Pacemaker

[Heartsofoak]

I was sweeping the kitchen floor Monday lunch next thing I know I came to on the kitchen floor, bleeding from a gash in my forehead and a big swelling to the back of my head. Off to urgences, head scan and usual bloods and ECG; Stayed overnight and transferred to St Brieuc Tuesday lunch; Had a Pacemaker fitted Wednesday morning and came home Thursday morning. Heart rate is fine and blood pressure great. I still get periods of feeling dizzy and a little light headed, given the pacemaker has only been in a day is this normal.

[beardy_chris]

It may take a few weeks or months for your body to get used to the pacemaker and to get the settings right. I'm guessing you will probably have a follow-up appointment in a few weeks. Take it easy for a bit. (BTW: I'm not a medic!)

[Buddy00]

like yourself my pacemaker was fitted completely out of the blue , I wasn’t aware I had heart trouble until I collapsed while driving. I also felt lightheaded, dizzy and truly awful after leaving hospital. It seemed to settled down after a few weeks but I did have to get my meds tweaked a bit . I think some of it may have been down to stress and shock.

[nilmonisikdar40]

I reckon you had a complete heart block which caused you to have a very slow heat rate probably less than than 40. Did you suffer from any other chronic illness? I do not think stress on its own can cause complete heart block. Please ask cardiologist if it is MRI compatible.

[Heartsofoak in reply to nilmonisikdar40]

Thanks, I had a triple bypass and AVR last March and felt really great after untill about 4 weeks ago when I started to get light headed and dizzy. I would wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning some nights feeling a bit breathless and my blood pressure machine could not register a reading; I think my heart rate had dropped to about 30. After a while it would recover and once I could get a BP reading I felt fine again. Then of course I blacked out last Monday.

[samui4611]

Had a pacemaker for many years,never had any of the symptoms ,that you are having,possibly good,to get the pacemaker checked.

[Wingnutty]

If you haven't got a fingertip pulse oximeter, I would get one and just check on your heart rate and saturation when you feel dizzy. If there was a problem with the pacemaker, any readings you could give to the cardiologist or anyone else would be useful.

[EMBoy]

Your post mirrors what happened to me. I was loading some heavy shopping into my car and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with blood gushing out of the back of my head. The paramedic spotted that there was something wrong with my ECG and took me to hospital. I was diagnosed with Mobitz type 2 heart block and was fitted with a pacemaker the next day.

I still felt dizzy and lightheaded for a few months (apparently it takes about 3 months for the body to adjust), so don't worry about how you feel - it will get better. I think I may have had a slight concussion as well as the heart block, which would also have made me feel lightheaded.

Give it a couple of months and you will probably be feeling good again. My pacemaker has given me a new lease of life.

If you have any worries, just ring your pacemaker clinic and they will be able to help you.

[Heartsofoak in reply to EMBoy]

Thanks for that. I'll keep with it. My pulse is hovering around the mid fifties, I ghoughtyit was supposed to stay above 60.

[EMBoy]

How are you measuring your pulse rate? I have noticed that if I take mine by just counting the number of pulses in my wrist, the results vary, because I miss the odd one. My pacemaker was set at 60 bpm at first, but was reduced to 55 at the first check up. Anything above about 55 is nothing to worry about.