ICD/Pacemaker

I had an ICD/Pacemaker fitted three years ago and I am still experiencing pain from around the site of the implant. I also experience a jumping of the diaphragm from it which involves seeing the technician every six months for an adjustment. The heart failure nurse had diagnosed palpitations and increased my biosoprolol without investigations but it is a lead from the device causing the twitching in my left side.

The daily pain and discomfort really gets me down especially as neither the heart failure nurse or the technician are interested or helpful and are dismissive of the pain I get when bending forward or even just slightly turning.

Is this common with implants and do others experience the same?

Thank you.

[Hidden]

Dear Meenzer,

So sorry to hear your post of how you are being treated by both the rhythm technicians and you heart nurse.

So what is going on?

what you describe is very similar to something that happened to me when I had my Pacemaker with defibrillator fitted,

I had a trembling sensation down my lefthand side that now and then seemed to make my diaphragm flip, seems similar doesn't it, maybe just using different terms.

I was told that this was very common and once they { techs } had done some adjusting it all settled down.

About a month after this I bent down to put the dogs lead on and just carried on bending until I was on the floor with a pain around my waist area that stopped as soon as I got up.

After that I could bring the pain on every time I bent forward { then stop doing it I hear you say } again after a tweak of the pacemaker, that stopped as well and its been months since I have had any problems.

Depending on the fitting of the pacemaker and more so with the three lead type { defibrillator } this seems to be a common occurrence as one of the leads passes by a major nerve down the lefthand side of the body connected to the stomach area, the groin and leg.

Keep at them, they have to listen to you.

Take care and please keep us informed.

[Goldstar45 in reply to Hidden]

Hi sorry to hear you problems particularly with your ICD I had mine fitted 2017 and still experience discomfort from it from time to time I am told its due to me being skinny around my collar bone also I experience what feel to me to be small shocks at the bottom of my ribcage I am told that the left ventricle lead is the cause this happens when the heart moves over to the left and come close to nerve endings mostly happens to me when I am sat or reclining also it appears to happen more so if I have been lifting more than usual ie heavy shopping bags I am told its something I have to live with and keep my weight to a sensible level hope this is useful info but keep pursuing your local cardiology department for help

[Hidden in reply to Goldstar45]

Very interesting thank you, I have a feeling that we are not alone, take care