Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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ejection fraction after CRT

Previously I had had a Medtronic 2 lead pacemaker for 9 years.  My ejection fraction began to go down, from 65% in 2009, to 50% in 2014 and 40% in 2018.  After much discussion the doctor installed a 3 lead biventricular crt pacemaker in September 2019.  I recently had a follow up echocardiogram in April 2020.  My ejection fraction had improved to 55%.  The CRT pacemaker has done it job, thanks for that.

If any of you are in the same situation, I can and wou...

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Strange feeling after checkup

Hi everyone! Thanks for response. I feel much better today I think maybe combination of little food, dehydration and taking first beta blocker!!!! Also anxiety doesn't help and although I've had my pm around 13 weeks doctor did say that in some people it can take 6 to 12 months to get used to so I'm going to have to try and trust it and relax especially when I've been told it's doing it's job. Thanks again!

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Strange sensation

Hi there! Just had pm interrogation because my heartbeat quite  high for a while and pacemaker kicking in a lot. Home now after a few tweaks and prescribed low dose beta blocker. Since home feel lightheaded and getting flutters in my chest is this normal! Thank you

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What Can Be Learned?

Normally I lurk and learn. Every now and then I come out of my hidey hole with a question. 

We know the heart is both electrical and mechanical.  When your provider interrogates your PM he gets info on the device as well as the electrical aspects of the heart.  At least that is my understanding. 

My question is,  is there anything from the information the provider receives from the interrogation that would give him/ her any indications of what may be going...

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Pacemaker Event Sensations

Hi--I just had a Medtronic PM implanted in late Feb just in advance of the world changing due to COVID 19.  Initially, I was feeling various sensations that I assumed were normal for a new implant.  But now, I am experiencing a "jolt" like sensation every morning at 2:00am.  The time doiesn't vary--always exactly 2:00am.  I called Medtronic and a tech said that their device is programmed to diagnose certain aspects of the PM performance at 2:15am daily and th...

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Check up postponed

It is almost two years since I had my pacemaker fitted,  and was due for a check up next week.

I have  received a letter  informing me that because of Covid19, the appointment has been postponed to April 2021.

So far  so good, everything seems to work  OK, touch wood, but how would I know if there is  a malfunction? A year seems a long time for a postponement. 

 

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New ICD owner

I am a 46 year old firefighter diagnosed with Cariac Saroidosis. I have a Boston Scientific Resonate EL ICD DR. I am post op 3 weeks and had my first visit to the Pacemaker Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital. I have an AV block (I'm a little uncertain what degree AV block it is). Prior to my visit I was feeling great and that the recovery was going well. Yesterday I felt horrible. I felt light headed and a little out of control. At the pacemaker clinic they added a delayed res...

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Device check

What all do they do when you have a device check right after you have a pacemaker implant?  How long does it generally take? Do they speed your heart up and slow it down? I would just like to have some idea of what they do before I go in. Thanks for your reply .

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PM Interfere

I've had a Medtronic two lead PM since January 2 2020. I had my first and only adjustment on February 13th. Pacing was set for 55 to 60bpm, from the implant setting of 80bpm. I was told that this was done so I would not become pacemaker dependent, as I am still young (72) 😊 About 10 days after the adjustment I started having a feeling that I can only describe as the same or slightly lighter version of the techs "puck" being placed over my PM when he is making the adjustment...

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OK to skip a device check?

I'm due my second annual device check on Monday, but am in the 'at risk' group advised to 'stay at home' here in the UK.  Various other imminent hospital appointments have been cancelled of changed to telephone consultations, but obviously this one has to be face-to-face.

I'm not having any issues with the pacemaker, so reckon I could safely skip this. Can anyone think of a reason it HAS to go ahead?

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Surge feeling

Hi everyone, just had pm settings check 9 weeks in. I explained to tech and doctor I can feel like electrical surge in my stomach/chest almost like a quick wave, not painful but strange and some days more than others. They said it wasn't the pacemaker and leads are ok so my question is has anyone else had this. Doctor thinks it could be anxious feeling, which I know I am! Also a nurse mentioned nerve endings knitting together can feel like this. Thanks for any feedback!

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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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