like clock work

I have this weird question that I am almost afraid to ask, as it seems so silly. I do believe this is not in my head. Ok, here goes. Has anyone experienced anything like this...At precisiously 7:30pm my chest on the left side, the PM area behind the breast, goes nuts. I get this increased pressure, and I feel like my heart races, it is almost a crushing feeling and takes my breath away for that second. It lasts less than a minute, but you could set a clock to this feeling. Any thoughts????

6 Comments

PROBABLE PACEMAKER CAUSE

by peter - 2008-05-15 03:05:22

Only your pacemaker is clever enough to know the exact time like that. So it points to something not quite right there. Get your pacemaker checked out. Settings may be wrong or need adjusting.

Auto-capture

by kmhayward - 2008-05-15 03:05:36

This could be due to the auto threshold feature that checks the pacemaker at set intervals. This is why it happens at 7:30 every day. Ask your EP/ technician to reprogramme it for another time or turn it off as it really isn't necessary. It is really a feature to help increase battery life as it measure how much energy is required to pace you heart and then delivers the stimulation at a voltage just above this level. It can be set to deliver a pre-programmed voltage if you are finding this uncomfortable. To tell you the truth, in my department (im a cardiac tech with a pacemaker) we dont use this feature as its really not that helpful.

self test

by Pookie - 2008-05-15 05:05:19

It happened to me too.

It is programmed into your pacemaker to self test at a certain time each day, ask it to be turned OFF.

Pookie

Testing?

by Smart Redd - 2008-05-15 06:05:16

I remember reading the following post earlier. I copied it below. Hope this helps.

Redd

fyi
Posted by diacat on 2007-07-04 13:19

I recently found why I was getting a "shock" every night at 8:40 pm. It's because my pacemaker is programmed to run a test every 24 hours if I am resting.I am usually watching TV then . I may start taking a walk instead . No one told about this test . I found out this morning, I was worried sick for the past couple days when I realized I was a getting a KICK type thing at the same time each night . My previous pacemaker did not do this. I could find nothing on the internet and thought I would post this here in case you migjt have the same feeling . Apparently If active it will delay to later time to test. If you want to change the test time you ask the tech to program it for whenever you think is best . They say if you are sleeping, it won't wake you up , but I have my doubts .

Maybe

by OIMAPRINCESS2477 - 2008-05-15 12:05:45

Maybe Its your settings that is causing your pacemaker to do this. Your pacemaker might be interrogating it self every night. But i dont have a good answer for you other then to call your doctor and see what they say. Good Luck

Britt<3

Built in alarm clock

by The Bunny - 2008-05-16 06:05:07

In Nov. 07 I had my PM replaced as my battery was wearing down...and here I thought I was the bunny that kept going and going...haha! Shortly after that I would wake at 2 am every early morning! I sometimes suffer from insomnia so I wasn't tooconcerned until 2 am became my friend! Every night I would wake at 2 am, bright-eyed and bushied tail, ready to go! I finally went to check out my PM and asked my tech if he could please tell me what was going on at 2 am. Lo and behold, he said my new and improved PM does a self-test and it is set at 2 am! I asked that they shut that off, of course, thousands of reason why they couldn't, I argued but without success. It was agreed upon that they would reset the time to 5 am, well, guess what, 5 am bright-eyed and bushied tail. I decided to go back and they agreed to once week, so every Tues it's a 5 am wake up call! My tech said that these new models (Medtronic) are improved by having this feature. I asked if there are any studies showing the long-term safety of this "great feature". He said no!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still researching and I'm sure I will be back in to have them shut it off! My old PM didn't do that. The settings are generally set during rest or slumber (60 bpm) and self test takes your heart up to 80--I'm sorry but you're gonna feel that guaranteed!!!

If you gain any new knowledge in your quest to find out what is waking you up, please if you could let me know!
Thank you and best to you!

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Member Quotes

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.