Most Recent Messages in Complications

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Feeling weak

Hi everyone. I am a 59 yr old female, had a pacemaker placement 9wks ago this Wednesday will make 10wks. I am still so weak it's all I can do to do the basic task. I feel like I should be feeling better by now. I am am very disappointed in the progress that I have made in 9wks. I am wondering has any of you pacers experience this. I will see the cardiologist on Friday hoping they can give me some answers. they keep saying they are going to adjust the settings. but they have not done so. I...

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Throbbing sharp pain above collar bone by neck

my pace maker was put in Jan 3rd 18. 

I ended up in the ER Friday 12th from this throbbing pain above my collar bone by my neck. On the same side pacemaker.  I started to feel very sick to my stomach. They gave me something for nausea. 

Earlier that day my grandson noticed how huge my veins looked. I figured it was because my heart's beating the blood. 

They got everything calmed down in the ER. Went home tired. Spent the next two days asleep could no...

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Hand swell and Arm swell

Since my pacemaker implant on my left side 2 years ago, my left arm, leg and hand have swelled up quite a bit. Reading and research has shown many people with implants, either side, has experienced the same. My doctor and heart specialist who implanted the device, both do not agree the device implant could have caused such a thing to happen. There is alot of eveidence that shows otherwise. My question then is has anybody reading this experienced the same symptoms and has there been any treatm...

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Pain around pacemaker area

So I'm new to this, I just got my pm implanted September 15, 2017 and unfortunately I was in a vehicle accident December 15th and rolled my truck into a ditch. I was trapped hanging upside down from the seat belt and it was creating a tremendous amount of pressure on my pm site. After 5 or 10 minutes somebody cut me out of my seat belt, but I had a bruise across my collar bone when I got to the hospital. Since the accident, I have had constant pain in my chest area around pm, short of bre...

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Complete heart block after 2nd ablation

I have had a pacemaker/defibrillator for almost two years.  I was having ventricular tachycardia.  I got shocked 4 times in a row about a month ago so an ablation was done.  But the vt persisted. So, on 12/27/17, another ablation was done. So far, so good on the vt.  But I was told today I now have a complete heart block.  I am wondering if they did something wrong during the ablation? Also, dr says chb can cause decreased heart function and I might need a different i...

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Anyone ever injured there self and tore the pacemaker and its moved couple inches what did there cardiologist do?

Have pacer that is moved due to accident wondering whats best its painfull dr didnt seem too concerened becaus leads and pacer wernt damaged

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pacemaker

Thanks Shephart for your comment.  I went to the doctor today and they turned the voltage down on the pacemaker. He had the Medtronic rep come in and together they tweaked it.   Now it is not pulsing.  What a relief.  I thought I was going crazy.  The pulsing was so strong I had to hold my chest.  

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base heart rate increase—side effects

I'm almost a month post-op for a dual-lead PM (Boston Scientific), due to bradycardia, heart block, and chronotropic incompetence. At my post-op appointment last Friday, my EP increased the aggressiveness of my acceleratmeter AND raise my resting heart rate from 55 to 70. Since then (the past three days), I've had a near constant low grade headache, accompanied by a low-grade, very physiologic-seeeming anxiety—a kind of general inability to relax. (I don't know if anyon...

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Pacemaker

I got a pacemaker on 12-27-17 and I keep feeling the strong pulses on my right side under the pacemaker.  Sometimes they are in my stomach also.  Has anyone else experienced them?

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Itchiness around site 2 years on

I've been having itching in my breast tissue on the lower left quadrant for like 8 weeks. I've had the ICD for more than 2 years. My family practice doc says sometimes the pacemaker irritates a nerve and causes that itching, even later on. My OB/GYN gave me a course of antifungals in case it was something like that, to try first.

Has anyone else had itchiness? (It feels itchy inside the tissue, not on the surface, to be clear; also have not changed deodorant/bras/soaps/dete...

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Need more surgery

I finally had my device check after two and a half months. I have been having pain and other problems. It seems my lead is irritating the phrenetic nerve so it has to be adjusted. I will need to go to Buffalo, NY (about 90 miles). This time it will be done by a surgeon who specializes in pacemakers, instead of a general surgeon. I hope it works this time as the last three months have been rough.

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ICD & shortness of breath

Hi, I had an ICD implanted last summer due to 2nd degree heart block. My symptoms were dizziness and one episode of fainting. I took some time to adjust the device but after feeling ok for a couple of months I often experience a breathing discomfort during a rest. I can cycle a 100km or hike all day long and feel as if nothing ever happened but as soons as I sit down I feel shortness of breath which eventually leads to dizziness. Cardiologist said that my heart is in a very good shape except...

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Happy New Year?

So 2017 was full of suprises.  In July I had several episodes where I blacked out for a few seconds.  A quick trip to the local ER and the medical professionals there determined my heart rate was in the low 30's and diagnosed me with symtomatic Bradycardia and ultimately Sick Sinus Syndrome.  After being told by the cardiologist, more specifically an electrophysiologist that I needed a pacemaker to correct the issue.  He went as far as to tell me that he...

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Muscle Jerks

I so need some help.  In the summer of 2015 I got a duel chamber pacemaker (PM) due to my heart stopping up to 8 seconds. No one mentioned AFib at the time, since I have been asymptomatic, but after about a month of receiving  my pacemaker I was very symptomatic up to 14 hours.  The device was placed about 1 1/2 inch below my left collar bone and at the diagonal crease  where my arm meets my body.  The leads are attached at a 4 o'clock position and seem to get squ...

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Feeling stressed

Hi pacers! Wondering has anyone ever had their pacemaker to constantly shock them. my heart rate has been dropping down to 55 I know that's probably part of the reason, I feel like something is wrong my pacemaker is paced at 60. Until today I had never dropped below 59 and my pacemaker would imetely take back up to 65. Tried to get in to cardiology tomorrow. they said that they were solid booked, I am thinking I may have to get a new cardiologist?

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Pulse / twitch Feeling when Laying on left side and sitting (i.e. Driving) & Stomach Pain (Top)

Four weeks ago I had a dual lead Boston Scientific pacemaker and defibrillator & pace maker installed.  Shortly after the surgery I noticed a sporatic twitching/pulse feel below my left chest pec and a dull throbbing pain at the top of my stomach (note: at times you can actually feel by hand and see the twitch by eye).  A few days following the surgery  they adjusted the voltage on the lead based on my concern.  This change initially lowered both the number andstrength...

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Stuggling

Hi pacers hope everyone had a Christmas, I have been struggling, have shortness of breath, sleepless nights. in and out of Afib, this Wednesday will make eight weeks. I should be feeling better. thanks to Robin I've started to journal and trying to revamp my diet, gonna try to get an appointment with cardiology this week to try in make since of what is going on. Having problems adjusting to the antiarithmetic medication. this pacemaker implant has been a rough journey. anyone got any advi...

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Placement of lead

I got my pacemaker Oct 9th but became very sick. Was in the hospital a week and then rehab 2 weeks. Finally yesterday I got my device check. I have been having extreme burping, hiccuping, nausea, vomiting and an annoying pain. They tell me the lead is too close to a nerve - frenetic? -and I have to have surgery to repair it. I will probably have to wait till the middle of January. I am not too happy.

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Lump on left side 1 month post PM surgery

I had a pacemaker implanted 1 month ago, but there’s an area near the implant site that has grown really stiff. I notice it mostly if I raise my left arm. It’s right below my arm pit on my left side. It feels pretty normal except for its much stiffer in comparison to my right side and the area is about two inches big.

Is this normal, or has anyone else experienced anything similar? 

Also,  I was originally supposed to have a follow-up appointment with my doct...

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Feeling stressed

Today makes 7 weeks since my pacemaker implant. has it ever been a rough 7 weeks, I've been admitted twice during the last seven weeks, went into Afib a week ago today , almost had a heart attack, they had to give me morphine to relax my heart to keep me from having a heart attack. spent 6 days in the hospital trying to get my heart regalated ,my doctor took me off Cardizem and started me on rythomol boy has this been one rough medication. I feel like I am spinning out of control. I stres...

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You know you're wired when...

Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.

Member Quotes

Try to concentrate on how you’re able to be active again and feel normal, rather than on having a machine stuck in your body.