Fast heart beats

Fast heart beats and palpatations

by AgentX86 - 2021-05-06 21:17:11

It's not at all unusal to have these problems for some time after implant.  Implanting a pacemaker disturbs the heart, which can cause arrhythmias of many types.  It also takes the heart some time to "get used to" being paced.  It'll be jumpy for a while.  On top of these real issues, we're all hypersensitive to anything that happens after a major trauma like this.  We're just waiting for something to happen. 

This happens when people get FitBits, et. al.  They tend to keep watching their heart and panic when something strange happens.  The truth is, strangeness is part of life.  Even normal hearts do crazy things at times.  We didn't know about it because, well, we weren't alert.  If we did feel it, we just shrugged it off as a figment of our imagination. It didn't happen often enough to "catch" it.

I'm not saying that you're imagining this.  Not at all.  It's probably very real but you're also hypersensitive right now.

Make sure your EP knows about these episodes.  He'll likely give you a beta blocker to help, or if you're already on one, fiddle with the dosage.  He may even put you on an antiarrhythmic for a short time, until your heart heals more.  But don't panic.  This sort of thing is normal but do tell your doctor (anything that concerns you).

Heart rhythm following pacemaker

by Gemita - 2021-05-07 04:52:50

Hello Maggie, nice to see your profile pic.

Yes I had exactly the same thing happen to me following my pacemaker implant.  My heart started racing, then slowing, then racing again at any time day and night, although mostly at night.  That is what made me join this Club.  It took a few months for my heart and for me to settle down, but I was very concerned at first and questioned whether I had made the right decision to get a pacemaker.  I expect you are thinking much the same.  

We keep saying it, but it is true, the heart needs time to adjust to pacing and to the trauma of the implant and attachment of the leads to the heart.  It may not have been major heart surgery, but the heart nonetheless has been traumatised.  The electrical system of the heart is so delicate and needs time to settle Maggie.  I allowed up to three months before adjusting my medication.  I found I was able to reduce dosage of some of my meds and even to stop some of them because I found pacing so helpful.

You ask specifically if it is the pacemaker kicking in when your heart rate falls which is causing your symptoms?  Personally I believe you are feeling your pacemaker intermittently pacing/adjusting to what is going on in your newly paced heart.  I am specifically referring here to your electrical disturbances that are presently occurring (by this I mean, any ectopic beat or other arrhythmia disturbance).

Yes please stay positive.  It will make all the difference to your recovery, but please remember that your doctors should always be consulted if your symptoms really worry you.  They can make sure through extra monitoring that all is well.  Good luck

Fast heart beats abnormal ly fast

by Andante - 2021-05-08 09:04:44

Hi Gemita,

I found your previous post reassuring.

I am 10 days post Pacemaker for SSS diagnosis. My resting pulse was 40 bpm.   The Cardiologist set it to 53 and it's been that since no problem.       However I awoke this morning my pulse 'racing' at 80 bpm. As soon as I started walking about it rose to 130 .                       Finding this scary especially in another Country at weekend.                                               Sent a text to my Cardiologist, who replied it's OK ?                  I feel week slight headache and dizziness so not convinced. Just debating if I should visit local Hospital AE.

Pre PM my pulse would never go to 80 unless walking or 130 only when running fast . Help please is this abnormal for post PM surgery ?                                   

Andante

by Gemita - 2021-05-08 11:19:58

Firstly, if you feel poorly and are worried at any time, then you should ask to be seen.  If that means going to A&E at the weekend (are you currently in the UK?), then you should do so.  I cannot make the decision for you because I do not know "how you feel"?  

Is this normal following PM surgery?  It can be as our hearts heal.  It was normal for me following pacemaker implant to experience an intermittent racing heart.  However, my racing heart was intermittently in excess of 150+ bpm and I certainly felt it.  A heart rate of between 60-100 bpm would be regarded as within normal range, although a good heart rate should be between 60-80 bpm. Anything over 100 bpm would be classified as tachycardia. 

A heart rate for me of 130 bpm would not cause any major difficulties but if it rose to above 160 bpm I would start to get dizzy and breathless.  How we feel in response to an increased heart rate will depend on our heart condition Andante being treated, our age and other health conditions.

So to conclude, if you are worried and not tolerating your symptoms very well, I would seek help.  A doctor could quickly check your pacemaker and perhaps do an electrocardiogram and make a few other health checks.  It might at least reassure you and you will know that these symptoms may be nothing to worry about if they occur again.  I believe it will settle soon.  Are you on any medication?  Can you send a pacemaker transmission to your doctors?

And just a tip, when you want to ask a question, it would be best if you did a separate new message from yourself, so that it will be seen.  It will be missed if you ask a message within someone else's message.  Good luck Andante

Gemita

by Andante - 2021-05-08 14:26:03

Hi Gemita, many thanks for your reply. Just found it scary to awake & find it had raised to 80 having always had a RHR of 40 as long as I can remember .Also it had been steady at 53 since Surgery.

Added to that being a weekend  thousands of miles from UK and the Cardiologist in another town with language differences.   Just had my 2 nd yr 'All clear' from Cancer as well.       For peace of mind I visited the local Hospital and got checked out ECG and bloods. Pronounced all OK, 'but come back if an increase'.                                       I did try to reply to your first comment but had difficulty. I shall endeavour to do a fresh posting next time.   Thanks again for your reassuring words 🙏.  

Same here

by Spike98 - 2021-05-10 23:05:36

I had a very similar thing happen. I don't know what type of PM you have. Mine is meant for younger, athletic people (I just turned 23) and is set to fluctuate with the HR. For example, if My heart rate is in the 130s, my PM may pace me in the 110's, so that when I go bradycardic, there isn't a drastic drop in HR, and I don't pass out. 
 

I got my pacemaker for SSS on April 1st and I was very short of breath and tachy almost constantly, for 2 weeks. Went for my PM check-up on April 15th and asked them to adjust the settings. They figured out that my pacemaker was over-pacing me (53% of the time). My heart rate fluctuates a lot and every time it goes tachy, my PM was tricked into thinking it needed to pace me. They were able to adjust the settings. I still get tachy on occasion like I did before my PM, but the adjustment they made almost completely resolved the symptoms... Maybe they can adjust yours? 

Spike98

by Andante - 2021-05-13 13:53:20

Thanks for your posting Spike. I had a St Jude dual chamber to control my Bradycardia. My RHR was dropping way below 40 and frequently pausing. Then episodes of AF.     It was set to 50 but after 10 days suddenly overnight increased to 80 and any exertion made it rise sharply with dizziness.            You didn't say what adjustments they made to your's.

I saw my Cardiologist yesterday who said the rise was my Tachy or AF. But it never did that before ever..... He adjusted it to cut in at 55 and  said he had switched Off the 2nd lead ?     Since then it's been averaging 67.                Also I was prescribed Blood thinners(Apixaban) and BetaBlockers to control AF.