Leads twitching above PM. Thoughts?

Hi PM friends!

The leads above my PM (under my collarbone) have been twitching off and on for the past few months. I'm thin so this is easily seen (and felt!)  It's not a shock-type sensation, more like an eye twitch.  I took a video with my phone to show my EP, who said "it's just a muscle twitch."  I sorta already figured that out, but I'm wondering what might be causing it.  Any ideas out there? (Got my Medtronic dual chamber for 3d degree heart block in April 2014.)


6 Comments

Muscle Twitch......

by Tattoo Man1 - 2017-03-01 11:05:16

My PM does that too !!...I have discussed it with my Cardiologist and, while he has not seen it himself, has concluded that its nothing to be over concerned about.

 

Tattoo Man

twitching

by Gotrhythm - 2017-03-01 12:29:59

Try gently spreading some magnesium gel or oil (available ar health food stores or online) over your chest and shoulder. It's fundamentally the same thing as epson salts, but much easier than trying to soak that area. It might help relax the muscle spasm. And it won't hurt.

Muscle Twitching

by Selwyn - 2017-03-01 13:40:57

Hi again!

It may be worth finding out whether your PM is unipolar or bipolar for the return current. Unipolar returns may cause twitching, believe me!

I had an ECHO some years ago, my muscle twitch, just as you described, I thought was anxiety. The tech. doing the ECHO thought it was due to the PM setting. As if by magic, when he switched me to bipolar mode, my muscle twitching stopped. Just like that!

Kind regards,

Selwyn

Thanks, all!

by laughingarcher - 2017-03-01 16:43:28

Gotrhythm, I'm a big fan of magnesium lotion but I hadn't thought of using it.  Great suggestion!

TM1, it's a weird sensation, isn't it? Very like an eye twitch. Not painful but a bit annoying.

Hey Selwyn!  I will "interrogate" my cardiac team to see if my PM is uni or bi.  ;-)

Cheers!

Muscle spasm??? No sure

by gigi_c - 2017-05-27 15:36:04

last night this happened, for over an hour, off and on. This has happened in the past but I was always alone. In the past trying to describe it to the EP is hard and he said it's probably nothing to worry about. Well, last night I have four witnesses that saw it... my husband said it looked like it was in time with my heart rate, he thinks there is a short and the PM is firing and causing it to jump around. My PM is set deep in my muscle due to pain the first time it was placed. You can't see the PM only the scar. When it danced last night you could see the outline of the PM, so it was moving pretty good... I have also had a few times where the PM vibrated, like getting a text while on silent. Went to the ER for that and they said it was impossible. It has happened two other times. My PM does not have a warning device. It's these times when I feel like a robot! Nobody gets it or believes you.

Uni or bi polar?

by laughingarcher - 2017-05-27 19:06:24

Hi Gigi...

I managed to catch my twitching on camera. When I showed it to my EP, she just shrugged and said "it's a muscle spasm."  So even with visual proof the docs don't seem to care.

I like what Selwyn said above: "It may be worth finding out whether your PM is unipolar or bipolar for the return current. Unipolar returns may cause twitching, believe me!"  This makes sense to me.  And it seems like an easy fix if it's just switching from uni to bi polar.

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