breath/blogs ... and I find you guys.
Biggest issue with me was bpm constantly in the mid 40's. OK if you are an athlete but believe me, I do not inhabit the carcass of an athlete.
So, basic rate is now at 60 bpm and all is fine. Big Difference in the way I feel, especially in the morning.
BUT ... I get up out of my chair and walk around and at that po...

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Dr wants to see me

I went for my pacemaker check yesterday. The woman that does it is really nice.(i see the same person each time) i've known since a few months after my pm was inserted that a lead was bent (i have 20 and that that would probably wear the battery down quicker. It will be 3 yrs in May that I got it and she said that the battery probably has 9-15 months left. Ok, I can deal with that. When they replce it I'll get a new lead and was recommended monthy phone checks for now but to still go the office...

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Question for Electric Frank

Hi Frank... just a question about my interrogation report on my pacemaker. It is a single lead to the right ventricular with a 3rd degree heart block. When showing a Ventricular High Rate Episode, is that the same as a VT? My first check showed 3 high rates, and the last check showed duration :04 Longest and MaxV 219 Pacing sensed 0.6% and paced 99.4% ....just want to learn all I can about this little device that is so amazing. Thanks...aldeer

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Pacemaker Settings

A week ago at my first checkup, Medtronic changed my upper pm limit to 140 and turned the rate response setting to on. When I brushed my teeth and washed my face this morning I was totally breathless ! Called Dr. who said that Medtronic was coming today so I went in. The "delay" setting has been changed from factory setting of 200ms to 150ms - their feeling is that atria is signaling before ventricles have a chance to empty so that blood may be backing up causing my feeling of having my heart in...

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Rate Responsive PM Setting

During my first pm checkup, I told the Medtronic rep that I was a type A personality and was frustrated with my lack of endurance and breathlessness and asked about my lower and upper limits. My lower limit is set at 60 and my upper limit is set at 120. Those values were set at implantation time. My rate responsive setting is not enabled and she said it was my decision whether to turn it on or not. She said that if I play tennis or really exert myself then it would take awhile for the rate to...

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When paced I feel palpitations. Is this normal?

Hi all,
I received my pacer Dec. 12, 2008 for tachycardia/bradycardia syndrome. It is set on a mode now where it paces every morning at 9:30am for a "test" (not sure why...) that lasts about 20 secs. During this time, without fail, I feel very strong palpitations, my heart feels like it is flipping over and I have to stop what I am doing because it is so unpleasant. I felt this same thing when they upped my heart rate as a test at my first checkup. (BTW the record shows that I have only...

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pacemaker checks

I have written about having anxiety after having the pacemaker Dec.2nd. I found out a week later that one lead was not connected.The anxiety started after my first pacemaker check. I have had 2 othe checks and the anxiety seems to get worse3 after evry check. Has anyone had problems after pacemaker checks? Thanks Carmen

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interrogation

Can someone tell me exactly what an interrogation is? I have seen it mentioned several times on this site. I've heard of PM checks but unfamiliar with the term "interrogation"
Thanks,
Jessame

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First PM and Checkup

Hello, I am 47 and just received my 1st PM on 12/18/08. I needed a 2nd surgery on 12/19 to readjust a lead that I could feel. I have my 1st checkup for the PM on 1/2/09 and am confused about what questions I should be asking? From the posts I guess I should get the initial report with the settings and then one showing whatever the changed them to? This whole thing has happened so fast that I still feel like a deer in the headlights. One day I was fine and the next I couldn't even go up the...

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GP Checkup

All went well today with my 6 month general checkup. I got my usual cholesterol lecture so I got out my life expectancy calculations from an insurance company site, and 5 year risk factor calc from the the American Heart and Lung site. Both showed only minor improvements if I modified my lipid panel to the recommended levels. So the good doc after failing to get anywhere with the "scientific" data tried the scare approach. Something like "Frank even with these numbers you don't want to be that 1...

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Frequency of PM checks

I had my pm "installed" in 2005.
During my last office PM check, I was told my insurance will no longer cover my PM checks at the same frequency I have had so far.
So, my question to you all is, what is the typical frequency for a PM check (both office and phone) ?

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Pacemaker Settings

Does anybody know what settings can be set? I am a software engineer and would like to learn what can be configured and what can not .. I have a dual chamber Medtronic - Thx in advance :-)

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New Pacemaker

I had a pacemaker inserted a year ago following complete heart block. The pacemaker was not expected to work and the heart block was believed to be a one off. At my latest check-up I was told that the pacemaker had working very occasionally so does this mean I do have a problem with my heart? The pacemaker is set at 40.

Thanks

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does that mean dependant

hi all me again lol just a quick one today ive looked at what the tecnition wrote and it says 99%of the work done by the pm does that mean dependant ? i wish you all a meery christmass and all good for the new year xx

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Heart Monitor

Hi All,
Has anyone used a heart monitor while exercising? I am going to work on the treadmill in the am..................Could it interfere with PM?
Thanks,
-Philman

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PM checks

Hi all,
Okay, so I have had my pm for 8 months so I feel a little stupid asking this question.When we go for our pm checks what exactly does the reading tell the doctor? For the first few months after the implant I was back & forth getting the kinks worked out so never really asked alot of questions. In Febuary I go in for a regular check up and I am getting curious about what information will be retreived.
Jessame

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