ICD - What does it feel like when it activates?

[DMC14]

Hi, my wife has recently had pacemaker/icd fitted. She is very anxious about what she will experience when the ICD triggers and shocks. Does anyone have any experience of how it feels, i.e is it painful etc?

Thanks in advance

[Hidden]

Dear DMC14.

A warm welcome to you and your wife, I hope that this forum is as supportive and informative to you as it has been to me.

Your wife is going through the standard worry that a lot of us experience after having a Pacemaker with a Defibrillator implanted in us.

What your wife has to realise that the only time that she will feel a shock { if then }is when her heart needs it to save her life, it is a protection that I for one are very pleased to have been offered.

I know that should I have another heart attack that I doubt that the services would arrive in time to not only save my life but also avoid the damage that is done, brain injury/stroke etc.

Your Pacemaker team/ pacemaker manufacture will be able to reassure your wife over how important that her particular illness will benefit from having the pacemaker in { this should have been explained to you both well before the procedure}

So the hundred dollar question, it will feel different to each and everyone of us, I have been told in my situation that most likely I would have collapsed and not know anything, others have said its like a sharp kick in the chest that goes as quick as it comes.

Whatever happens the unit will be trying to save your wonderful wife’s life. I really do understand the fear, but ask the right questions {please not the internet } to the right persons and they will be pleased to try and elevate your wife’s fears.

Its your body and your rights, if at the end of the day she cannot come to terms with the defibrillator side of the pacemaker that part can be switched off after talking to her Cardiologist / rhythm team technicians.

I hope my answer to your post has been some help to you both, I no longer feel that way and its only been a few weeks, but I and many others totally understand what your wife is going through. {and you }

Take care and if I can be of any help please ask, you are both in my thoughts.

[RufusScamp]

It obviously varies a lot, but knowing the device has been triggered means it has possibly saved her life. My mother had one though, and it went off several times and she was totally unaware. The cardio doc would ask if she had felt it on a certain date, and she could not think of anything that had happened. She went on another 8 years before dying of a different condition. I hope this is in some way helpful.

[lotusvx220 in reply to RufusScamp]

I've had one fitted for over 4 yrs now .feel pleased I have it .its like my own personal insurance policy it went off by mistake once I was riding my push bike at the time . It was like being hit by a ten ton truck a he'll of a bang in my chest but I stayed a wake I stopped the bike got off and took a few minutes . And I'm still here to tell the story

[CJones73]

Hi I have a icd defibrillator I was very anxious as mine has triggered twice the first time luckily I was at hospital and after a check up and increasing my biosopral things where ok second time I’d been out and I felt the warnings and sat on the edge of the and it triggered it’s not very nice the first time was the worse cuz you don’t know what to expect but palpitations and flutters are usually a sign and hot and cold sweats but it’s very quick and you return as usual it may drain you. I think you should both talk to your cardiologist about your concerns at the end of the day I know mine is there to save my life. Hope this helps. Good luck😊

[Qualipop]

My friend's husband had a pacemaker fitted about 2 months ago to correct an erratic heart rate. He doesn't feel a thing. His automatic check up shows that it has triggered numerous times to correct his heart rate ( he gets AF). The clinic recently contacted him to advise him of the AF and prescribed new tablets but he hadn't felt a thing.

[Alison_L]

Hi DMC. My ICD is now 4 years old and has never triggered. The pacemaker bit kicks in most nights, but since I'm asleep when it does, I couldn't tell you what it feels like