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New to the forum

Hello everyone....

I'm new to the forum and am 13 months post pacemaker implant. My implant came with complications and had to be taken out, cleaned and re implanted 3 weeks after the first surgery. I got a massive infection and was put on Vancomycin for 4 weeks via a port in my upper bicep. The Vancomycin wiped out my entire immune system and I felt like I was going through chemo. The pacemaker seems to be working fine but I'm a strange case and I'm not sure what's *nor...

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Question about settings

It's been a while since I've posted, now 2 in one day! Another post reminded me of a question that I have had in the back of my mind, so here goes: A lot of people discuss having settings adjusted or "tweeked", usually because initial settings are not quite right or they feel they need a change. Most recently I learned that settings may be different while leads settle in & need to be dialed down later. Well, as far as I know, my setting have been the same since day...

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Update on feeling tired

There have been various posts on various topics in which the subject of feeling tired comes up. That makes me prick up my ears, because this is something that I have been dealing with for a while. I had my beta blocker dosage increased maybe a year ago, and it seemed to me that from that time I began to feel extremely sleepy. I felt like I needed to sleep not only all night but most of the day as well. My PCP and my cardiologist both seemed convinced that it was something other than the med (...

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Anxiety / feeling off

Hello,

 

I am a 43yo female, I got my pacemaker on May 11 for an AV heart block. The doctor has me coming back in August because as they described it it's like there's fog lights on but the fog has cleared so they have to adjust settings possibly.

I do feel that I am experiencing stress in a heightened state. So in a situation that would previously have caused me some stress is causing me to express myself and appear more agitated than I am used to. I was taking...

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Well the time has come....CCM Therapy Optimizer Smart Research Study

Hi All,

Well, I've been selected as part of a research study group for the CCM Therapy Device called Optimizer Smart by Impulse Dynamics.

The study will last 3 years, all costs will be paid for by Impulse Dynamics, insurance and the hospital. There are only 600+ study participants in my region. 

I am excited and scared at the same time. Having had a tough recovery from my ICD implant - both mentally and physically, I now embark on another implant. I am hopeful thoug...

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Pacemaker

Is it normal to have like a cramp sensation around pacemaker I feel a bit uneasy when it happens ,has anyone had anything similar ? Thanks

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Ventricular Lead Placement

Hello everyone there has been some great discussion from our experienced members on the pros and cons of where the ventricular lead is placed: RV Apex, septal, HIS bundle, para Hisian, LBB, possibly more. Let's assemble a knowledge base and make an easily searchable thread for the future by simply looking for "ventricular lead placement". Please, everyone with something to share, please add your great insights into the pros and cons of the several sites ...

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30+ year old leads?

Anybody here have or know of someone who has leads over 30 years old? Mine are 29 years old so I was certain that they would change them this time around but they said they were working fine so they felt no need to change them. I am 100% pacemaker dependent, so it makes me a little nervous to continue riding on these leads. I am in ERI so will be getting a replacement in the next two weeks.

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Pacemaker battery being replaced

Hi there, I'm posting on behalf of my wife.  She is due to get her battery replaced as she has between 2 to 10 months left in it.  they say the replacement may not be like for like and maybe a bit smaller.  If this is the case they'll put it in a different spot as the existing one may have too large a pocket. My question is 'when the batteries for pacemakers begin to run down are they as efficient at the end of their life as they are at the beginning' ?

Th...

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Av node ablation can you feel emotions?

After av node ablation do you feel emotions? Your heart always beats the same. no matter happy or sad?

Please give emotional exsperiance living with a av node ablation.

Thank you

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Background information?

Hi everyone, just to check, I've not much experience using this website and I'm wondering if we need to include and repeat background information when we ask questions of fellow members? In other words can members look up our previous posts where we have shared history, get informed, and then be able to better share their thoughts?

 I don't mind repeating background information but would be interested in how I can find out pacemaker history of other members when th...

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Nervous New Member

56 yo male with no prior known heart issues, medications for hypothyroidism and restless leg syndrome.  Lifelong runner with resting pulse avg 50.  

Was flying back home on a red eye from Anchorage to Denver, sleeping when I passed out into the aisle.  My wife pulled me up, came to, got sick and passed out two more times.  Former navy medic and nursing student responded to PA announcement, couldn't get a pulse but my watch said 38.  ...

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pacemaker

i was wondering if i could travel in side the us without taken my biotronic 4g with me

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Abbott recall, software fix?

Has anyone with the St Jude/Abbott recall been told there may be a software fix, that the battery is not actually low and may not need replaced? We knew mine was part of the recall but were not concerned because I've had it since 2015 and most affected by the recall deplete sooner than this. Mine went from 9 years in January to watch list for replacement last month. My ep called Abbott and believes it is not actually low, that it's a software glitch. They want to interrogate in p...

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Is anxiety normal after years with Pacemaker?

Hi Everyone.

So I am a pacemaker dependent for about 34 years now with a dual pacemaker. One thing I seem to be suffering from is anxiety... but for some reason lately I worry about my health and future with this device... I am the only one in my family with this... so I don't have anyone to relate to... I do aim to focus on positive things but sometimes it creeps up on me. I wonder what should I expect as I get older. I am in my late 30's. 

Thanks :)

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My Friend

Good Morning Group, I'm now in my 15th day of recovery and I'm doing fine. Incision site is healing nicely and I'm just waiting for my 1 month follow up with the heart doc so I can get back to doing the things I do on the farm. 

This post however is slightly off the path and is about a friend of mine, he's 86, small frail body style, heavy smoker and has been self isolated since COVID hit. When I informed him of my new PM he told m...

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not wanting pacemaker / anxiety?

sorry if i'm not posting his in the right forum, but i'm just feeling so lost and trapped, and i don't know who or where to look for answers. i don't technically have a pacemaker yet, but i'm getting one implanted inevitably.

 

i'm fifteen and i was diagnosed with third degree av block (complete heart block) within the last year. i'm asymptomatic to a certain extent, but have a low enough rate (39 resting) that my dx told me that it's basically...

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Anyone else???

Okay so something is freaking wrong... Do they listen of course not!!! Same crap before I got pacemaker I said hey my heart is stopping...she says oh I'm sure it's not stopping... I said yes it is... anyway round and round we go finally they put in that recorder ya know the one they implant.... ohhhhh wouldnt ya know they call me freaking out you need to come in tomorrow we have to get you set up for pacemaker! She goes on to tell me I have a 3rd degree heart black I'm like ok so...

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HIS Bundle vs. RV apical vs. Biventricular pacing

As mentioned on other threads I'm trying to learn everything I can. I've read that the most often used RV apical pacing site for the ventricular lead can over time in some people lead to a condition called asynchronous heart failure since the QRS becomes widened, because this point of activation of the ventricles is not natural for the heart. So some centers have started using HIS bundle pacing in patients with intact left and right bundle branches to get...

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AgentX86 please report in

I do believe that you were finally seeing your cardiologist today. Any insight as to the reason for your slight chest pain while walking? 

Inquiring minds want to know😉

Awaiting your official report🕵🏼‍♂️

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You know you're wired when...

Your signature looks like an EKG.

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