Pacemaker Club: first pacer check

first pacer check

by alohapumbaa
2009-06-04 06:06:18
Checkups & Settings
1602 views
2 comments

I went for my first pacer check today. My pacer was "installed" April 24, 2009. It was interesting. I didn’t like how I felt after the test. The tech admitted he did something to check on my heart rate, I was throwing PVC’s big time. Hadn’t felt that way since before my surgery. Is that common for each pacer check? The tech told me I was 97% dependent on my PM. I just thought it zapped my heart once a second to keep my heart rate up. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I am a new member. Thanks, alohapumbaa (Mary Ann)

2 Comments

numbers

by Tracey_E - 2009-06-04 07:06:21

If it's giving your heart a signal once a second, that's pretty much all the time unless you're hr is very high. The pm is set to watch your heart. If your min rate is 60, if it goes a second without beating, the pm will generate a spike to cause a beat. Or, if you have an av block, it'll watch for an atrial beat and make sure the ventricles beat in sync.

And yeah, it's normal to feel funny during a check, though you should feel fine again as soon as they're done. They test it by turning it up and down and testing different treshholds- that's how they know you've got the right settings.

A pm won't have any effect on pvc's. It can't regulate them or stop them so sometimes they may jut happen.

Feeling funny

by Hot Heart - 2009-06-07 03:06:09

I felt very wierd at my first interrogation, pain at the site afterwards like a pulling sensation. I think it was the weight of the magnet. Had another interrogation last week, no prob at all. I think a decent bra is really important, that stops the pulling down sensation, but it does seem to go in time.

I'm 100% dep, didnt know what it meant until ppl on here explained it. It doesnt mean that if your pm failed that your heart would stop beating, which is what i thought at first. Its just a fail safe device.

HH