possible problem pacemaker

HI I have a Medtronic Pacemaker. Paced on the low end for sick sinus syndrome, bracacardia, near snyoscope. Had surgery recently and Heart Dr said , I am not dependent so no problem. Told they put a magnet over the pacer, and it is not turned off. (was confused as to how this worked and concerned that it would not be turned off) well anyways, I do not know much about the pace maker and not told much. After the surgery when the magnet was taken off, The medtronic rep left. The Nurse had trouble getting my pulse and my HR was at 35-56? She hooked up a second BP HR machine, and seemed worried. Had my daughter taking my pulse. Well by looking at records, seems My HR came back up, When she sat me up. I need some help here, with anyone who has knowledge of this or why it could of happened!! Not getting much help from anyone, and then my HR even dropped me! Medtronic when I called took a report? (they said they have to) Well I am feeling like why would they unless they think this is a problem and know this should not have happened. But tell me to talk with my DR??? I am really getting the run around here, and concerned if my pace maker is working or a malfunction with it? I am also back as of last sept, oct, racing heart, palpation's, dizziness, fatigue beyond what I can even explain, two bought to the ER with chest pains, second time, High D-dimmer there, as they looked for blood clot? Bad perffuision test, Showed a 75% Plus defect and then I was cleared with a Leg dropper, (but only done on lower legs! ) Sent home. Please if anyone has any info as I do not know where to turn and this place is horrible for health care. I am quite worried. Oh also what is strange, the Dr who dropped me, blew off the trips to ER, said that was pulmonary, also did a Pace maker check. Will what is very strange, is I have had atrial high HR, and Artrial Arrhythmias since it was put in. This pace maker check came out, showing NONE Of them. And obviously have had more symptoms this past 7 months then ever. None of this makes any sense to me, other then to wonder if it is even working? Thanks

5 Comments

Magnet Operation

by PacerRep - 2014-05-21 11:05:38

Hey there,

A magnet does not turn your device off, it just forces it to pace at a pre determined rate. This is more for your safety because some of the equipment they use during surgery could cause the device not to pace and your heart rate to bottom out, once the magnet is removed all is returned to normal.

Your heart rate should never get down to 35, this tells me something is not right. Is your heart rate always fluctuating now? When you said that when you sat up the device started working...is that consistent? I am suspicious of a lead dislodgment. It is impossible to diagnose that here from behind my computer. Did they do a chest Xray? Sometimes when we sit up, it pushes a dislodged lead closer to the heart wall and it starts to work again. I am assuming that your lower rate is set around 60-70 beats per minute? Go see your cardiologist and have the device looked at again. Something doesn't sound right.

I'll keep this short

by PacerRep - 2014-05-22 01:05:06

You kinda put a lot out there and much of it I should stay away from legally.

Basically this is what you may want to consider

1). Immediately find a cardiologist, open the phone book and pick one at the very minimum.

2). If your getting dizzy when you stand up, have the technician check the device sitting and standing. If the "thresholds" are different, then you have a dislodged lead and you need to have it repositioned.

3). Take a deep breath, your going to be OK. Just find someone that will listen to you in person. We can't tell you what's wrong from behind a computer

Best of luck

Pacer Rep

by heart33 - 2014-05-22 01:05:17

I know I put a lot out there . Sorry. Just venting. Thanks so much for your input again. You helped a lot and gave me a good direction to go and what it might be. Thanks

No apologies needed

by PacerRep - 2014-05-22 02:05:27

Hope you get it all sorted out, again...find a good physician, the internet is a wonderful tool for that.

Pacer rep

by heart33 - 2014-05-22 12:05:44

Thanks for your input. I will hopefully get it looked at when I can find a Heart Dr. Also again if you read all this, I have many questions as to what is stored in the pacer and if things can be changed or erased? Well yes I am just worried and with not knowing what happened. You are correct in what I found out about the magnet. I have a nerve ablation on my lower back. So Since I live at home, I am not sure if my HR is going low or not. This happened at the surgery, and of course I was under local. The tech took off the magnet and left. That is when they had the problem and tried to get him but he was gone. Since that, My Cardio , then dropped me. (my daughter is in disbelief and cannot figure this out) So I am no answer, no one wants to tell me anything at all. Also at the Er in Dec, Ambulance and chest pains. Both these episodes where bad. While there glanced up to the BP machine and noticed then my HR said 59? not much off from 60 but I did tell the Dr. All so far I understand about my Pace maker is the fact that it is paced at 60. When I told the Dr, he said that is weird, should not be doing that and left the room. On top of all this since last yr, I have had so many symptoms, with my Heart racing daily. In bed 80% of the time, and notice when I lie, that it seems to race more. Also all these flutters..palpation's, More then ever. Every day. I also in this time, called in two episodes while I was having symptoms.Monitor at home. I am almost faint now , when I stand up? Constantly feeling like I am going to pass out. My pacer is not being used a lot of the time. Really not sure if I have some other condition, and if I really needed the pace maker. But sure would think the fact that I have it, it would show when it went that low. The nurse was scared and she stated, she was getting intermediate pulse rate on me and low HR. This is why she had my daughter start taking my pulse, which she could not find one. What really throws me is I have felt so lousy since last yr , symptoms progressing and then after the surgery, the pace maker check basically looks all normal?? No episodes of anything showing up. If I am paced at 60 and it drops below this ,why did that not show up on the pace maker check. Also now I am wondering how much is stored in the pace maker? Could the tech have erased it? Is this possible to clear it, or does it stayed stored. Should he have not noticed or could it look totally normal to him, and it would be the Dr by your symptoms to know something is wrong? , , but I just don't know what to think anymore. I also have had horrible , nightmare of on going care in this town. So weird. I would think if it was working correctly, it would have showed what happened when my HR went down to the 35? I have pulled teeth getting these records as it is. The nurse at the surgery place was telling me you go tell your Cardio this and that and you insist on answers etc etc. He just said, Oh it was nothing. Asked if he got the records and he said, they only take notes. Changed the subject real quick? So what confuse 's me, no answers, getting the run around, and I might have a pacer not working? Now I am without a Heart DR? The ER even on the two ER trips, put follow up with Cardio in 2 days. It was this Cardio also which did not want anything to do with that. Or I if this is not working? or are they trained to know this or the pace maker checks. Is it up to the Cardio by looking at the report. So I am just back to worse off then when I was, 2010 , when I got this, with severe symptoms. Also I feel the ER is not going to help me either. They make it clear, only to stabilize you and for you to follow up with DR. I have had X-rays, would that show it?States nothing other then test saying they see pace maker in place. I have MVP, three leaky valves, Murmur, I notice on past Records, which I was never told, Suspect SVT? no one tells me anything. Now I have a daughter just 40 and she was diagnosed with POTTS Syndrome. Can be genetic. So? I know this Cardio which I was seeing did call and tell me at one point I was running tachycardia, Or high Heart Episodes. I also have Hashimotos thyroid and that was the first thing they said it could be, make sure my thyroid meds where fine. (by the way, I had Hashimotos which took a Yr to find out, out of this area and no Dr would cop up to me that would be a cause of a low HR. Now I know that is not true at all, So Wonder if that was ever taken care of , if I never needed this to begin with.(But all these symtoms again, and my thyroid meds is right on) So now it is not a thyroid issue. My High Hr was never brought up again to me, Only seen that when I got the Pace maker reports. . I also have been running bouts of Very High Bp, one at 190 /130, and back and forth from 150/110 or about there. Have no idea why, as I do normally have low BP. No one seems concerned with this either. I am on no Heart meds. No Bp meds. Really I can say from what I am going through, If you ask the Drs, I have nothing wrong and they don't know what is causing my symptoms? Also the stress test in the ER showing a flipped T wave, Abnormal EKG, which I always have now for 10 yrs, and a Defect they noticed. Not artifact. The Heart DR said it was normal,! Thanks for your help, I am venting here, and really feed up. I am hoping if someone can tell me how this pacer works, and if that is actually something wrong with it? That is all I can think of which makes sense. You would think if Medtronic had to take a report, they would also have to tell me if they think it is not working right? What do they want me to do if I don't have a Dr or no Dr wants to tell me this? I am worried about the pace maker and also what happened that landed me in the ER twice. Also what this high D-Dimer means. Anything I have read, it is a clotting factor and more testing needs done. My sister happened to be in the Hosp by Helicopter at this same time, which I found out about later, and almost died from blood clots. She has had three surgery's, Open from the neck down the chest, Mesh in her leg and is not in good shape now. 5 yrs younger then me., My mother also had clots. I cannot even get a Dr to follow up on this issue . I am scarred. Glad to see I am not alone and many people on this board and with lots of questions and stories. Wishing all well.

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