Shortness of breath

It might be, but wondering here isn't the right approach

by crustyg - 2022-01-04 12:22:44

You're describing some of the symptoms of heart failure, so you need to be charming/bullying your way to a) your GP, b) your EP-doc.  Untreated HF has a very poor prognosis.

Yes, you *may* have developed pacemaker-induced LV remodelling which can reduce your %LVEF, and that can certainly produce the symptoms you describe.  But my speculating at a distance isn't helping, and there are many other things that could be causing your symptoms.

You need to see a doctor, in person, SOON.

Shortness of breath on excertion.

by Selwyn - 2022-01-05 07:20:01

There are many causes for shortness of breath...

1. Carriage of oxygen ( eg. anaemia/polycythaemia)

2. Getting oxygen ( eg. lung diseases)

3. Distributing oxygen ( eg.cardiac output/vascular diseases)

4. Utilisation of oxygen ( eg. poisons)

5.Psychological

You need a medical opinion!!

What they said... and some thoughts of my own about "pacemaker related"

by Gotrhythm - 2022-01-05 14:44:19

You have two replies (above) from two medical doctors. They agree. You need to see a doctor and sooner rather than later.

You ask if the problem could be "pacemaker related." While it's unlikely that the pacemaker is the root cause of the problem, it's possible that your heart condition has changed and the pacemaker settings are no longer appropriate for you and need to be changed. That happened to me. Initially, although my heart rate would fall too low when I was asleep, awake, it was 60bpm and my heart was still capable of speeding up on it's own. I was given the pacemaker because of 4-6 second pauses, mostly when I was asleep. Initially, my pacemaker was set at a base rate of 60 with a very gradual rate response. As my SSS got worse over the course of several years, I needed the base heart rate changed 70 to help me feel truly good, not tired all the time, and more sensitve rate response to keep me from getting SOB on exertion.

I'm not a doctor. I am only offering the benefit of my experience for what it's worth. Just so you know I still had to go through all the tests. I was given a complete cardiac work up, my arteries were clear and my ejection fraction was 65%. Ultimately the only cause for my SOB was felt to be worsening of SSS.

To find out what's really going on with you, the starting place is still seeing your cardiologist. Sooner rather than later.