Recent recipient

Posting for my 84yo Mum. She has AF, recently not under control. Higher dosages of Xarelto needed to control AF causes her HR to drop to 40, so required PM to allow proper drug treatment of AF. 

Resting HR has been set to 70. She is 2 weeks post implant and complains of heaviness in chest and throat, strong pulsing in head/chest/ torso, and tingling all the way down her left arm. 

Please enlighten me on the various settings that can be adjusted and their purpose? How much longer should she attempt to cope with these symptoms? Her first follow up is in 3 weeks. 

Many thanks

mj

2 Comments

Personal opinion/suggestion

by Blip2 - 2017-11-16 07:49:34

Hi MJ sorry about your worries over your Mum, my Mum is also 84 and I spend a lot of time worrying and sorting things for her. I would seriously suggest you give the arrhythmia nurses or her consultant a call, to put your mind at rest or be told they want to see her.

I am now10 days post pacemaker and would say there is adjustment getting used to the pacemaker in your chest and still swelling and bruising. My shoulder and down my arm experience pain but I try to do light exercises to keep shoulder mobile. At 84 your Mum may not be doing that so have a look online for gentle shoulder exercises she could do.

Please do speak to a medical professional though, most literature on discharge states 'if you or your family would like to speak to someone about your pacemaker please contact' and on my paperwork it says to contact arrhythmia nurses, I am in UK so may be different contact for you. Hope you Mum soon feels better and that your worries are allayed! Take care : )

An update

by Milesjunkie - 2017-11-17 08:35:23

We ended up in ED last night as the heaviness in her chest became too much to bear. Upshot, they’ve lowered the rate from 70 to 60 and it seems to have had an immediate benefit. 

Thanks for your comments. Please elaborate more on your comment re AF and food?

mj

 

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In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.