pacemaker replacement

[Michjj]

hello

I’m posting for my mum who had a node ablation and pacemaker fitted 12 years ago. In February she was getting very tired and breathless. She had a pacemaker check and nhs said it was pacing normally but coming to end of battery life.

Since February she has got worse ending in Sunday night rush to a&e, as coming in and out of consciousness and oxygen levels very low and crackling on lungs.

In a&e she was given oxygen and heart was monitored. I spent 6 hours watching the screen showing pacing at 70, then 72 then pacing to high 70s and back down. It then repeated the same cycle over and over again, like it was stuck in a loop. She was doing nothing apart from dozing on the bed taking in oxygen.

She is now in cardiology ward but doctors dismissing pacemaker checks as feb pacing check looked good. Anyone else have experience of pacemaker coming to end of life and causing adverse symptoms?

[Jock68]

My Pacemaker is set to 60 and if my bpm goes higher the pacemaker lets to heart rate increase. Mine is set to kick back in when the heart rate gets to 150bpm and then it brings it down to 80 and paces it until it calms down, and then lets the heart take over to bring it down lower. The pacemaker kicks in again if the rate wants to fall below 60. It appears to be a very clever piece of equipment. I would talk to the pacemaker team managing your Mums device.

[Michjj in reply to Jock68]

Thanks for your insight. I’m meeting with the cardiologist today.

[Dippy22 in reply to Jock68]

Thanks for that info. I’m due to have a pacemaker fitted next week and ablate a few few after (if betablockers don’t work). You’ve given me more info about how they work than any doc has told me over the course of several meetings, which makes me more reassured.

[Czech_Mate in reply to Dippy22]

Pacemakers can be programmed differently. My PM has just one lead and it just "reminds" my heart to beat if it hasn't beat for 1 second giving me a minimum heartbeat of 60per min. The other thing it does is record what the heart has been doing, which the pacemaker team can download and interpret.

[Dippy22 in reply to Czech_Mate]

I’m having a dual chamber with two leads. That’s all I know. My problem is AFib 2/3 times a week for an average of thirty hours around 130-170 bpm. I don’t know that I suffer from low heart rate. Occasionally at night it will drop to around 50, but I think that’s within normal range. When not in AFib it ticks along nicely around 60-80.

I’ve been told it won’t stop the AFib - I just won’t be aware if it. But! It will have the risk of stretching the atria, which is longterm damage. It seems as if I’m damned if I do have it fitted and damned if I don’t. ☹️

[Czech_Mate in reply to Dippy22]

Yes, your situation different from mine. Good luck.

[MONALISA0424]

My moms pacemaker was about 10 years old and she was feeling tired and so they replaced it and she started feeling good again shortly after the new pacemaker was inserted. The batteries have a life span of about 10 years. It CERTAINLY seems like she needs a NEW pacemaker especially since hers is 12 years old. You said her pacemaker was pacing fine in Feb., well now it's April and her pacemaker is 12 years old. I would diligently try to find a cardio team who would indeed get her a new pacemaker. I don't know how old your mom is but my mom is 87 and she was 86 when she got here 2nd pacemaker.