donut

during my phone check, everytime when I put the donut against my pacemaker,put the phone down and count to thirty, the my chest starts to thump and it feels like my pacemaker is coming through my chect. it is very annoying I can hardly keep the donut on the pacemaker while it is thumping

3 Comments

Donumt Magnet Efffects

by SMITTY - 2007-12-20 01:12:48

Hello Ralphie,

I saw your question about 30 minutes after I completed a phone checkup and I experienced something close to the same thing you did. I say close because I don’t think mine is as bad as your's sounds.

First, I have a Medtronic KDR 703 Series pacemaker, if that makes any difference.

Anyway, it is my understanding that when we place the donut magnet over our pacemaker it opens (or closes – I never remember which) a switch in the pacemaker which causes it to go into default mode. In default mode the PM takes over the function of sending impulses to make our heart beat. It does this without regard to the impulses our heart’s natural PM may also be sending. If the manmade PM and the heart’s PM happen to be in sync we do not notice this. However if the two PMs are out of sync, our heart is in effect getting conflicting signals and that is what we feel.

In other words, the ventricle may have received an impulse from the manmade PM to contract before all of the blood in the atrium has passed through the valve between the chambers and what I am feeling is the increased pressure on that valve. They further tell me that since this only lasts a few seconds it does no harm to our heart or PM.

Right, wrong or indifferent, this is the explanation I got. I say this because I have had my PM almost eight years and I have asked many questions about things that either were hurting me, or I didn’t understand. Many times I got answers that I thought were more to make me shut up than true facts.

Now if somebody has better explanations for what you are feeling, I will wait and read them with great interest.

Good luck,

Smitty

I get it also

by mobags - 2007-12-20 01:12:56

I get my interrogations in the office and I notice that I get that feeling when he bumps my rate up.....I wish he would give me some warning before he does it, it doesn't seem fair but anyway......I don't know if the same thing happens with a phone checkup or not.

normal

by anne8486 - 2008-01-03 12:01:38

It's completely normal. I hate it and never do my call-ins because of this. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE just about a week ago I was telling someone about the call in device and they wanted to see how it worked. They called me back the next day said come in ASAP and let's check it out. Apparantly my battery has gotten so low that I'm not allowed to do another test because there isn't enough voltage left for this. Now I get another one in 12 days and am sooo not mentally prepared for it. SO! had I not blown off this annoying thumping test I wouldn't be stressed out now. It's normal it's a bitch... don't blow it off! just remember that a glass of red wine is also good for the heart and to have one near by as soon as you finish it. that always makes me happier

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My pacemaker was installed in 1998 and I have not felt better. The mental part is the toughest.