Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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PM optimization

About 4 years ago, I was on the table - wired up - while the Doc, whose specialty was echocardiography, stood behind the sonographer and barked orders to the device nurse to do this, then that, then the other thing.  After about 20 minutes, both the the Doc and the sonographer simultaneously shouted, "ALL RIGHT!!!!"  Doc had fined tuned my 3-lead to a "T" and I felt great.  He retired last year and I haven't found another with...

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Transmissions

I had a pace maker put in 6 months ago I have a app on my phone from Medtronic can anyone tell me how often u send transmissions into your doctors office

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7 week check

Just reading Joanne's checkup and settlings issues. I have been for 7 week pm check with the technicians and was quite taken back that my pacemaker wasn't kicking in as it should however, they've changed a lot of things but wouldn't say I feel great tonight. Have anxious feeling back and just weird feelings. I was told it can take a while for a settings change to settle so good to hear others are having similar issues. Have been dizzy some days nauseous others, just want to wa...

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Flue after reporgramming

Had Pm (biotronik) checkup and reprogramming today.  I am wired since October 2018 and have had at least 10 (lost count) reprogramming of my Pm since.  Some reasons for this are a lead which placed in an unussual spot (due to too much scar tissue in the atrium), junctional and nodal pacing and feeling of general fatigue.   After my pacemaker repogramming my body seems to have to get used to the new setting.  Last time it was at least taking 3 weeks.  It...

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Feel block

Just curious if anyone had had the same experience as me. I'm 40 and have second degree heart block type 1. I would basically start dropping beats around 99bpm and would land on 2:1 block pretty quickly. I got a Medtronic PM Jan 2, 2020 and I can now exercise more due to the higher rate. For some reason I can feel when my heart goes into block still. my symptoms which I describe as my heart just not feeling like it's pumping in sync like a loss of pressure or maybe like I'm h...

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Device Resetting?

I am not sure if this is the case. But the last year I've noticed my that my heart rate has been dropping more and more. When I first got my pacemaker in 2013 when I was in the gym working out my heart rate stayed pretty normal 120-160s when being active. Now in 2019-2020 it barley goes over 100 most of the times. I've had it adjusted a few times. They've even done an exercise stress test that showed for my age my heart and pacemaker were not reacting normal. So again it was adjus...

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Feeling pacing

Is it possible to go from feeling pacing to not feeling pacing? I ask because I have intermittent heart block and my settings were set to allow my own heart to work as much as it can. 7'months Ago I started feeling thumping and chest pain off and on all day. Which caused me to have an achy chest. Pacing? It would come and go. Some weeks nothing and some weeks all the time. My EP thinks my ventricle lead is in a bad spot and needs to be moved. At first my doctor made my settings loose...

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Turning off PM?

Last week, my EP decided to "effectively turn off " my PM because the pacing percentages were so low -- between 1 and 2 % in both chambers. I was given the PM originally for what was thought to be Sick Sinus Syndrome but later proven to be untrue.

What "effectively turn off" meant was moving my low rate from 45 bpm to 30 bpm. And because I was having so few ventricular paces, he just left the AV delay the same. I was excited about the percentages. They dropped to suc...

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Frequency of visits with EP

Hello,

I am 38, have CCHB, and have been paced for 21 years.  My pediatric EP retired about a year ago, so I was moved over to the adult clinic and am working with a new EP.  I have seen him twice since switching doctors, but do not have another appointment scheduled and was told by his office that I will only be seen if I am having symptoms or if something unusual pops up on one of my remote pacemaker transmissions.  Is this normal for adult care?  I was seen b...

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Pacemaker lead not working and shortness of breath

Had the pacemaker put in over thanksgiving. Blood pressure became extremely high. Went to another cardiologist, they put me on Entresto and the surgeon who put the pacemaker realized the lead wasn't working and scheduled a surgery. Lead was recovered. Blood pressure returned to high levels, shortness of breath was more common and can't walk far and can't sleep because if the shortness of breath and weakness. Three weeks later they see the lead of a not working (never see the docto...

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Pacemaker

I had AV node ablation with biventricular ICD/pacemaker placed last week. My Dr. has told me I am 100% dependent on device for heartbeats.  I understand this.  They set the heart rate at 70.  Does that mean the pulse rate will always be 70 or will it increase when I walk or exercise.  I appreciate the help with this.

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Support Group

Hi, when I finished my pacemaker interrogation today, I thought of this forum and thought how good it is to have you here supporting each other including myself.

I knew I had been out of rhythm and hoped the report would show this, I was surprised I had 76,000 arrhythmias episodes in 6 months plus an unsustainable rhythm in the middle of the night.

Does this all sound boringly normal? I assume it does. I am booked in for a sleep test. 

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17% usage

Hi, i am 51 yr old relatively fit chap & have just had my 6 week check on my dual pacer/ICD gizmo! They told me all is good & working correctly which is great & I'm making good progress. 

They also told me that i am using the pacing element of it 17% of the time, mostly when asleep keeping heart rate at 60 bpm. My resting HR before op was 50-55 ish. 

So, my question is, is 17% use good, bad, irrelevant etc?

Thanks, Mark 

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Interrogation

I had an interrogation today. I am always very nervous for these yearly appointments due to the way I feel during it. During this particular one, the tech ran my heart rate up. I felt anxious, nervous, palms sweaty. He said, "I'm having trouble getting your heart rate to go back down." Later he told me it was in the 140 range. This lasted about 2 minutes. According to my husband who was present. I was thinking maybe he would call someone who else who might help him. He did not....

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First check-up and setting adjustments. In a foreign country.

Had dual lead St Jude PM fitted 12 weeks ago for Heart Block, after fainting during exercise. 40yo, otherwise very fit and active (competing athlete). Partial problem to all this - I'm in a foreign country where I'm learning the language - so I don't understand the full diagnosis.

Initially set to DDD, but for some reason, in the first week it kept pacing me at exactly 120bpm for long periods (did it for 8 hours one day) which was distressing and uncomfortable. It was diffic...

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Check up - What my Doc said re: blood thinners, AFIB, supplements,, Watchman, etc.

Hi PM peeps.  Had a semi-annual cardiologist appt. yesterday, and my doc (who is always patient with me) addressed my several questions.  Keep in mind these refer to my specific situation-AFIB/Aflutter with AV Nodal Ablation & PM Dependent.

First, I'm doing great!  Implanted October 2018, and it worked to eliminate my symptoms (3 years of disability and misery).  Second, it's always nice to impress my doc -- now that I'm no longer sick, I've lost...

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2nd Check up.

I am now 5 months into having a PM for Type 2 AV block and today was my second PM check.  I am feeling fine and after making a few adjustments, the EP said that everything was OK, except that on 20th September last year (PM implanted 13th August), I had an episode of palpitations at 12.30 am.  I remember waking up with my heart doing the fandango, but went back to sleep and didn't think any more about it. As far as I know this is the only time this has happened. The EP said I sh...

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12-weeks post implant, dual chamber Medtronic PM

Many thanks to everyone's posts that provided so much great information about checkups and settings! Today was an 'extra' 12-week checkup to see how the 'problem' right ventricular lead is doing.

- the sensing of the problem lead is still at 2 milliVolts, but stable and not getting worse or better
- the brand new Medtronic pacemaker is highly programmable and has 12 different programmable sensitivity settings
- I am currently on the 3rd lowest sensitivity s...

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Patient access to pm data

I am interested in how I can get access to my pacemaker data. I have paroxsysmal afib without symptoms. The only way I can check is to transmit to clinic or go there or go to doc with a readout, etc. 

Does anyone have experience with fit it watches and or fibricheck app?

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Pacemaker self test

My Biotronik pacemaker has been set to self test at 3:30 am.  In the last year the time has been gradually getting earlier to the point that one month ago it was occurring at 2:30 am.  In the last week, I experienced a light headed feeling each night about 10:30 pm.  I had my annual pacer test last Thursday during which I told the technician of the recent events.  He insisted that the pacemaker was set to test at 3:30 am and that I must be mistaken about what happened.&nbs...

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You know you're wired when...

Like the Energizer Bunny, you keep going.

Member Quotes

The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.