Coughing

I have had my pacemaker/icd in for 4 weeks today. The doctor said I would feel better. I didn't feel bad before. I had no pains, shortness of breath, dizziness etc, but I did tire easily...I am 71 so I thought that was normal. I have had left bundle branch blockage for 13 years...no problem there either, except I have also had a 13 year cough. My primary doctor, 2 different ENT, an allergist and a pulmonary dr. All said it was post nasal drip, so I lived with it. In January I found out I have cardio myopathy and went to the cardiologist. He put me on Diovan hctz and I have also been on toprol for years. Then a heart cath in March and a pm/icd in August. The first week my heart, so I thought, was doing funny things...123, 123,123, the next day, 12, 12, then really fast and finally my left breast seemed to be vibrating. This, after much reading felt like the patient notifier. This was over a period of 4 days. Finally I went to see the pm clinic and the did their thing and said all that was nothing to worry about, they adjusted it with their magic computer, said something about leads, nerves and diaphragm. And they also showed me what the patient notifier felt like...it was not what I had felt. They also said that the left lead was not working, so they fixed it. My Cough then got so bad I could hardly talk. It was this bad once upon a time when I took lisinopril years ago. So off I went to my cardiologist. He said he never heard of it before acting like this. He spoke with the surgeon and they decided to send me back to the pm clinic and have the pm turned off...icd still on. He also put neon lasik...a water pill. The bad cough got better after a few days. It is back to my 13 year cough. I go back to the cardiologist tomorrow and haven't a clue what he is going to do. But I don't feel better. They don't tell you about the mental and physical stress of it all. Worry if you will pull out the leads, worry what those funny "hiccups" are, worry why you feel worse now when you didn't feel bad before. And then there is the tiredness and feeling that now a battery is operating a computer that is running your heart.
Mandy

3 Comments

Very frustrating

by Theknotguy - 2015-09-08 08:09:34

Know what you mean about not feeling good and everyone is acting like it's no big deal. Actually it probably isn't a big deal but you still don't feel good.

They used to call them heart coughs. They didn't have all the stuff we have today and the people would walk around with a constant light cough. That was about 50 years ago and there wasn't anything they could do about it then. Not sure what they can do now.

First thing, I'd be adamant with your EP. Write down your questions, then don't leave until your get them answered. It may be nothing, but you've got to know that.

Right after my PM was implanted, they kept the voltage on it higher to make sure the leads worked correctly with the heart. I'd go on coughing jags because I'd feel the tickle, followed by the hard thump. I wasn't expecting that so I'd go into a coughing jag. Sometimes the tickle and thump would wake me up at night. After they dropped the voltage at/about 90 days I didn't feel it anymore and have gotten along well with my PM since. So what I had may be one explanation for your cough.

If no one is running down the hall yelling, you have to assume things are going OK. Not reassuring, but with all the lawsuits in the USA, medical people are leery of saying everything is OK only to have a crisis shortly there after. Heart disease can be like scuba diving. In scuba diving you're either OK or you're drowning. Same for heart disease. They can't see what's wrong with you and are hesitant to say everything is OK when you may have a hidden problem. You probably don't, but it would be nice if someone could tell you that.

I'd take your post to this forum, write out the questions you have, then take them to the next PM/ICD reading and EP visit. Ask the questions and make sure you get answers.

As for pulling leads, discussion on the forum has been that you'd have to be in a serious car accident to actually "pull" the leads. In which case you'd have a lot of other problems and a pulled lead would be the least of your problems.

Can you pull the scar tissue and have a lot of pain from that? Yep, sure can. But don't worry about pulling leads at four plus weeks out.

Tiredness I would discuss with EP. But like I said, I really didn't get a good night's sleep until after they dropped the voltage at 90 days out.

Battery running your heart. Know how you feel about that too. But my heart was doing it so badly that I'm grateful for the computer and battery. They're doing a much better job. My other alternative is to be dead so I don't really feel that's a good option either.

When you get a chance, fill in your bio stuff. If we know the kind of PM/ICD you have that can help in our responses. ICD's are different from PM's and you'll get different answers accordingly.

I think things are getting better for you. You just have to get some questions answered to get a feeling about how things are going. Hope you can get some answers soon.

Doctors and listening ..oxymoron

by oldearthworm - 2015-09-08 08:09:57

IMO, doctors are not noted for listening to their patients .. many are too busy listening to other things ..
This is the second attempt in a response .. this site does have a defect ..
Tired ? This can be many things and its so relative ..

HCTZ

by Dave H - 2015-09-11 02:09:38

Hey Mandy:

Last Oct, I found what happens to an individual when HCTZ
results in low blood sodium, aka hyponatremia. You lose your mind -- you DON'T want to go there -- I've been there and done that! For example, during my EMS ride to the ER, I fought with 4 firemen -- I was convinced they were taking me to a gulag in Russia! Furosemide is a safer diuretic.

--Dave--

You know you're wired when...

The mortgage on your device is more than your house.

Member Quotes

I am not planning on letting any of this shorten my life. I am planning on living a long happy battery operated life. You never know maybe it will keep me alive longer. I sure know one thing I would have been dead before starting school without it.