Tired still

Hi Its me moaning minnie.

Still feeling tired. When does this get better am now in my eight week and thought I would have more energy.

Went home to england for a holiday and visited an English cardiologist to try and understand the ins and outs of pacemakers. He wants to see the test results from France to see if I really need the pacemaker. he feels that if it is only the slow beat at night then he would not have installed one! Which one do you believe French or English. Really confused.

5 Comments

hang in there

by winesap - 2008-03-07 04:03:31

I think this place is here so we can feel free to moan with others facing similar challenges - so moan away. I'm 12 weeks post implant and can't say I'm at 100% but it sounds like I'm doing better than you. Of course, fatigue is kind of relative so it is hard to say precisely how we might compare. I think we need to recognize that the physical impact of this surgery is significant so post operation fatigue for many weeks is to be expected. Perhaps even more significant is the mental/emotional burden. The later probably being especially true for those of us that are generally fit and active. The pacemaker simply does not fit our personal self-image. I know when I feel down emotionally, I also feel down physically. I'm not sure what your local support/friendship situation is - but it sounds like you are living in France as a non-native. I love France, but also have lived in a foreign country (Sweden) for a few years and know that as a non-native close personal friends were difficult to find - and you need that kind of close support. On the slow beat ... my problems were also more pronounced at night - one event resulted in stroke like symptoms and an entire day is essentially missing from my memory - that is an experience I don't want to ever repeat and hope the pacemaker will continue to prevent it happening. In other words, there are ramifications of slow beats that the pacemaker should prevent. Now I need to get back on the bike - I know my first rides will be frustrating as I've been off it for too long. The days are getting long enough that I can fit it in while not disrupting my work day. My son and I have had some wonderful rides in the country around Lyon - take care.

Chin up!

by boatman50 - 2008-03-07 07:03:57

Jules it is tough to think it gets better but over time it does. If I remember you are taking beta blockers? If so I don't know what top say. I was on them for a short time and hated it. After complaining to the cardiologist he sent me to an EP. The man was great and he took me off all meds and raised my lower rate to 70 bpm. It has helped me very much. I also got myself back working out with weights and doing cardio. It has been an uphill battle but it is paying off. It will be 2 years this June and time does heal.
Best of luck, Boatman

It takes time.

by bowlrbob - 2008-03-07 09:03:52

If you are on Beta blockers and the dose is too high. It will knock you out. I was on Atenolol 50 and could hardly move. So my Dr. dropped it to 25 and I am just fine now. And my BP is still under control. If that's not it just give it more time. It took a good year before i was feeling like what I remember as normal. Don't beat yourself up. Bowlrbob

Thanks Guys

by Jules - 2008-03-08 11:03:05

Thanks for all those comments. Feeling sorry for myself. I am not on meds anymore and thought this would bring my energy bouncing back.

Anyway, went for a ride this morning and felt OK. Little tired now but I am going to start building up the exercise slowly and see if that helps.

Cheers

Night HR

by ElectricFrank - 2008-03-08 12:03:26

Winsap's experience makes a good point about night time heart rate. If it drops too low it can prevent getting enough blood flow to the brain and cause stroke like symptoms. How low is too low depends on the person. I was getting down to 26 the night before my implant and was doing OK, but I sure wouldn't want it to go much lower. The problem is that as it goes lower we are less likely to be aware of an impending problem.
As for the fatigue, have the docs investigated any of the other possibilities that have nothing to do with the pacer and your heart? It's all too easy once we get the pacer to connect everything to it. How about hypoglycemia, vitamin deficiencies, allergies, etc.One thing I've noticed is that I feel low energy and sometimes hard to think straight when we have a low pressure weather system go though here.
Anyway, maybe its time to "think outside the box" as they say.

good luck,

frank

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