Details of Heart and PM

I read so many postings of details of that person's heart and pacemaker and leads and percentages and beats per minute.
I know nothing about this, other than two leads.
Either my cardiologist does not tell me so much or I will learn these things as I have any needed tests done.
I had my PM in on Feb. 14th. Yesterday I was in bed all day from fatigue and short winded. I will be getting a holter monitor on Monday to see if there is something wrong, perhaps that is how I find out more information. Just started a lower dose of Toprol so maybe that will help too.
Thanks,
Don

2 Comments

Details of Heart and PM

by maryanne - 2008-04-26 06:04:02

Yes there is a lot to learn about the heart and pacemakers, but don't fret you will learn in time....ask lots of questions and by coming to this forum you have made a first step to becoming more informed....good for you!

There are many reasons for fatigue post PM....it could be your settings, it could be your medications, it could be a combination of both, diet....many many things can cause fatigue. I notice you are on Toprol....In Canada that drug is known as Metoprolol and belongs to a group of drugs called Beta-blockers. These drugs are primarily used for Hypertension(high blood pressure), chest pain, or used after a heart attack and used for rate control....there are many side effects to this drug and one can be fatigue, and shortness of breath....I wonder if you suffer from asthma....people who suffer from asthma should not use this drug or should use it cautiously as it has beta 2 characteristics which means it effects your lungs and can make you short of breath or congested....you might want to discuss this again with your doctor.

As for the holter monitor....not knowing what your pacemaker is set at it is difficult to say what it is they might be looking for other than an underlying irregular heart rhythm or possibly a misfiring of your pacemaker....there are many good sites to get information about pacemakers and drugs...but you have come to a great forum where people are very helpful.....I wish you much luck with your holter monitor and that things settle for you....please keep us posted....cheers :)

Good luck

by Swedeheart - 2008-04-27 02:04:20

Hello,

I also received my PM in Feb (25th) so we are "close" in how long we have been "wired". I have heart block and am not paced at a high %, but often suffer from fatique and other things since receiving my pacemaker. I think it takes quite awhile for everything to settle down and get sorted out. Now with the pacemaker even though I take toprol xl for high blood pressure, my blood pressure is lower than it was on the same meds with the pacemaker. I don't think the pacemaker should have anything to do with it, but I keep accurate charting on my heart rate, BP, several times a day.

If you were in bed with fatique and short winded, it is an excellent suggestion to have a holter and let the doctors "see" what is going on. Be sure if the doctor that is prescribing the holter isn't your EP doc or Cardiologist, that he/she communicates with the Cardio and perhaps the tech for your Pacemaker.

Good luck. I hope they get it all sorted out for you quickly and do you not have a bad time about it. Keep us posted, we will be interested to know what happened.

Swedeheart

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