Please Help

I am 30. Ive had my PM since 2007 for SSS. I have IST and Syncope. Today I had a pacer check and they chainged the setting in my ventricle. They told me it was over sensing in the ventricle and made a minor tweak. My ventricle wasnt even on until about 3 weeks ago. Ever since they had to turn it on I have been having PVC's all over the place. Since they made the adjustment today Ive been having 2 or 3 every minute for the last 4 hours. When they were this frequent right after surgery they said I must have pulled a lead, they got me all prepped and ready for another PM surgery and then when they got me hooked up to the map thing in the ER it showed they hadnt moved at all. So my question is, what the heck should I do. Im so uncomfortable. I get nausia and dizziness when they go on and on like this. Any words of advice? If I call my Dr he is just going to tell me they are no big deal.

Thanks

6 Comments

calling

by Tracey_E - 2010-01-28 09:01:07

If they changed it today and you've been feeling bad ever since, it's pretty obvious they need to undo whatever they did today. I'd call the dr first. If he blows you off, head to the ER. They can call in someone from your pm mfr to look at it.

Have you considered a new doctor? If your dr doesn't pay attention to you, it might be time to move on.

Call them!

by tsimbrow - 2010-01-28 09:01:43

Hi,
If the pacer settings were jsut changed today and you are having more symptoms now, as a nurse myself, I would tell you to go to the ER. This sounds like you need to be checked now not wait until morning. It's pretty obvious that something is wrong and you need to have it looked at. It could be as simple as changing your settings back. GET TO THE ER NOW!!!!
Taryn
Please let me know what happens.

Called them.

by pacer28 - 2010-01-28 10:01:34

So on call doc says no worries and just to take an extra Toprol. If they get any worse Im going in, Ill go with my gut. Thank you so much for your reply =)

Go with your gut

by tsimbrow - 2010-01-28 11:01:11

OK, but you know your gut is the best guide. If you don't feel right or something gets worse get to the ER. As for tomorrow, call your cardiologist or EP and let them know what is going on and see if they can see you again soon. Try to have a good night.
Taryn

V-pacing is a pain!

by tcrabtree85 - 2010-01-29 01:01:58

I feel ya on the V-pacing and not liking the feeling. Part of that I do believe is your age. You are young as I am also. I have been told and do see this to kinda be true the younger you are the more you feel. Don't give up b/c your Dr says it is not a big deal. I don't know how much the ER will be able to do for you or not. When I started getting V-paced it was aweful and nothing much got fixed in the ER for me either. I did get a second opinion from a different Dr. My V-pacing is under control a lot better and i'm not using it as often.
I hate the feeling. Though on the side when I can't handle the V-pacing so much my newest EP told me when it goes into that weird feelings to place my hand over pm and jiggle it. I know it has something to do with its rate response and sensing. Though so far it has done some tricks for me and helped calm it down.
I wish you luck and I hope that if you go into the ER that they can get you more comfortable. Thinking of you and feeling for you.

Tammy

UPDATE

by pacer28 - 2010-02-01 03:02:28

So I called my heart group on Friday... TWICE.. left messages... TWICE... no call back. Figured they thought it was not important or dangerous enough to bother with me till Monday. Friday evening going into Saturday morning I woke up in a cold sweat, shaking, nausia and a very hard thumping FAST heart rate. The old me would have dismissed it as a panic attack, thats what I was diagnosed with when this all started 5 years ago, but I went with my gut and went straight into the ER. HR was at 280 in full blown A fib and then started to see spurts of runs of PVC's also known as V Tac. The cause? I had pacer spikes before my heart beat, in the middle and towards the end at rates I didnt even need a pace in the first place for! The St Judes Rep said they screwed up the programing so bad that the thing was pacing all over the place, Im a lay man and I could see from just looking at the screen it was a garbled mess! I start looking for a new group on monday. It is a scary step, but a necessary one, Ive given them way to many get out of jail free cards.
Thanks for all your advise and support. Keep passing on that you know your body, dont listen to a holes who say, OH just pop another beta blocker and call me in the morning, go with your gut, EVERYTIME!!

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In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.