wireless connections

Call me crazy if you want...but I know I am not imagining this. I have had an ICD since Feb/2008 and have been shocked 5 times and paced out of VT more than 150 times. I have a complex VT and per my EP, it has been labeld "Unable to classify". Every time I am in my basement/familyroom and on my laptopwhich has a wireless connection, my heartrate goes crazy. I feel like I am being paced. The wireless router is about 15 feet from where i normally sit. The closer I sit to my desktop, the stronger and sooner it happens. Of the 5 times I have been shocked, 4 of them was in that same room. Hubby replaced the router and it still happens. Here is the weird part...We turn off the router and all is well... we turn it back on... it comes back. If I take the laptop to the main floor, the problem lessens but is still there. We went on vacation and I took the laptop with me. I had to pull the connection from a neighbors home which was very low connection and could sit for hours with no problem. I was told to call Medtronics and ask their advise. They stated they haven't heard of this before and didn't seem to believe me and only said to have my ICD interrogated to see what is on there leading up to the shock. Another problem is my cordless phone, even using on the opposite ear... I have a light version of this feeling also, as the same as when I was sitting next to my nephew and his girlfriend who both have the radio/scanner/pagers that volunteer firemen use. I have done everything in my power to convince them that there is something not right!. Has ANYONE else out there had any similar experiences? I honestly think it is the ICD itself causing the problem. I am scheduled for an ICD check on the 12th and trying to gather as much info as possible before then.

10 Comments

thank you!

by IrishHeart - 2009-12-28 11:12:16

I understand what you are talking about. Medtronics did advise me to take the laptop with me to the interrogation, however, you need a wireless connection to prove the point. I told my husband I should invite them to my familyroom to show them what I am talking about. At first I was told it may be positional and how I am sitting is the problem... I think not as I sit in the same position for 10-11 hours a day here at work and have no problem. I like the mule treatment and I have used it in the past when I complained about bumpy road and vibrations giving me the same feelings. They basically turned off most features of the ICD, except the VT/VF therapy and no pacing(once VT/VF zone hits 200bpm, I get paced once, pace while charging and then the full motherload!) Walked out of the office after the changes and haven't had a problem with vibrations or bumpy roads ever since... Hmmm

You Are Not Crazy

by SMITTY - 2009-12-28 11:12:17

Hello IrishHeart,

I guess you will have to use the mule treatment to get their attention. In case you are not familiar with the mule treatment, when you have a mule that will not comply with commands, you hit him between the eyes with a 2 X 4 to get his attention then tell him what you want done. Works every time.

Seriously, what you are running into is all to common for those of us that have had problems and tried to get help with our pacemaker. Will it possible for you to take one of the offending devices with you to your next checkup and simply say let me show you---.

We hear all the time that our pacemaker will not be affected by some of the devices you name, but the one thing I have learned in my 9 years with a PM is no person should ever say a PM cannot or will not do such and such. A PM is a manmade device that they try to mate with our heart to help it out. The same blueprint may work in a million cases, but fail in one. If I'm that one, I really don't care about the other million. Unfortunately when this happens, it becomes the patients chore to convince one of the "experts" they have a problem and that can be dang near impossible. That is the reason we sometimes need a 2 X 4.

Good luck,

Smitty

MY Irish Heart!

by IrishHeart - 2009-12-29 07:12:32

Could be the Irish in me...who knows. I haven't checked on the "other" settings of my ICD yet. My son is just finishing up his Biomedical engineering degree and he mentioned the "Bands". It is not just my Wireless Router that does this to me. It is everything from that to the cordless phone, scanners and even standing too close to the UPC scanners at the checkout lanes in the store including their hand held price scanners. I told my cardiologist that I feel like a medical freak...He reassured me that I am not.. he said that I was just "different". Maybe I should ask him to define "different"? I have a local cardiologist that has been working with me for several years and then my electrophysiologist who is about 700 miles away(yes, I travel that distance to see the best of the best). They both are wonderful and so determined to figure out the cause of my arrhythmia(vt). I am sure this will throw another curve ball at them...I guess that is why they get paid the big bucks, huh?

Its that Irish Heart

by ElectricFrank - 2009-12-29 12:12:32

Maybe Irish Hearts are more sensitive! G{:

I've been working all day with my wireless router about 3' away from me with no problem. I have a Medtronics Kappa 701.

By any chance is your pacer set to Uni-Polar mode. This effectively eliminates the shielding of the leads.

frank

Electrophysiologist

by Kathy.m.wenger@gmail.com - 2009-12-30 02:12:50

Hey Irish Heart
Can I ask who the best of the best is? I live in the US and have considered going to Cleveland Clinic. I live in a small town and have a rare bird of a Pacer, and now the Docs say I have more electrical problems, they have recommended one guy in a bigger city 150 miles away, but I am not to impressed with the care I have received here, so not to sure I trust the recommendation.
Thank-you Kat

message

by IrishHeart - 2009-12-31 06:12:23

Kathy, I sent you a private message regarding your question

Medtronics

by Monk777 - 2010-01-08 03:01:12

Hi IrishHeart!
I just found this wonderful website, tho my Defib/PM combo was installed in 2005. I originally had a Medtronic's device, that turned out to be a recall item. Damn thing shocked me, if I recall correctly, once every 15 minutes or if I moved. I now have a Boston Scientific device.
At any rate, I would suggest that you get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion from different representatives at Medtronics. Sorry, but after my experience I just don't trust them.
Please let us know how you're doing.

update

by IrishHeart - 2010-01-13 08:01:28

Okay... so I went to have my ICD interrogated yesterday! In the last 14 weeks I was shocked out of Vfib once, was in monitored sustained VT 20 times and was in monitored non-sustained VT 6 times. I explained everything regarding my feelings af my wireless router issues with her and she said ... according to the ICD recordings, the VT episodes I had were triggered by my own heart and not the device. BUT.... knowing me and my condition and knowledge of it... she truely believes me. She said it is unexplainable as to why this is happening and seemed so puzzled but yet intrigued by it, I wouldn't be surprised if she investigates it further.

Wireless....

by IrishHeart - 2010-05-10 08:05:51

I have since been told that I am not crazy... I no longer use the desktop as it is too close to the router. If I take my laptop to another area in the house where the signal is not as great.. I do perfectly fine. To prove my point, I will sit within 6 feet from the router and use the laptop... and the feelings in my chest begin.. so I move about 2-3 feet further away at a time...I am somewhat good at the 20 ft mark, can still feel it somewhat, but the best place it in another room. Too bad that the professionals don't listed morec carefully, as they could be learning something!

It happened to us too

by powerdwarf - 2010-05-10 12:05:12

Hi IrishHeart,

My wife has had this happen to her when we upgraded our wireless router to one with a newer/stronger Wireless-G or N signal technology (our old wireless router stopped working). I recall she felt her heartrate increase sporadically and got shocked 2-3 times right after the upgrade. Long story short, I ended up buying the same old router model I had before the upgrade off of ebay and changed the wireless channel the router was on.

I imagine that if the ICD was on a common channel as wireless phones, Bluetooth, etc., it would be easily affected by those household items.

It has already been about a year now, and she only received a few new shocks since that time and we surmise it was not due to the wireless router (she normally sits about 10 feet away).

I hope this helps in some way.

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