Trying to recover

I 47 years old. I've had a pacemaker since I was 18. I'm on my fourth one, I have two leads. 11 days ago I had one of the leads replaced and I'm still trying to recover from that. The old lead apparently is not sensing the new lead very well and I have have all sorts of flutters and worse. Yesterday I could hardly walk my son to his classroom, it's like the pacer would not speed up. Then my left arm is swollen and purple. They checked for a blood clot but found nothing. Since the surgery I have had horrible headaches everyday, they start in the afternoon and by evening I just want to scream! Ibuprofren is not helping. Has anyone experienced any of these problems?

3 Comments

blockage

by bambi - 2007-09-08 04:09:42

Please ask your Dr. about running tests, preferably a venogram, where they shoot dye through your veins to check for a blockage. Your arm should not be swollen and purple! The headaches are too severe to be normal. Please don't quit trying to find out what's going on! Something is! Take care of yourself!
Bambi

4th pacemaker

by peter - 2007-09-09 02:09:54

Are you pacemaker dependant ,and are your leads controlling both ventricles, have you had an av node ablation. Your comment that the old lead is not sensing the new lead very well does not make sense to me. You may email me direct on bayhoecott@yahoo.co.uk

4th pacemaker

by luckyloo - 2007-09-09 04:09:18

your headacvhes could be from how you are guarding your arm since your surgery. it could be from your neck too from how you are sleeping. i remember i got terrible headaches because of those reasons. they gave me a sling which helped a lot! i had to really beware of my posture too. it got better but it took a few weeks before my posture was back to normal.

purple swelling arm...like bambi said, i'd keep bugging them about it. it isn't normal and could be a clot. upper extremity venogram should be done with attention to the SVC (superior vena cava) also.

keep us posted!

luckyloo

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