Pacemaker pain

I am 44 and i got a dual chamber pacemaker in 2015.  I managed to displace a lead and while repositioning it my Doc screwed up big time. After 2 surgeries in 15 days I still had a displaced lead.I was suggested to have a 3rd surgery . After discussions with a few docs over the next 2 months, I decided not to go for a 3rd surgery. 

Anyways, I haven't required too much pacing and  the pacemaker has been working fine. But I keep getting this  pain all around my heart. It's sometimes a pinching pain and sometimes it's like something is pressing. It lasts for a second and goes away. Sometimes I keep getting  if for 4-5 continuous days and sometimes it disappears for weeks. I have gotten kind of used to living with it . I have had all kind of tests over the years and my doc says that every thing is fine with the pacemaker are the displaced wire.  He says it could be a muscular pain . 

For the first time has now persisted for about 10 days and the intensity has also increased . Tests again show everything normal. I really don't know what to do  and who to consult. I feel it's related to the pacemaker. Has anyone had such an experience? Could it be a muscular problem? I am going crazy without answers for 5 years. 

6 Comments

Complications

by LORIAAA - 2020-04-29 20:56:11

I would get a second opinion - at another hospital.

Keep DEMANDING Answers!

by arent80 - 2020-04-29 22:30:54

Reading this makes me sad. I hate how they say everything is FINE, yet we don't feel well. If a lead is dislodged I could only assume there would be some kind of nerve irritation associated with it as well. I can't imagine it just being muscular. You lived how long with out a PM and now your body has this foreign object inside? No way it's just muscular. I would go to another city, to another country, do anything you can to get answers. I'm in a similar situation here and I'm not going to stop until I'm better. Good luck with this and I'm sorry this happened. God bless!

Alejandro 

another opinion

by Tracey_E - 2020-04-30 10:09:46

I would want another ep to evaluate the position of the leads. Sometimes our hearts are shaped such that it's hard to get a good position, sometimes some doctors are better at it than others. When they say all is fine, that means the pacer is pacing and they didn't see anything going on with your heart. That leaves a lot of room for questions. As the others said, get another opinion from a different network. As long as you stay in the same network/practice/hospital system, they are going to back each other up. You need fresh eyes. 

Third opinion

by AgentX86 - 2020-04-30 12:59:38

In addition to finding another doctor and hospital, perhaps you want to see a general cardiologist for this, rather than an EP.  Perhaps an interventional cardiologist.  There probably isn't anything wrong with your PM.  The PM can pretty much diagnose itself.  If a lead was screwed up, an interrogation would show it clearly.  It's certainly possible that they damaged something while implanting the PM or you have an infection in/around the lungs (plural effusion).  This is one of the more common problems of a PM implant (really any catheterization).

Sharp chest pains lasting a second or two.

by Selwyn - 2020-04-30 14:17:47

Chest pains related to the heart tend to last for many minutes. They may be associated with different activities including exercise, though can be associated with excitement.

Chest pains lasting a few seconds are muscular.  Especially if you have been thoroughly investigated by the medics, you can be reassured that muscular pains do not have any special test that helps in their diagnosis, rather it is the length of time the pain lasts. It seems you have been investigated for years for this, though the problem is worse of late.

Only if your pains are sharp, stabbing and lasting for a few seconds, then I would l refer you to a web site dealing with the problem:

https://natural-alternative-therapies.com/chest-pain-and-anxiety/

Muscular stretching exercises help, heat (be careful!), as in warm packs, and relaxation.  If you can swin... very helpful as this helps with relaxation and muscle stretching.

If you want something in writing from your doctors, there is no diagnostic test, rather the recognition of what is a relatively common occurance ( Precordial Catch Syndrome)

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_catch_syndrome

 

 

Thank You

by Prash.ant - 2020-05-02 13:12:03

I can't thank you all enough for your comments. I  am feeling better over the last couple of days after a very tough week. Like most of you suggested I am gonna have a thorough check up at a different hospital to rule out any possibility of the pacemaker causing this problem. Also Selwyn thanks a lot for the alternative therapy you have told me about . Gonna try it . 

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