shocks

My wife is receiving a mild shock every 8 hours on the hour. Can anyone advise?


5 Comments

shocks

by new to pace.... - 2024-09-07 15:13:28

Interesting in the past you were the one to receive shocks.  Do you both now have devices?

new to pace

I see your wife has a pacemaker too

by Gemita - 2024-09-07 15:49:42

Mitchpoole, I see where the confusion arises because you had a Defibrillator in 2009.  I see your wife now has a pacemaker and you are asking on her behalf.  You could always set up a new Pacemaker Club account for her which would help us to help both of you in the future.

If she is getting a mild ?shock or sensation regularly every 8 hours on the hour, I would imagine this might be an automatic device check or alert of some kind?  I am assuming your wife doesn't have a defibrillator?  But you need to define "shock" which might be an important alert that needs immediate attention?

Your previous post about your wife’s electrical charge type sensation in the chest from one side to the other is familiar to me which I also experienced at the start of my pacing journey.  I used to get electric shock like sensations in the chest and going into my upper back.  Most unpleasant.  These were caused by trauma to nerves, veins, blood vessels and so on, during implant of device/leads.  I took a short course of a neuropathic medication for a few months which helped.

I would ask your clinic on Monday what these shocks every 8 hours on the hour are?  If they are affecting your wife's quality of life or causing undue symptoms and stress, I would respectfully ask whether they could perhaps safely turn any automatic device check, off?  I don't know what else to suggest as it is Saturday, but if either of you are concerned or any symptoms are worrying, I would seek professional advice well before Monday.

Confusing

by Penguin - 2024-09-07 18:20:27

Is the regular shock which happens every 8 hours related to the cross chest pain do you think? e.g. does she have the chest discomfort after the regular shock? 

If the current is turned up higher at the moment to help her wires bed in (this is a common practice) she may feel pacing related sensations more than usual.  As Gemita says, the self check can be bothersome for many and it can set off other arrhythmia if she has any. 

It would help to know which pacemaker, make / model she has and a little about her reason for getting a PM and any underlying arrhythmia she might have.

I think I'd keep some notes on when it happens (time / date) and whether the other symptoms happen immediately afterwards.  This might help determine cause when you ring for help on Monday. 

I hope you get it sorted out. 

 

Shocks

by piglet22 - 2024-09-07 18:34:29

I would hope it's pretty unlikely that the device is timed to shock every 8 hours.

It seems irresponsible.

Your first thing to do is get advice from the pacing team.

Then you take accurate records of timing to within 10 seconds of each event.

If it happens to within plus or minus 10 seconds between events then this becomes a programmed event.

You have to look outside the obvious like the device and is it something else in your environment? Does your neighbour do arc welding every 8 hours?

If it's repeatedly every 8 hours, something is clocked.

Don't dismiss it.

Get back when you get an answer.

Healing

by Grateful Heart - 2024-09-08 00:27:12

It may be the nerves healing.  It used to feel very sharp to me like an ant bite and it hurt.  But that wouldn't be clocked every 8 hours, it's random and sporadic.

Also, the voltage may need to be adjusted lower now, like Penguin said.  Don't ignore it, do contact the EP. 

Grateful Heart   

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

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Pacemakers are very reliable devices.