Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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worried and can't get answers

I had a checkup yesterday and my medicine (sotalol) is no longer working. I have tachy-brady pretty much constant. My heart will beat fast, long pause and then beat slow and repeat over and over all day. The pacemaker is not coming in on the pauses fast enough because heart is sending out enough of a signal that it doesn’t step in. The doctor said that next step is trying a last medicine ( I have tried everything else) Multaq or another ablation. This time he would completely ablate the si...

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burst

At my recent pacemaker check the technition said that 4 bursts were recorded amongst other things. What would these be. My pacemaker is DDDR machine. Original fitting took 3 hrs and then a wire was found to be out of position resulting in a further op which also lasted over 3hrs.

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Can you feel it when you're being paced?

Hi
I'm only paced in the ventricles when I'm exercising, but I can feel it a lot and its really annoying b/c its so irregular (it can only go up to 150 though my atria are going up to 190). Just wondering if its normal to feel the pacing in the ventricles? I just went for my checkup today and they're talking about putting a new one in that can go higher because I'm an athlete and they didn't take that into account the first time around. I don't really want to get a new one since I've onl...

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Reduced voltage to leads

I had my first PM check (5 weeks after implant) the tech said she as reduced the power to the leads by a small amount. I'm worried it will effect me as i've been feeling so good since the implant. As anybody had this done and what was the effect. Thank you for any help. Graham

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remote monitoring

if there is any pacers with a monitor that you carry on you belt
or leave at home . I would like to hear from you my doctor provided me with one that sends info from my pacer back to pacer H.Q. every morning at 2 am . and when I question my doctor abouut it . it appears that they dont really want to discuss it . I am beginning to believe that it is just a money making thing for the C.O. and doctor am I wrong. P. S. when
settings are sent back to H.Q. they send the dr that and tell hi...

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First checkup

I'm scheduled for my first post PM checkup, not where it was planted since that is so far away, but got info from the company of a closer place to go. Can anybody tell me a little about what to expect? The PM was placed for 3rd degree AV block, brady in the 30s. I had no symptoms and was pretty surprised when this happened, but now I'm kinda lost in the medical jungle a guide would be helpful.

When I first learned I needed this thing, you guys were so helpful and supportive, I gue...

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Got my settings bumped up!

Hi. I got my pm on 5/3/2010. As I started to heal, I wanted to just get back to my normal, active life. My doctor said, "Be active. Your pacemaker has to get to know you". Well, I really tried all summer long. I had such episodes of breathlessness; and wondered if the hot, humid summer were to blame. After 3 calls to the nurse, she finally called and said I was scheduled to have a breathing test. They never told me the results of that test, rather they called again to say my doctor had ordered a...

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rate response

hi all, can anyone explain what the rate response part of the pm means please. i have pm for second degree heart block but only pace about 7% of the time. i recently had yearly pm check and all was fine except a few early beats. ever since i haven’t felt quite right. i seem to be experiencing rapid heart rate especially on standing but am aware of it all the time even though it may not be as fast as it seems and a feeling of pressure around my throat. i checked and was told no settings had...

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St Jude

This is just to let people know at the last check up I said to the nurse I dont know why you dont adjust these things to activity not just to sitting still. She said there is a ten minute activity test with the St Judes pacemaker which optimizes the rate response. Then she had me walk around for ten minutes and checked it. Might be worth asking about for others. hi from oz hope you are all well thanks for the education.

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Settings.

Can anyone tell what it means when the rate response is turned off. I have a St. Jude 2 lead for complete heart block.

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rate response setting

Well I spent an afternoon visiting with a Medtronic rep trying to get my rate response right. Him and I have become quite close as he has made many changes for me and my EP doc, plus he has interrogated my PM in ER. Anyways, I was educated on the different settings that my pacemaker (Kappa 400) has. He said I was lucky that my pacemaker is one of the few that still has two means of determining the appropriate rate... minute volume (MV) or activity. Currently mine is just activity. However I...

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Increased threashold

What does this mean? Went for check up 5 days ago, and not feeling quite right. Having some discomfort when PM is pacing. Not quite sure about this new sensation.

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Valve leakage

Hi

Have had a rough couple of weeks since last post. I saw the cardiologist and he has now heard a murmur. He asked me if this had ever been mentioned and only once 30 years ago when I was having my daughter in hospital was this mentioned. Since then I have had three echograms and not once did anyone say about murmur.

I then had an echogram two days after seeing the cardiologist and this showed a slight leak in heart valve. Told not to worry but needless to say I am...

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What does DDDR mode mean?

Hello All

Can anyone tell me what DDDR mode means on my Biventricular pacemaker.

Thank you for your support.

Graham

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Need to Replace PM ??

Hi All
Insignia AVT DR - Model 1292 Guidant Pacemaker was implanted in Oct’2005 for the reason that Neurocardiogenic Syncope. Even after implanting the device i have the same problems which were there prior to the implantation. The settings have been changed numerous times but the problems remains increasing episodes of giddiness, light headedness, short of breath and even i had a fainting (syncope) episodes too. So far around 6000 SBR (Sudden Brady Response) were recorded and to my...

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information about the follow ups

Good day.
Im from another country and I wondered how normaly in US they make the checkups; every year? or six months?

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New to group ? settings

The first part of my message to the group has disappeared into thin air! Basically have a variety of arrhythmias, have first degree heart block, left anterior fascicular block and in order to treat the bursts of VT need flecainide and metoprolol but needed the pacer as back-up because of the blocks, also minor sinus node dysfunction I guess the main thrust of my posting was in the half which has now been posted.
Thanks
Lancashire Lass

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New to group ? settings

what he suspected was an aggressive Search AV hysteresis programmed then they would programme my back-up VVIR or DDIR pacing with hysteresis to minimise ventricular pacing. So, they fiddled around a bit and luckily I asked a few more questions and found that it was programmed just DDI not DDIR as my cardiologist thought! Now I am programmed to kick in when heart rate drops to 50bpm and probably around 40 and upwards when sleeping, and they have turned on the rate response. I now have to see how...

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Self Checking

Can someone describe to me what a PM self checking itself would feel like?

Today out of the blue I had a cluster of abnormal, hard and un-rythmic beats. It lasted a few seconds. I then got dizzy and sweaty. Then it happened again.

Its' been an hour and so far HRH is in the 80's (I'm still nervous), hasn't happened again...but was suggested to me it may have been my PM self checking itself.

Called the dr...no call back since. Think I'm having just some PVC's for t...

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Not sure what is going on

Hi

For the past two weeks I have been visiting my pacemaker nurse who after me explaining that I have been having feelings of my heart in my stomach changed some settings.

First week she put my pacer up to 50 beats being the lower level I was originally 45. This has helped with headaches but I have still the feeling of my heart in upper stomach. Also put my pacemaker into DDD. Tried to exercise and did not like the effect of DDD and next week she put me back to DDI. L...

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Since I got my pacemaker, I don't pass out anymore! That's a blessing in itself.