Pacemaker

[Gsarah]

The am four weeks in to having pacemaker now and I have started to increase my activity as I’m back to work next week. I’ve done some ironing and light housework including going up the stairs a few times. On the last three occasions of doing these chores my heart rate has gone up very quickly to 120. I feel hot and clammy and I have a knot (almost indigestion like) in middle of my chest. Is this normal and my body telling me to slow down? It dies stop when I sit down. Any advice gratefully accepted.

[quiltergran]

hi I had a pacemaker fitted in February, going up stairs made my heart really fast, over 100, also bending down, I eventually got a pacemaker clinic appointment, and they adjusted it and it's almost normal now, so I'd ring them up.

[Gsarah in reply to quiltergran]

Thank you x

[Fredders]

I got very breathless at the slightest exertion after getting my pacemaker. I raised this at my first check up and they just dismissed it as I was also recovering from an AVR op. However it didn’t improve and at my next check up at my local hospital it turned out that my settings were too low. The technician altered it and straight away I felt so much better whilst walking back to the car.

If your check up isn’t soon, give the pacemaker clinic a ring as it sounds like your settings may need changing too.

Wendy

[Gsarah in reply to Fredders]

Thank you I feel better now x

[EMBoy]

I've had my pacemaker for 14 months now, and can remember those first few weeks very clearly. I was just like you, with my heart rate going up during any exertion. Even when resting, my HR was sometimes 85-90 bpm. I even had the indigestion-like feeling in my chest, but put it down to the fact that I had just had 2 electrodes screwed into my heart muscle.

I went back to work after 1 month, and felt the benefit of my pacemaker immediately. I live at the top of a hill and on the way home, I was able to walk up the hill without having to stop a couple of times to get my breath back. My heart rate was through the roof though.

At my first check up after 6 weeks, the physiologist reduced my lower rate from 60 to 55 bpm and this helped.

It seems to take several months for a body to adapt to having a pacemaker, and it seems to get slowly better and better as time goes by. My HR still goes up when I do any exercise, but I think it's supposed to.

[Gsarah in reply to EMBoy]

Thank you so much I feel reassured now. I just expected to feel better not worse than before I had it fitted. I was great until the day my heart rate dropped so fine before hand.

[Bobbiebella]

6 weeks after having pacemaker installed, I had a ‘device check’. Sadly it showed that it was not working, the lead into lower chamber had moved. Another op was scheduled. It turned out that the lead was ‘faulty ‘ and a new one inserted. Another device check is scheduled for 28 October, fingers crossed...interesting to read of other peoples problems with pacemakers..hope you feel better soon.xxx

[Gsarah in reply to Bobbiebella]

I had an x ray yesterday atleast it hasn’t moved, however like you I’m not sure if it could be faulty. They’ve said it could be stress anxiety, menapause as I’m 52. Atleast it’s not a heart attack which was my main concern. Thanks for replying x