Pacemaker test

What a ride!

by Lavender - 2023-02-21 10:19:24

We have been on that roller coaster before. I was like what you described minus wanting to strike the tech. Lol. I did, however, wish they could experience this so their compassion bone could grow. 
 

I can't say I got used to it. Some techs are more careful than others. I got them to mark my account so they know I am particularly sensitive to the elevator going down part of the ride. 

Elevator Drop

by SeenBetterDays - 2023-02-21 11:02:29

I'm with both of you. Not a pleasant feeling at all. Previously they would warn me with heart accelerating or slowing down but at my last check they just carried on regardless. Felt like I was going to pass out and wasn't well for some time after.  I don't have an underlying rhythm so wonder if I could ask them to swerve the test where they turn the pm right down next time. As you said Lavender, I wonder if some of us are more sensitive to the test than others? Shame they can't find a way of running the tests which is less like an elevator drop! 

Same here

by AgentX86 - 2023-02-21 11:25:21

Yes, she should not only have told you that she was going to do it but what to expect and to make sure you were sitting in a secure way.  My PM tech uses a phlebotomy chair so there is no way I'm going to fall out.  In fact, I'm going in tomorrow (even though it's only been a month).

Yes, some are definitely more sensitive than others.  What they're looking for is the heart's intrinsic heart rate so the run the pacemaker's rate down until the heart starts beating on its own.  If it doesn't take over somewhere above 30bpm (the lowest they're alowed to go), it's the equivalent of a constant two second pause.  You're going to feel it.  If the heart takes over at 50bpm, it probably won't be felt at all.

Horrible feeling

by _Claire_ - 2023-02-21 13:53:27

Yes I totally understand this and I find the feeling awful. For my PM check they only speed up the rate. Sometimes it's really uncomfortable and other times it's quite painful and unbearable. I'm not sure why the experience seems to vary. It's not good practice that they didn't prewarn you about that. 

Speeding it up

by Biotronik2 - 2023-02-21 14:53:11

Well when she went to speed it up I felt nothing. She even asked, ok so are you feeling like you're excercising. I said nope. She said really? I said yeah really. I said I can tell you have it going faster. She said how? I said I can hear it. What do you mean you can hear it. I told her I can hear my artificial valve ticking faster. You can hear it. I said yes. I hear it 24-7-365 and its ticking faster. Lol

If I had two wishes

by Gotrhythm - 2023-02-22 11:35:10

1. Before being certified to do pacemaker checks, every tech would have electrodes attached to their chests and get a direct experience of what it feels like to have someone else control their heartrate--just for a couple of seconds.

2. Every tech would have to read three weeks worth of posts on the Pacemaker Club.

The lab tech always says "stick" before they poke you with a needle. How hard would it be to train pacemaker techs to warn you?

Testing

by AgentX86 - 2023-02-22 12:02:30

I had an in-office PM check an hour ago. She did all three tests, low and high rates and the capture test. She warned me for the low and capture tests but not the high. I felt all of them but was also watching the electrogram.

Interestingly, I've been having many PVCs after walking but they weren't picked up in the counts. None were in strings so no electrograms were triggered (expected) but the count was one.

Pacer check

by Julros - 2023-02-22 19:11:23

Pacer techs are human. Some are great and have compassion, some are cold and could not care less

At my last check she was training someone and told them, "this is when I tell the patient the may feel something," but neither of them turned to say it to me. But I knew what to expect. I waited 3 months with a pulse of 40 to get my implant, so turning it down doesn't bother me. In the past they told me they don't go lower than 40. 

When she was done, she told me I could go, and then later she noted in the report I left before all the information could be downloaded. I like my doc, I don't care for the tech. 

techs

by Biotronik2 - 2023-02-27 14:50:44

I would agree that the techs should in some way have to experience what it's like to go through what we go through. Also reading this forum should be a must have to thing. I like my Dr. also and the tech was a nice lady other than leaving out the whole not mentioning she was going to slow the PM down. I've passed out before but this dizziness was on a whole differnet level that I had never experinced. Also just to be clear I did not throat punch her. I did that only in my mind LOL.

yeah, about that

by dwelch - 2023-03-06 23:04:11

pacemakers for 35 years, and probably the first 20 I wanted to let the tech "feel" what it was like. 

Some techs are good some are not.   The test is the same every time theres the someone sittng on your chest thing theres the crank you up and you start breathing hard thing.  

One in the last few years, asked if I was prone to falling over during the test.  first and only time for that.

I did have one doc where they used recliners, like ones you have in your living room, very wise, but I moved and that was that, back to sitting on the end of a table.

Some techs are friendly some dont even talk at all.  But you can ask, hey can you warn me before each test.   Or sometimes you can see the screen and see then press the test button and release it.

if this is a recurring problem, then tell them you are prone to falling over (and you might land on them) they wont not do tests, they might get you a better chair or lay you down.

I dont let it get to me anymore.  I think part of it is that I dont have the anxiety, that holding my breath waiting for the change.  

They are just doing their job, and end of the day you need them to do this job because you need the leads tested otherwise might as well just turn it off and take your chances.

I now have three leads so yet another test.

Remember to ask for your copy of the report.  And  maybe that is an ice breaker to, btw can you tell me when the tests start, and or, btw I sometimes feel like I am going to fall over during the tests.