Most Recent Messages in ICDs

ICD INSTALLED SSAME PROBLEMS

Had icd installed beginning of february 09. First 2 weeks felt fine. Good appetite etc. Am on Diovan .cardeviol,lasix and potassium. still experiencing shortness of breath at times, and fatigue.increasing and lowering lasix and potassium has not relieved the problem.no appetite so cant recover excessive loss. Any help?

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Wonder If My Heart Doctor Reads These Post

I had sought help in getting information to ask my doctor at my scheduled appointment of March 18, 2008, I have an ICD since October 2008, on that date as I always do I called to make sure my appointment was still active to learn that the doctor that morning, a few min before I called changed my appointment to March 25, and ordered a ecco gram prior to seeing him that day...of course some members gave me questions to ask him, now apparently he him self wants more information, I did find out that...

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wii fit

  • by tel
  • 2009-03-14 04:03:34
  • ICDs
  • 2734 views
  • 4 comments

Hello all,

I have just joined the club on behalf of my wife who has a defibrillator fitted. Is she safe to use the Wii fit.

I mean will the electrical part of the wii fit interfere with the workings of the defibrillator

My wife has also suffered some brain damage so I have joined on her behalf.

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Shocks

  • by Beef
  • 2009-03-08 07:03:52
  • ICDs
  • 2085 views
  • 4 comments

Hello all. I'm new to this club and here's a bit about my experience in this subject-
I have been unlucky enough to have had 38 shocks from my ICD in four separate episodes of VT over the past 8 years. Recently I had six shocks in Jan 2009 whilst on my way to the hospital to have an procedure called an Ablation because some recent irregular heart activity.
I am glad that I have the device and I will say that I consider myself lucky to still be alive today because of the treatment I hav...

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ICD Experience

  • by GAC
  • 2009-03-07 02:03:55
  • ICDs
  • 1982 views
  • 1 comments

I had a Medtronic ICD implanted on December 15, 2008 after a V-Tach attach. I have had three Trerapy Shock since then. Jan 4. Feb 5 and Feb 27. I just started Sotalol medication last week at 80mg. I don't know what to espect at this point. I can't drive and work from home. My doctor says it's wait and see.

Any comments?

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More Info

I thought some of you may enjoy the following as it discusses the devices and heart problems we discuss here daily. Part of it came from Medtronic (for some reason I'm on their mailing list - I;m kidding I asked to be put on the list) and the last two paragraphs are from another article on the subject of
CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy)

Heart Devices

Did you know that there are different heart devices that treat different heart conditions? When people think o...

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Have you ever felt your ICD move?!

I was wondering if anyone has felt their ICD move. I was sleeping the other night on the couch, I have my left arm (my ICD is located on my left side) under my head and went up the side of the couch. I was suddenly awakened when I felt as if my ICD moved up. After inspecting it, it looks and feels like it did move. It hurt really bad at the time but now is only sore. I am wondering if it is still making its spot within all the muscles as I only had it implanted in June of 2008. Does anyone...

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ICD removals

Hi everyone!
I was just wondering if anyone could give me an insight on successful VT ablations and ICD removals. I have a dual chamber ICD due to an uncontrolled(so they said) VT. They tried to ablate but said it was imposible because my VT "floated" They stated it was polymorphic(they counted up to 6 different VTs). So the best thing was to use the combination of anti-arrythmic meds and an ICD... which all proved to not work. I later found a wonderful EP who looked at my records and fel...

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shock

just,had my first shock,since,getting the difib,in on feb 01,2007,doc,did not want to see me untill reg check up in april. Now i know what a shock feels like dont mind 1 every 2 years,also was behind car wiping off snow that night,toching lights alsoo in the back while car vwas running,did not know if that was the cause,they,did not think so,but other,cardio nures said maybe

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Finally somewhat of an answer to when amiodarone fails

Hi and I am sorry it has taken me this long to let those of you who asked about my husband know what is going on. Just to refresh everyone he is on amiodarone and it was failing to keep his arrythmia's in check. After my last post he became very sick, couldn't eat and couldn't get out of bed..I was expecting the worse. After many doctor's visits and even firing one of his doctors, it was discovered that amiodarone and some of his other meds were effecting his liver, his enzymes were over 300. So...

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Increased ventriculator sensing

Hi! At my pacemaker (CRT-D) check today, my doctor mentioned something about "increased ventricular sensing." He said it was in the 100's and not the 1000's, so he wasn't worried about it. I should have had him explain what he was talking about, but I didn't. Can anyone explain what he was saying? Is this something I need to be concerned about?

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some info for you ICDers

i will be having surgery shortly and thought this might interest the people who are implanted with the dual pacemaker/defibrillator.

normally they turn off the defib. for surgery with the magic magnet and i was curious if this also affected the pacemaker.
i called up St. Jude, my implant, and they informed me that it will not affect the pacemaker. just one less thing to worry about that i thought i'd share.

just one last note: i must say it certainly woke me up readin...

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Using ATP option in ICD

  • by mrag
  • 2009-02-07 02:02:03
  • ICDs
  • 2104 views
  • 2 comments

This board had an article dated in 2004: "Pacing can replace shock to restore heart rhythm." There were 10 comments, but I can't figure out how to access them.

Basically though, there is an optional setting (on my Guidant ICD anyway) called ATP for AntiTacycardiaPacing. If the ICD detects a bad rhythm, it will FIRST try to speed up the heart to get back into a normal rhythm BEFORE deciding to issue a shock. In a number of cases, a shock is avoided.

My ATP function is set to...

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Ventricular Ablation Arrhythmias

  • by mrag
  • 2009-02-01 04:02:46
  • ICDs
  • 2321 views
  • 2 comments

Have an ICD that has now fired eight times over the last two years. Was on amiodarone, then toprol then sotalol, now after most recent three shocks (one on Jan 7, two on Jan 10 that also required two cardio versions and a week in ICU) am back on amiodarone and toprol. As doctors don't seem to like amiodarone (at least long term) and I don't like shocks, we are now considering a ventricular ablation cathertization.

I've seen all sorts of posts on atrial ablations, but want to know abou...

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Medtronic ICD

Hello:

I have a Medtronic ICD- installed on October 1, 2007--it was a four hour ordeal. I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, V-TACH and AFIB on July 10, 2007- ICD was implanted on October 1, 2007. I was 46 years old- I am now 48.
So..it's been about a year and 1/2. They think I've had this bad heart for most of my life, but no one caught the symptoms.

Anyway, I am still not sure what to make of this whole situation.
I never know if I am o.k.---or just...

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Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Hello
My husband has had his ICD with three leads put in 3 mths ago and was shocked for the first time New years Eve Morning while he was in the shower. He is having a hard time changing his whole life and wanted the ICD removed. He felt that he did not really need it and they should have tried other ways first. His question to all of you is why did you need to get a difibrillator? can any one encourage him and does it get better? He is having to change his life, drinking, smoking, and now...

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Newness and questions on Fluid Retention

This site is wonderful. I have felt so lost and almost desperate at times trying to understand everything. I suffered Sudden Cardiac Death on 12-31 around 4:30am. My husband heard my last breath and with his CPR until the Paramedics arrived they were able to revive me. fter two days on a ventilator seven days later I had an ICD put in. I still am very sore and not quite me yet and wondering how long until I really feel better. Still can't lay flat to sleep and don't know why but at least I...

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ICD support group

Hey, I just read about somebody who started an ICD support group in Houston for any of you that are interested. The web address is http://icdzap.com.

You can also read his story on http://heartdisease.about.com/library/community/bljim-houston.htm

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Tattoos and ICD's

Hello-

I have never had a tattoo before but after everything that I have been through with my heart this past year I am wanting to get one.
I would like to have it on my shoulder but was concerned about if the vibration or magnets would be a problem with the ICD. So my lower back is another option. I did search through the previous posts but most them dealt with PM's.

Any info would be great and I do have a call into my Dr as well to get his input.

Thank...

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Update to when amiodarone fails

Hi everyone...Ok they added mexiletine to Bobs amiodarone and it made him deathly sick, woosy, confused. So that has been stopped. Friday he is going to have a doppler echo to see if he is a candidate for the third lead on his ICD. As of now he is on 400mg of amio a day and no more shocks, knock wood, but we don't know how long he can continue the 400 mg daily, amio is toxic in some people. Thats where we are at right now. He is feeling better, mexiletine did a number on him....Marilu

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I live an extremely normal life now and my device does NOT hinder me in any way.