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pacemaker

I have three big side effects of having a pacemaker: tiredness, weak and heavy legs and slower thinking. It started almost two years ago and is slowly gotten worse. I have been to our spine docotor, neuroligist, and the last dr. who said to have my pacemaker adjusted for what I have are side effects of my pacemaker. I called and left a message with my heart doctor and the reply from the MA was the doctor doesn't think it is the pacemaker and the tech said she would not know what to do to...

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Reported AF/other Episodes - Should I worry (probably not but I do)

Long time reader, first time poster.... :-) 
I just got a call from the Medtronic tech/Cardiology today because the Pacemaker alerted to a 7 second arrythmia yesterday.  I felt a spell of dizziness but not until an hour after the indicated time of the episode.  She also said I'd had a 3 second Afib two weeks ago (never noticed anything).  I've had the PM for full HB 2.5 years now, and reports have shown an occasional arrythmia, but...

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Now WHAT'S going on?

Hello all!

Just over a week ago I had my 1 month check up - no issues. Now, twice since then, I've been getting low HR episodes that last a few hours. My normal HR stays around 70. At least twice my HR dropped to the low 50's and stays there.I get a strange weak feeling in my legs and stomach. If I move around to try and raise it, I get a small response but it won't go above 80 or so and I feel like I get into Wenckeback symptoms. 

Is this some type of SSS? I'...

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Dual Chamber Pacemaker Settings

Today I went to the hospital pacer clinic and had Abbottt connect me to the mothership and did a full function test of my leads and pacemaker.  I have been having some issues and the Abbott tech was right on top of his game today.

My pacer setting was off a lot and he adjusted the sensitivity to increase my bpm sooner and to bring my heart rate down slower as I am a bicycle rider.  It has only been a few hours and what a difference already.

My chest pain is gone fir...

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Pacer Download Loop

Last night my pacer monitor went into alarm mode and would not shut off.  A bit of a scare as my dual chamber pacer felt fine.  This morning I contact Abbott technicians and had my monitor reset.  The technician stated my monitor download was stuck in a loop and kept downloading my pacer data every few minutes for about seven hours.

Friday I am going to the hospital where the Abbott technicians are going to connect me to the mothership and do a full diagnostic test on my...

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One year checkup

Hi all

I had a duel chamber pacemaker fitted - March 2022.

Had various checkups and tweaks but still not entirely happy with things.

On interrogation today it was noted I'm in AF 100% of the time , paced @ 100% and something about one of the leads being just in tolerance- high impedance or something ? Technician said it was too complicated to explain , but was going to make cardiologist aware .

Still awaiting 2nd cardioversion for worsening AF , but Technician sugg...

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Pacemaker check and echocardiogram

Just had my annual pacemaker and echocardiogram check.

Next appointment is set for October 2024 so no cause for concern but the report states that my heart stopped for periods of up to three seconds sixteen times over the past year. Apparently this is no cause for concern. I read somewhere that it's quite usual for a person without heart problems to experience these stoppages.

Any information on this would be appreciated.🌹

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Rate Response, new pacemaker

Hello there,

I have read quite some information since my pacemaker implant 2 weeks ago. The forum is a really helpful resource for the recovery period.

I have a question related to rate response.

I was diagnosed with a 2nd degree heart block almost 20 years ago. Since then I went back to the hospital for a 24 hour holter every 1-3 years. Always with the same result, a few blocks during the night.

I'm completely asymptomatic. The finding of the AV block was by chanc...

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NHS appointments

I've been suffering from ectopics with a pacemaker fitted since January 2023 and am fairly regularly getting 37 bpm when resting.

My GP wrote to the cardiologists at the regional hospital and requested an appointment "at your earliest convenience" and "preferably in person"

The cardiology department response to that was an appointment in two and a half months time at the end of June 2023 and that will be a 15-minute telephone conversation.

So that'...

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First post implant appointment

 

I had my PM implanted in January and now I am coming up on my first in-person visit (Monday) with both my cardiologist and EP. I’ve talked with them since the implant and while I thought my PM was set to VVIR, in fact it is set to VVI. So, changing to VVIR is one of the things that will probably be changed.

The reason for the change is once I got the OK, I started on a treadmill and eventually water aerobics. At first, I was doing fine. Felt great all the time. Then a...

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quarterly remote transmission and yearly cardiologist appointment

Saw the cardilogist for the yearly checkup. She kept asking me for the name of my GP guess it was becuase a different doctor requested the 2 blood tests that i had.   She was concerned that my lipid were high. She mentioned that she likes the LDL in the 50's which is in the middle of the range. Told her i was working on that.  It seems that the Algal Oil that am taking causes both the bad and the good to rise.  Now am taking only 1 per meal and blood will be retested i...

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RNRVAS (cont)

A few weeks ago Penguin asked about RNRVAS (Repetitive Non-reentrant ventriculoatrial Synchrony)  something I had never heard of. But I was very interested because since my generator change in October I have been experiencing symptoms sort of like the PVC-induced PMT I had once before. I even posted about them here.

I repeatedly asked my pacemaker team if I might be having PVC-induced PMT, and was repeatedly assured that with my settings it was "impossible."

Th...

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heart rate too fast

I had my pacemaker fitted in May 2022 and it only cuts in when necessary as in if my heart rate drops too low, but I feel as though generally my heart rate is too fast even when doing normal walking. Any thoughts?

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Appointment

What can I expect for my first post implant appointment?

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Help with Adjustments

I am in US/California. The nurse at the pacemaker clinic only checks that the PM is working properly. The only settings she will discuss are the upper and lower limit, and those are only changed with approval from the cardiologist (60/150).

I called Boston Scientific to ask if it is standard practice to lower the voltage after a few months when the leads have scarred down, and was told yes. The nurse won't adjust this (not sure if "voltage" is the right term). I feel the p...

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AFib below the threshold for detection?

I've been having what feels like an SVT at night most nights.  My Kardia 6L keeps saying either possible AFib or unclassified.  Had them run a check, no events recorded.  Threshold for recording is above 200BPM.  My last SVT was not AFib and was below the threshold.  The tech told me also fine AFib sometimes does not get picked up.  He said he changed the settings for me so that it would mode switch to 80 BPM V paced if I had any lower rate SVT and I would kn...

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Difficulty with Stairs

I posted a while ago regarding having difficulty going upstairs. I have a Medtronic PM since July 2022. I received many helpful messages here regarding rate response, attributes of various PM etc. I went back to the pacemaker technicians several times and they insisted the problem wasn't with my PM. Due to the encouragement of people here on the group, I persisted to check. I went for a stress test. The next day, the PM technician went out of her way to call me and say that she review the...

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Pacemaker monitoring

Hi all, 
I am just curious what the costs are like in other countries for Medtronic pacemaker home monitoring? 
I live in Singapore.  Myself and my 2 boys have a pacemaker.  The montoring costs are: S$1000 for initial set up and then $400 per year after that, that's for the clinic to review our transmissions monthly.. I find it very costly and have not signed up for it myself, but considering it as my leads are old (23+ years).  

If...

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Anyone else from UK get check ups with NHS? Think MV Settings need to be adjusted

Hi All,

Just looking for other people in the UK who have their device fitted by NHS and get their checks through the NHS. In January there I got a new device and leads fitted in the left clavo al after having my PM placed epicardially in my abdomen for the last 20 years (I am 27F) due to complications as a child. I got a Boston Scientifc proponent mri sr L210 device but I am finding I am having issues when trying to walk fast, pushing my niece and nephew in their prams, I am&n...

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A good idea or already available

I have been thinking that it would be a great idea for some individuals to be able to use existing ECG or pacemaker data to provide a simulation of how different pacemaker settings would perform.

I am surprised some of the pacemaker manufacturers don't have this? It would lower the amount of setting iterations and enable decisions to be made more quickly.

 

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