Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Cardiologist vs. EP con't

Thanks to everyone that commented on my post. I really appreciate it. My cardiologist and my EP are both in the same clinic so that is why I see both. My primary care doc is the one that usually monitors my bp. But after getting out of the hospital my cardiologist decided to start managing my bp or possibly co-managing it with my primary because he asked if I was still seeing the same primary. While I was in the cardio's office he had a medtronic tech come in to make sure that my pm was working...

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cardiologist vs. EP

I have not posted here for quite some time. But after a brief hospital stay last month for symptoms associated with some sort of cardiac event which turned out to be nothing. I had a follow up with my cardiologist 3 weeks later. While I was there he had a tech come in to check out my pm.
So my question is... If your pm is working like it should and your cardiologist is able to have a tech come in to interrogate it why does a person need to see the EP as long as nothing is wrong. I see my c...

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First Data Dump Today

I had my first interrogation today (8 weeks post-placement). I have a secondary AV block. Low end is set at 60; high end is set at 140. Dual lead pacer. It is DDD ( I valildated that today). The tech said lowering the 60 setting wouldn't save any battery power and said that if my heart rate was over 140 (from exercise which I do a lot) it wouldn't matter. This doesn't sound right to me from some of the comments I have read here. Battery life right now is predicted to be about 6 years. A...

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office check

I feel like I'm never get my next office check. I've been having monthly phone checks because my battery has about 1yr left.(according to the last office check) and am suppoused to go to the office every 6 months. I was supposed to go 1 1/2 weeks ago but had to change it because I got suponeaned to go to court the same day. (very upset, there until 1 and then the case was dismissed and it was something I had no real involvement in) I rescheduled for today at 1. The office called last week to cha...

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What do these settings mean?

Hi all in Pacer land, I am still on the slow learning curve, and have a few questions.

What is the difference between SafeR (AAI<=>DDD) and
DDDR

On basic Parameters under Smoothing I am set at Off now and it was at Slow

Under Rate response the current value is Learn it was at RRauto.

After being told that I had pauses they put in a Pacemaker, and things have not gone so good.

I finally convinced by Cardio to do more testing and m...

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Abbreviations on the PM transcript

I've been to my first checkup after getting a PM 14th December. It turns out I have much more A-fib than expected, 28 of 31 days, I had fibrillation for more than 4 hours. Four incidents of A-fib lasted for 96 hours.

I'm really feeling much better. I read my pulse with a sports watch, and my pulse confirms my feeling of getting better each week. But the PM report doesn't confirm the improvement.

Except from the frequent Afib, my first checkup was OK. On my doctors advice,...

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6 month Checkup Yesterday

I had my 6 month check up in the doctors office yesterday. I had the best technician (a lady) I have ever had in the 7 years of having my pacemaker. She took the time to go through all my settings, explained what the ment and why it was set the way it was. She also answered all my questions and explained them in language I could understand. Hope I get her again, I know I will request her. I though I was going to need my pacemaker replaced this year but found out that I still have about 24 months...

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what does a monitor cost and does medicare pay

I was wondering if anyone knew what a pacemaker monitor ccst and if medicare pays for them. I am to be getting a 2940G13 Carelink reveal from Medtronic and am wondering what kind of cost I could incur

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I have had a PM for over 30 yrs, I am 39

I have had a PM for over 30 years, I am currently 39. If you have any questions just email me @ repwork@gmail.com and I will be glad to answer them. I go through AIRPORT security but they must do a BODY SEARCH (NO METAL DETECTORS). They can CUT OFF many PM models.

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More settings questions

I have never been advised to any upper limit settings. I know that my PM is set at 50 so my heart doesn't go below that...but that's about all I know.

I am confused because other people are asking about upper settings. Are their different PM'ers that have low settings and high? And perhaps that I just have a model that only has lower settings?

What happens when a person gets to their high setting number? Say if your high setting is set at 130 and you hit 130...what does t...

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What does a "rate responsive" PM do?

I had a "dual chamber rate responsive" PM from Medtronic installed Monday 14th December. My problem was low pulse, down to 7 seconds between heartbeats during my sleep, in combination with flutter.

The PM is programmed to keep my pulse above 60 bpm, and it seems to work just as intended. When my pulse drops slightly below 60 bpm, a correction occurs immediately, bringing the pulse back above 60 bpm. The doctor told me it gives my right atrium and my right ventrikkel a 0,5 volt stimul...

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PM adjusting and settings

Hi :) I was wondering if someone could please explain to me the settings on the PM...I am semi active person..when I first got my PM the upper was set at 130...okay so then when I went for my first PM checkup..I told the Dr that I was semi active and liked to walk and sometimes ride my bike..so he set the upper at 140 left the lower at 50...and the rate response was not on... so after I read some of these postings..I am confused on the settings...I understand the lower setting but am confused...

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St Jude RF with Merlin@home? Requires landline tel

I am active on the forum today -- PM is going in tomorrow :)

I am getting a St Jude Anthem RF with a Merlin@home home station. The home station reads data from the PM nightly (or another time you are near the station), and using an old-fashioned telephone landline and modem, dials in the data the the merlin network, where it will be analyzed for any irregularities.

I was very excited to receive such new and advanced technology, but rather disappointed about the telephone la...

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Just had a clinic visit...

and had a huge breakthrough with my recurrent arrythmia post-PM!

Long story made extremely short, failed ablation led to PM in March due to AV node getting damaged. 100% paced ventricular, 60% atrial. Recurrent Sinus Tachycardia post PM implant.

I am going to get some of this terminology wrong, but my Sinus Tachycardia was popping up throughout the day (130 bpm), but I didn't feel it until I got home from work etc etc and my body started to relax. Then the episodes becam...

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Pacer replacement

Well, its final. I have a voice mail from the cardiologist office that he wants to replace the pacer next Thurs. That's the day he does checkups and has the Medtronics tech in town. I'm glad he is doing it now. It is getting close on batteries and it affects plans for being out of town. I don't intend to have anything other than a local anesthesia so its no big deal. I was looking at some of my notes from when I had the original put in and I went for a 1/2 mile walk when I got home from the hosp...

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new PM settings and BP

I have had totally radical blood pressure after the PM was installed. My doc started me off at 90 BPM and 6 weeks later dialed it down to 80 and then 5 weeks later down to 60 where it is supposed to stay. He said none of these settings would affect my BP. However each time my rate was lowered my BP got better (lower) over time. Now my BP is perfect 9 times out of 10 when I check it.
Question, has anyone else had this experience?
Thanks!!!

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winifred saunders

I had a pacemaker inserted in December 2009 but in spite of two checkups and settings I am getting a continuous vibrations
in abdomen area. Is this a usual reaction?

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Public places with landlines

I don't have a landline and my cellphone doesn't work for having my telephone checks. The person I usually go to to use her phone is out of town, and the church I used to go for when she isn't available said I can't use their phones anymore (after three times). The phone at my doctor's doesn't work with the 1-800 number. I tried to senior center today and their computers interfered with the reading. Library same problem.

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I might find suit...

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Relaxing

I went and had my pacemaker checked today. Met with a new rep. He kind of looked like Anderson Cooper....always a plus! LOL

He drew pictures, explained things, printed me sheets...the works. I got more information from him than the last a-hole who didn't help at all.

Things are looking up...rather my perspective is! And it's about time!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. You have all been so wonderful to me that I am sending you hugs and well wishes in th...

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New member

Hi, I'm new to this club on behalf of my son. He was a preemie @ 31wks and has complete heart block along with other CHD.
He had his pacemaker implanted @ 6 days old. He has the smallest single chamber PM available. Today was his 3 month follow up, they reduced the amplitude from 4.5 to 2.5, I'm wondering if they will reduce this each time and if the only implication is less drain on the battery.(He's paced 100%).
Thanks,
Melanie

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You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

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