So new to this

Propafenon

by AgentX86 - 2023-04-01 11:35:47

Hi Lumpy.  Welcome to the club.  Sorry that you're here but here we are.

Anxiety is a normal part of the healing process.  Your brain has to wrap itself around the idea of turning a critical part of your body over to a machine. Head congestion may be a horse when you see a zebra (it may just be congestion).  Constipation could be a side-effect of the propafenon. Constipation is a known side-effect of propafenon.

Yes, it's normal to have to take drugs in addition to a pacemaker.  A pacemaker can only make the heart beat faster.  That's all it does.  I would bet that 90% of the people here are on drugs, as well. I'm on two, four if you include a statin and a blood pressure med.

Propafenon is an an antiarrhythmic, normally used to treat Afib. It's also used to treat heart failure.

Thank you

by Lumpy - 2023-04-01 12:52:04

I appreciate your response.  When I read this forum it seems like everyone has a good grasp on exactly what their problem is and how it's being treated.  The medical terminology eludes me and all I know was I was having a good day, had a great lunch, drove home and when I tried to get out of the car I felt dizzy couldn't walk!  My wife took me to ER and they took EKG which came out not being normal because of arrythemia.  That same evening a Pacemaker was implanted.  Went back a few days later because I was so wiped out and the Pacemaker was adjusted.  The next day I felt so much better but that day I also took my first Propafenon.  I am down to one a day starting today so hoping that will help.  I am ex football coach and never had any medical problems (except for knee replacaement) and this has thrown me for a loop.  I want to feel better!  

Water, water, and more water

by Persephone - 2023-04-01 13:00:21

Hi Lumpy - glad your PM is helping you feel better. While I'm not familiar with the med you asked about, you may need to adjust your water intake, and it could need to be considerably higher than what you're used to, to address the constipation part of it. For head congestion, a humidifier at bedside can help a lot. Continue to work with your medical team to find a solution that works for you. Keep at it!

Meds

by Penguin - 2023-04-01 14:34:54

I hear what you're saying about normal BP.  Lots of heart meds lower BP and many are rate limiting too. Normal BP can get tugged down and cause problems.

Could you invest in a BP cuff / machine and keep a record of your BP ? It's normally recommended to take it 3 times a day at consistently regular times and keep a record of this alongside a diary of any troubling symptoms.  When you get symptoms write down the date and precise time. These symptoms can then be looked up at your pacing clinic appointment and compared to pacemaker generated ECGS at the time / date. 

If your symptoms persist this might help your doctors find out whether any dizziness is due to low BP and the drug or any arrhythmia like AF.  AF 'should' show up on the PMs event recorder. 

Good luck with it all. It all takes a bit of persistence initially. 

meds

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-02 10:10:55

Most of us are on meds, but it's not from having the pacer, it's for the underlying condition or other issues. There are no meds required for simply having a pacer.