PM Leads

Hi
I have had my PM for 15 months. One week ago I had a fall on my left shoulder ( my dog ran into me ) and since then I have an occasional twinge in my heart for about one second. Could one of the leads have come loose?

Thanks
Roy

3 Comments

I doubt it

by ElectricFrank - 2011-11-15 10:11:12

I notice from your profile that you received the pacer in 2010. That gives the leads plenty of time to scar into the veins and heart. While it is always possible to dislodge a lead, it usually happens in the first few months.

I took a splat with my large camera between my pacemaker and the ground. The only damage was a bit of a bruise on the skin over the pacer, and to my dignity. The problem with this sort of thing is that a fall off a roof may do no damage yet giving a sticky door a yank might mess things up (and even in the same person).

My guess is that the periodic twinges you feel are just PVC's that you hadn't noticed before. After the fall you are rightly watching for any problem.

The effects of a dislodged lead would likely be about the same as the symptoms that got you the pacer in the first place.

And you can always give the docs office a call.

frank

Checking PM Leads

by SMITTY - 2011-11-15 10:11:19

Roy,

I can think of only one way to do a self check to see if you may have damaged a lead. After being in a resting position for about 5 minutes check your heart rate. If it is below the low set point on your PM you may have a problem.

I think the only sure way to know is to have a PM checkup as that will tell if anything is amiss.

Smitty

What harm in being sure?

by alison79 - 2011-11-19 12:11:20

Im all about better safe than sorry. No harm in having it checked if something feels off and I think its a good idea to follow your instincts. Twinges, hich-ups and muscle spazams were all listed as things I was told to keep an eye out for.

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Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.