Constant tiredness

Tiredness

by TBrous&Chip - 2017-08-02 10:30:13

Sorry that you are going through this.  I tire quickly and old syncope symptoms are returning.  As my heart function changes the settings on the pm need adjustment. Ex.: I felt fine for 14 months with the pm but then started blacking out again. Pm Rate Drop Response feature is now turned on.  Feeling better but setting needs further tweeking to get back to normal.

Hope the cause of your problem is found quickly and corrected.

CRT

by The real Patch - 2017-08-02 14:51:17

If it's as simple as your description, ie they haven't diagnosed the cause of your symptoms, I would run as fast and far as I could from that Cardiologist. Far too many patients are given a CRT who do not benefit from them. One study I read says over 40% of patients who have CRT's were given them unnecessarily. There are far too many reasons you could be struggling to jump to a CRT.

Don't just jump in, do some homework, Google CRT and study for yourself. Most importantly read up on the diagnosis and who will benefit

Stating the obvious

by Gotrhythm - 2017-08-02 16:55:31

Do you know what your settings are? Is rate response turned on?

Have changes to your settings been tried? 

These questions might seem too obvious to ask, but it's shocking how often (based upon posts to this site) the different activity needs of younger people are not taken into account. Instead they are given settings more appropriate for someone much sicker and older.

Techs just assumed I wasn't active and set my upper limit at 90. I felt too tired to move, and a trip up stairs almost did me in. After some insistence on my part, I got them to change my base to 70, and my upper limit to 120 and the difference in my energy was miraculous.

Techs are biased to choose the lowest and least settings possible in order to conserve battery life. It behooves those of us who have to live with our devices to push for the settings that allow us to have the most life we can.

For sure, I wouldn't want to go to a CRT until I knew everything possible had been tried with the pacemaker I had.

CRT is a Last Resort

by Good Dog - 2017-08-02 17:56:06

I agree with the previous posts in that a CRT should be a last resort. Even then, many more cardioloigists are now doing Bundle Pacing that can prevent/reverse heart failure. It is much easier, safer and simpler than the standard approach and an alternative to a CRT. Though not all docs will tackle that procedure. I had a long discussion with my Cardiologist (EP) about it last week. He doesn't do it yet, but is considering it. He said some docs had trouble with it originally, because it is difficult to position the leads optimally and they had some patients they had to revise. The Cleveland Clinic docs are doing CRT and won't yet do bundle pacing, but my doc (who worked there and knows a lot of the docs) told me they are considering it.

In any case, you need to get educated and find-out what your ejection fraction is. That is determined through an echocardiogram. Very quick, painless and simple. That will determine if a CRT or a revision is necessary. Otherwise, it may simply be your activity monitor needs turned-on/adjusting and/or some of your settings. If your low setting is too low, that can cause constant fatigue. So there are many things to look at. I read recently a study done in Germany on catavers in which they found an amazing number of perople had settings that had not been optimized and many in which the PM's were implanted out-of-the-box and never programmed specifically for the patient. That was the purpose of the study and the results were amazing, to me at least. That was a clear indiction that there are lots and lots of bad doctors (incompetent) out there. So you need to be your own advocate in your care. If you have any doubts about your diagnosis or your doc, find another one. Get a 2nd opinion.

I wish you the very best. I am sure you will find your way to feeling better in time. Just keep at it.

Sincerely,

David

pacemaker

by LeeT - 2017-08-06 02:10:59

You must work out,  w/o in accordance to your level of fitness. one day easy one day a bit harder. You must be consistant gradually as you get healther you will do more but take your time. Remember everyday 30min. ok

No energy

by Parent - 2017-08-17 20:20:27

My 40 year old son  got his  ICD  3lead wire over 3 years ago due to Cardiomyopathy. From the time he got it he has had pain and no energy and has never been the same before he got sick. He went back to work the first week  after getting it and has always been tired and in pain.. He started taking CoQ-10 about 3 weeks ago which has made a big difference. 200mg  in the morning and 200 in the afternoon.  Researched and if needed he can take more. He has also started yoga at  home.He got the videos.  That seems to help.