Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Pacemaker Time Stamp

 Just wanted to leave a message to let everyone know about an odd occurrence with my Medtronic Adapta, hopefully it doesn't happen to anyone else.

Quick info about me, 46 years old, avid cyclist and snowboarder, have had a pacemaker for bradycardia since 2011.

I went in last October for my annual check up and had a number of high rate episodes at weird times of the night, some of them lasted for 45 minutes at around 175-180 bpm. My cardiologist scheduled an echo to be don...

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Merlin

Twice i have seen a bright flash of light from the Merlin area in my room.  It is very bright and very fast.  Anyone know what it is?

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Ventricular Trachycardia

Hi Everyone.  I had my yearly checkup today and found out I had an attack of ventricular trachycardia two weeks ago.  Other than that, everything was good.  I felt the attack and thought it was a couple of missed heartbeats but, apparently, it was a 9 second attack with my heart beating at 230 beats per minute.  The cardiologist on call at the clinic prescribed a 5mg beta blocker and I am seeing my regular cardiologist tomorrow to, I suspect, begin a series of tests to fin...

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Tiredness

Hi, havent been here for quite a long time. I am 63, had a Medtronic for 9 years and got a replacement of St.Jude 2 years ago. There is one thing which bothers me:

After the new pm I have been sort of tired and my activity has clearly decreased. Have been in the gym every now and then but it does not feel good and visits are very rare now.

I wonder could the reason for tiredness be that the limit for the HR was set to 50 in operation instead of earlier 55?

When I noticed in...

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ICD lead threshold increase - Cardiac Sarcoid

Just got back from the cardiologist.   He interogated my newly implanted biventricular ICD ( Nov 8, 2018) and noted and increase in RV threshold voltage from 1.5 to 2.0V.   What would cause this?  He told me to discuss it with the doctor treating my Sarcoid.   I was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoid in 2013 and have had an ICD since then.  Could this be an indication of increased sarcoid activity in my heart?   I have been on prednisone, tappered from 20 t...

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PVC's - How Many is too Many?

I'm eight weeks post implant for complete heart block. HIS bundle lead 100% paced. One month device check had 35,000 PVC's. Went in for a check at two months and had over 300,000 in one month. Had the check because I was having a feeling of tightness at the base of my neck-don't know if there is a correlation. No one seemed alarmed at the number. I'm feeling a little unsure about the whole thing. I understand that everyone has PVC's but that seems like a big jump. Anyone e...

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Merlin@home on VOIP using Google Voice

Last week I got a surprise pacemaker. It is a St. Jude 2272 dual chamber rate-modulated version. They sent me home with a Merlin@home EX1150. I don't have a landline and can't shell out the $500 for the broadband kit. I have a free VOIP line though Gogle Voice using and Obihai OBI200 VOIP adapter that costs about $65. The Merlin would always fail to connect but I figured out the right settings so it would successfully send the data. 

In the Star codes for the OBI2...

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Pacemaker optimization

I've posted something like this in the recent past.................not many responded.   Who has had their pacemaker optimized and did you notice an improvement?  I'll be having mine optimized next week.  EP's nurse has stated, "It's not unusual to need a PM optimization to get the PM operating at top efficiency."

--Dave--

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shocking

I had my pacemaker put in i 2012 it is now shocking me  worried what can I do?  Don't feel like my doctors care.  I have 1yr left . What can I do ? 

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Altered sleep

Has been 3 weeks since dual wire pacemaker implant. Main concern has been frequency of waking episodes at night time. Pacemaker had been set at 60 bpm, yet my normal sleeping heart beat is much lower. Due for first tune/up in 3 weeks. Would lowering the minimum rate improve sleeping or create other unwanted issues? Had been anxious about this early on with consequent bp elevations.

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Irregular after Pacemaker

I had a pacemaker and an AV node ablation four years ago and have had a lovely trouble free time ever since..... until a couple of weeks ago, when I suddenly felt faint, my legs went jelly and I just made it back to the car where I was short of breath and had some chest pains.  Both my husband and self felt an irregular pulse - not fast but stopping and double beat starting type.  This lasted a couple of hours before normality.  I previously had a few years of trouble with atri...

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What to expect?

I have a Medtronic 2 lead pacemaker.  It was implanted in November but the lead pulled loose and a second surgery was done in December.  Medtronic has a mobile app to monitor the pacemaker. Sounds great but the doctor office doesn’t schedule any requests to transmit data.  What is the point of the monitor if it isn’t used?  Is it just my doctor or is the common practice?  First visit with doctor is 3 months after surgery.  Saw staff for incision follo...

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Pacemaker Readings?

do pacemakers record every heart beat throughout the day? I fainted last week and I'm waiting to get into the clinic. I'd like to know what my heart rate did when it happened.

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Do I need a setting adjustment?

Today on my way out from work after moving around all day long for a short amount of time I felt a little off balance when I was moving kind like maybe I had a sharp drop in hr or maybe the pacer stepped in. Settings are currently 60/145. I go back in two-three months because they just increased my upper limit at the end of December.

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Merlin@home Cost?

Hi everyone! My husband just had a St. Jude pacemaker put in, and we were given the Merlin@home remote monitor. It had a wifi adapter with it in the box. The only instructions say to plug it in, but I have a lot of questions about this monitor.

Is this the same thing as remote monitoring? Is there a cost associated with it? When the information is transmitted, who does it go to? How do I know it only goes there? Can I set what the machine does? I tried asking my doctor's office and...

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A Survey

OK pacemaker citizens:  Who has had any optimizations performed (you know, sonographer, Doc, Device nurse). What was the outcome? Positive, negative, or no change.  Let us know!

--Dave--

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HOME MONITOR

does anyone know how to get your own home monitor readings or is it only sent to your doctor? 

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Remotes

How often do you send a non scheduled remote? Do Drs get annoyed if you send constantly. Sent one like two weeks ago but I feel like the need to send one today cause I kind of felt like I had an abnormal rythem yesterday morning 

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Echocardiologists

Being the kind of guy with a LVEF of 22% + or - a couple percent, I'm searching for a cardio guy or EP who can actually "read" an echo and have the device clinic nurse follow his instructions for an effective PM optimization.  Previous Doc. had this task aced ---- then he retired (AARRRRGH!).   I'm the current owner of a newly installed Medtronic "Claria MRI CRT-D" PM.

My quest is to locate a talented Doc. whose specialty...

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Referred beats?

I'm having a device check in a couple of hours.  I'm 2+ month past implant and AV Node ablation (CRT-PM, 100 ) but I keep having these weird sensations, like feeling beats below my heart near my rib cage or diaphragm, so Doc is sending me early for a check.

Does anyone know what this could be?  

Doc mentioned maybe one of my leads was too low, and they could possibly re-position it with a magnet?  

--Violet

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You know you're wired when...

Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

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I am no expert, but I believe that without the defibrillator that I have, I would be dead.