PROBABLY A VERY STUPID QUESTION....

I don't know if anyone can shed any light....I had my PM (Medtronic Azure) inserted a month ago for stage 3 HB and am taking 2.5mg Bisoprolol twice daily. As I have said before, I am getting what can only be described as flutterings at the top of my abdomen, and a heartbeat in the same place. It makes me feel unwell and frightened.

I am also getting occasional ringing in my ears and a heartbeat in my head which makes me feel like it's high blood pressure and I'm absolutely exhausted and have to sleep during the day. I feel like an old woman (I'm 63). I thought I'd feel like a new woman.

Pre the PM, I had a glass of malt whisky before supper, but since the PM, I have cut out all coffee, tea and whisky in case it makes my heart race BUT....tonight I was in a bit of a state, feeling unwell and frightened and have another week beore my first PM review, so decided to try a slug of whisky.

Well - it seemed to make all the symptoms go away! Do you think it just relaxed me or something else was going on? Sorry it's not an erudite query.

ALSO - (and this is bizarre), I have suffered with acute Rosacea which gives me a florid face (and no, it's not the whisky!) but since the PM, it has all but gone. I'm not complaining; I'm thrilled, but don't understand .

Answers on a postcard please!

5 Comments

Give it time

by Lavender - 2024-11-07 19:29:41

I took daily naps for the first year after my pacemaker was implanted. I was worn out emotionally and physically. How you feel today is not how you will always feel. You are still healing. I believe your pacemaker is doing its job correctly. A bit of alcohol won't hurt you. I don't drink alcohol or any caffeine, but a cardiologist told me that a glass of wine is fine. 
 

Perhaps with your pacemaker helping your heart to beat more effectively and bringing more oxygen to your body, it's doing everything better including your face. 😉

Thank you Lavender

by heartily - 2024-11-08 03:21:00

For the reassuring words - very helpful xx

Hypersensitive

by Lavender - 2024-11-08 10:30:39

Many of us become hyper aware of each bodily function post pacemaker surgery. We had a danger signal put out by our brain. Now the brain is in uber vigilance mode, alerting us to every single thing. Every heartbeat, every breath, every pinch and we blame the pacemaker and think we're near death. Many of us, including me, made final arrangements and prepaid funeral plans. We thought impending doom was just around the corner. 
 

Retrain your brain. Look into Eckhart Tolle. One trick he used really helped me. Take a chair outside or at least to the window. Look up at the clouds. Do it a long while. Don't try and perceive shapes just look. Observe quietly. It's ever changing. Your brain will focus on what it sees and hears. Use headphones and listen to spa type music. Listen to each note. You will be too busy to worry. 
 

Another trick is putting on music from your high school days. A song can make you feel 17 again. 
 

I never had ringing ears until a very young aggressive physician assistant prescribed 300 mg zantac for me. 😤A few days into it, the ringing buzzed on so loud I thought it was an alarm clock. That's about five years ago and it is still ringing. 😕

I have grown accustomed to ignoring it and rarely notice it. It's just background noise. At first I saw doctors as well as ear specialists but even the ear specialist said HE has ringing and nothing can cure it. 

Postcard reply

by Rch - 2024-11-09 00:10:00

Fluttering and HB in abdomen: 4 weeks are too short for an opinion but if you are very symptomatic with SOB, Chest pain or dizziness, please contact provider.

Tinnitus: Please check your BP. 

Coffee, Tea, Whiskey: I would rather have coffee or tea  than whiskey in a heartbeat! If you really have anxiety issues, please consult your provider if it's appropriate for you to try a small dose of short acting tranquilizer on an as needed basis.

Rosacea: The pre-op antibiotic drip may have alleviated the florid rosacea! It will most likely return! 

Again, please contact your provider with your questions! 

Hi Rch

by heartily - 2024-11-09 04:30:58

Thanks so much for your post...Fortunately I don't have SOB, dizziness or chest pain but my BP does fluctuate.

I have been told my the Cardiologist that my heart issue is now fixed and he can't see any other heart issues, I have it in writing and read it several times daily to quell the anxiety I have, mainly due to the very traumatic experience I had out of the blue.

Pre PM, I LOVED very strong good coffee, and it was a great sadness I could no longer indulge. However, I have just bought Lavazza decaff beans (which I grind myself) and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! 

I hope you're wrong about my rosacea!

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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