left arm pain due to pacemaker

I had pacemaker surgery a mounth ago, and iam still having upper left shoulder pain,sometimes more thig other times, what can I do to get read of the pain. And will I always have this problem.

5 Comments

If this is your 1st PM

by janetinak - 2014-03-02 03:03:03

they have to "carve out" a place for it & mine was uncomfortable for almost a year but nothing that regular Tylenol didn't help. It was slowly getting better during this time. Have not had this with the last 2 replacements so there is hope. Saying that if the arm is getting worse & if you have not been moving the shoulder at least a little bit, it may be another whole problem. I guess I'd check in with your cardio to see what you are dealing with, I asked my cardio & was told by his ANP that it was normal for a 1st PM.

Hope that helps,

Janet

Pain with Pacemaker

by Theknotguy - 2014-03-02 05:03:31

I had a lot of trauma prior to getting my PM so I had a lot of pain. There was pain going up into my jaw from the "pounding" from my heart. There was pain in my back below my neck. There was pain in my back directly behind the PM implant site. The PM implant site was sore from swelling.

If it's pain from swelling, Tylenol with help with that.

Keeping hydrated helps too. I was drinking 1/2 liter of water per 33 pounds of weight per day. That helped with some of the pain.

The pain from the "pounding" in my jaw was eliminated when they reduced the voltage on my PM at 90 days.

I was able to eliminate the back pain by finding a good licensed massaged therapist. I got a prescription from my cardiologist so she was covered under her insurance.

She never went close to any area that would cause a possible problem. With a couple of sessions most of my pain was eliminated.

Hope this helps.

Theknotguy

left pain

by bmccasland - 2014-03-02 09:03:16

I'm 3 1/2 weeks in on my first PM and getting the same pains. I think my problem was I kept my arm in a sling for two full weeks and seem to always baby my left arm by not mobilizing it at all. My pain was my lower back neck on the left side and also pain in my left side upper rib cage area. My doc thanks this was from not moving my arm as I should.

Give it about a month to heal and then introduce mild stretching

by scarheart - 2014-03-04 01:03:14

I got my PM in August of last year. I was almost afraid to move my shoulder and arm for fear of pulling something loose or not letting the scar tissue to hold it all in place. But I was told that after 1 month I could and should move my arm shoulder and chest muscles.

There still is pain where the PM was inserted when I move now but not as it used to be. I have been walking, doing Zumba and Yoga. All these activities has helped, but I believe the Yoga has helped the most with range of motion in my shoulders and chest with out much PM pain.

I am 62 years young and still pretty vain and active. Funny story; when I found out that I was a sure candidate for a PM I was upset...I was too young...wanted to wear my bikni without the pacemaker sticking out. (silly me) so I told my Dr. please bury it deep and make sure the scar is small...he laughed and said that he would do his best at my request. He did great! He even used paper stitches to keep the scar to a minimum. Now I am busy building up the pectoral muscle with out much pain at all. Pretty sad when this guy is just trying to save my life and I am worried about how it was going to look. Really happy about my PM now and know that through working the muscles in my upper body I will eventually relieve all pain. May even look cute too?

I never had pain

by mtaylor - 2014-03-04 08:03:02

But maybe that was because I didn't notice it behind the less than awesome feeling of broken ribs from CPR.

Don't be afraid to call your doc with questions.

You know you're wired when...

Jerry & The Pacemakers is your favorite band.

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