Need for pacemaker

Hi,
This may seem like a strange question, but I had a pacemaker implanted in 2006 so they could place me on beta blockers and my heart rate would not drop so low and cause symptoms. After surgery I never saw the surgeon again, no follow up was advised and no doctor (not the surgeon nor my primary) ever prescribed beta blockers due to an oversight I guess. When they finally but me on the BB I developed a toxic build up and was in hospital for 2 1/2 weeks.

Since then I have not had any BB.  My question is, can I keep the pacemaker in even when the battery dies? I am tired of paying for the phone checks and the semi-annual check-ups. It starts to add up when you don’t need the device. I would prefer to stay away from another procedure, I have had enough to last a life time. Any information if it will be safe to leave in and alone would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all, I am glad I found this site.

2 Comments

I'll try to answer

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-10 01:01:43

Even without taking the beta blockers, the pacemaker may be serving some function. If you have been getting regular checkups the reports should tell what it is doing. The doc you are seeing for the checkups should be able to fill in this information for you.

As far as just letting the batteries quit, the only issue I see is the transition when they reach the final run down point. The pacemakers are designed to switch to a battery saving mode to give time to do a replacement. This usually involves the pacer shutting down most of the advanced functions and switching to pacing at a fixed rate of 65BPM or so. I'm not sure what the pacer does as it goes through the totally unreliable power situation at the end. Anyway, either of these might put you in an uncomfortable pacing situation for several weeks.

The better approach would be to have the pacer turned off before end of battery life occurs. This would both give you a chance to see how you do without a pacer, and would also avoid the erratic end of battery situation.

Now, one last comment. I have an uneasy feeling about the doc or docs you are seeing. To neglect giving you the meds after the implant, and then to have a reaction to the BB later leaves me thinking that they aren't managing your situation in any competent way. If it were me I would be finding another doc that is trustable before embarking on your approach. Just be aware that the information you are basing your decision on may be totally unreliable.

good luck,

frank

Pacemaker Needed

by donb - 2011-01-10 09:01:28

Hi, I want to comment my support of Frank's post. After 17 years with 3 PMs' I had to have mine removed because of erosion. As tests showed I was in normal heart rythm, ECG looked good. I had a second opinion at University of Michigan hospital and was told I no longer needed a PM by a top Cardiologist.
After 2 months my resting HR started dropping to mid 30's along with lots of skips. Within days my family genes kicked in as I developed AF. AS I had weaned off Tenormin after PM removal my Cardiologist put me on Sotolol 80mg twice a day to correct the AF. He also said I would again need a PM sooner or later. I chose sooner which was done a couple days later.
In my opinion this only supports the idea of having a PM turned off and monitoring a person's heart during a period of time. donb

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The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.