CRT Any Information ??

[Prada47]

Hi looking for any information from anyone who has had a CRT installed !!! and did you find it improved how your Heart is working.

Thanks in Advance !!

Regards

[Lezzers]

Crt-d? I've heard it's made a massive difference to people's life, Kevin's not suitable for it though.

[Prada47 in reply to Lezzers]

Hi Lesley

It looks like it may be the next step for me !! I thought the Entresto would do the trick but in my case appears not. Heart Nurse wouldn't increase to Max dose of Entresto. So it would appear that I am currently maxed out on medication. I asked could she put my Bisoprolol back up to 10mg, but that was a No as well, I thought going back to 10mg Bisoprolol would maybe stabilise me so I could go to the max of Entresto.

So now waiting for another Echocardiogram to see how my Heart has changed after almost a year on Entresto. It has changed because I have gone from a High Burden of Ectopic Beats to almost non at all.

My Heart Nurse who is also a Arrhythmia Specialist said we seem to have come to the end of the road with Meds

I do feel reasonably Well just the Shortness of Breath which can come from nowhere is a pain in the Butt. The other thing which appears to drive toward a CRT is my QRS gap is widening I think it's now 142m/s I don't know what that means exactly but I am sure someone does !!

Long winded answer/reply just thought it may be of use to someone else !!

Regards

[Lezzers in reply to Prada47]

Hi Frank how do they measure your QRS gap? Echo?

If you don't get any response on here re the device, try pumping marvellous or the closed Facebook group icd support uk, lots of people with different devices there.

Good luck, hope you get the info

[Prada47 in reply to Lezzers]

Hi Leslie

QRS gap is measured on an ECG measured in millie seconds

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Hi Frank. A CRT is what I have and my heart improved markedly (only time it's improved at all) in the first 6-12 months of having it. Since then no further improvement (had it nearly 7 years?) but remained stable. Takes a bit of getting used to at first but I barely notice mine now, other than occasional twitches in my diaphragm if I'm sitting in a very particular position. If you are being offered one, I would definitely consider going for it. Good luck! X

[Prada47 in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Hi Laura

Really nice to see you here and thanks for the info.

We bounced in to see the Nurse and came out a bit shocked when she said I will get an Echo and put it to the Cardiologist, for a super duper pacemaker and I have since found out that is a CRT I said I feel reasonably well, only the short of breath and light headed at times she just said the ECGs not showing that your "reasonably well " your Systolic BP shouldn't be around 150 when your on Entresto and Bisoprolol. That's when she said we have reached the end of the road for medication, only thing left is to try to synchronise top and bottom chambers of your Heart with a CRT.

I had told my GP if I should go down the pacemaker route I would rather it be sooner than later so I told the Heart Nurse the same and she said I will put it forward !! so now just waiting to see.

I am grateful that the entresto virtually eliminated my Ectopic Beats which was a blessing as I would switch from a Single ectopic to Bi or Tri geminny which was a pain.

Thanks again Laura

Regards Frank W

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

My niece's father-in-law has a CRT-D. It gas kept him well for years. In January 2019 he thought he had fainted but a download showed he had actually died and the CRT-D had saved his life. Go for it!

[Prada47 in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi Michael

I have said I would have it, after open heart by pass surgery it should be a doddle LOL well not really LOL

Regards

[Hanibil]

Hi had a CRT-D implant 20th May last year, simply procedure left with small scare I forget I have one unless I spot it in the mirror. After recent tests and a visit to cardiologist I was told my heart had improved a great deal so well worth having it done.

[Prada47 in reply to Hanibil]

Hello Hanibil

Thanks for the response, did you have the CRT D because of Heart Failure ?? Out of curiosity was it a heart failure specialist who recommended you have it done.

A question I never got around to ask does it make it more difficult to insert the leads if you have had By pass surgery ?? I think I may need to ask that question as I also have a 100% blocked RCA

Thanks

[Hanibil in reply to Prada47]

Hi yes heart failure, two leading cardiologists recommended I have it one was a heart failure specialist. As for your question about leads after by pass I am sorry haven’t a clue.

[not2worry]

My husband had a CRT installed in September of 2018.

Our home was burned to the ground in the CA October 2017 wildfires and we relocated to Florida as result. It was a very stressful time for us and I believe the stress took a toll on my husband's heart-he was diagnosed a number of years ago with CHF - had a 5-way CABG in 1999.I

In December of 2017 my husband started having chest pains and we were directed to the ER where they diagnosed he had a closed artery that needed a stent. After the stent procedure he started cardio rehab and after 2 weeks he had an incident where they discovered he had developed AFib. We immediately went to the cardiologist and were told his condition was so bad we should prepare for the worse. We were both left in shock, but as we left the doctor's exam room I turned and I told him I still had hope.

The next 9 months were a whirlwind. First my husband's daily cocktail was modified by adding Warfarin. The team of doctors decided to try a cardioversion. That put my husband back in sync but it only lasted 5 days. It was then decided to wait 30 days and try a cardioversion again, but this time after his heart was in sync Amiodarone was added. He was successfully out of AFib, but three months later his bloodwork showed the Amiodarone was affecting his liver.

The Electrophysiologist and the Cardiologist conferred and decided the best course of action would be to keep him on Amiodarone and implant a CRT.

My husband had his CRT implanted in September 2018. The day after the implant he jumped out of bed and declared "I feel great". That was 18 months ago! He is off the Amiodarone and his liver function went back to normal. The doctors took him off of Valsartan in January and he started Entresto three days later. He is on the middle dosage of Entresto. The doctor tried titrating up to the maximum dosage but it left my husband tired and cranky. So his sweet spot is the 49/51 dosage.

Over the last two and half years my husband has had a miraculous recovery. At visit with the Cardiologist last month he said he could not believe how my husband has bounced back. He said he was like Lazarus returning from the dead.

My husband will celebrate his 85th Birthday in May. We enjoy our life, albeit, we like other seniors know our limitations. But it's how we now recognize everyone ages and it's how you accept these limitations and make the most of every day that counts.

Life is good, Hope is real and Live like you want to be remembered.

Yours From Across the Pond

[Prada47 in reply to not2worry]

Hello Great Post

Really appreciate something so Positive. My wife and I are also positive just like to be prepared as much as I can be, before the conversations start !!

Only 72 so still feel a long way to go yet, fortunate we have travelled the World so don't really have anything like that still to do LOL. One thing going from CA to FL you can't be classed as a " Snowbird " Only been on the Gulf Coast in MS and AL Once again good positive post thanks