Had pacemaker x3 weeks.heart bpm set at 60_62 bpm.
19/10 cardiac doctor advised to discontinue 2.5 mg bisoprolol daily.
23/10 in evening was aware of heartbeat and bpm started at 90 and took about 3 hours( seated and quiet to settle around 68bpm.Even this is higher than usual at rest.
Could this be result of withdrawing medication or have I damaged pacemaker wires?
Hello. Is this your first pacemaker? (i.e. not a replacement for a new battery) If so, then you are still in the early days and it is very common to be ultra-aware of what your heart is doing, especially as you adjust to having the implant. I had this after my ICD fitting. Others have told me that they've had similar experiences.
It's perfectly natural to query the link between your medication withdrawal and your faster resting rate. This would make sense on the face of it, but it will all depend on why you've had the pacemaker in the first place. In many people, treatment is a combination of a device and medication. In others, just one of those suffices. Have you asked why they told you to stop taking the bisoprolol? I'd encourage you to ask and, in due course, this should help you understand the management of your heart rhythm and reassure yourself that you are on the right track. 🙂
Does your pacemaker send data to your clinic each night? If so, they will be able to see if there is any problem with the wires - the device will trigger an alert. And yes, it is very easy to become paranoid about the wires - trust me, I've been there! If you have been following the advice about arm movements and sleeping positions in these early weeks, then you should be fine. So unless you have been doing handstands or swinging from tree branches, then I would try and park that thought.
My ICD paces me if I go below 50bpm. In the first month after implantation, it took a few weeks for me to settle and get used to it. I had moments where my heart was sitting at around 100 (even with beta-blockers), but this was triggered by an anxiety attack which self- propelled the more I concentrated on it. Not nice. Music and doing puzzles helped distract me and my HR settled back to 50-60bpm.
Good luck and please keep in mind that it is early days for you. I hope you continue on a healthy recovery path. Take care.
How kind of you!-thank you so much for reassurance .
I spoke to a BHF nurse this morning(also excellent) and she thought it may be due to bisoprolol withdrawal and that the pacemaker centre may pick any serious problems via the monitor.
Next adice was “speak to your GP!’- well that is a joke!They now have convoluted routes via IT to try to contact them!Patchs/ patient access etc-all needing a different password!
I may sit still and leave it to the monitor and time!
Many thanks
In haste forgot to answer your questions!
This is my first pacemaker.I had it because of bradycardia that developed suddenly.
Following a heart attack some time ago I could get breathless but it was manageable.Suddenly I was severely breathless,jelly legs and felt faint.Bpm down to 38!
Ooh yes, that sort of bradycardia can be a bit of a nightmare. I know exactly how this feels, especially when out and about in public places.
Good shout on speaking to the BHF helpline. 👍They are fabulous and very understanding. It sounds like you are doing the right kind of things to look after your mental wellbeing. There are many on this forum who will understand too. Keep it up!
I was told by my cardiologist that when I come off bisoprolol it should be done very slowly as you can have a rebound reaction.She suggested for example reducing from 2.5mg to 1.25mg then dropping a day then 2 days etc etc.
Thank you v much
After an anxious day of bpm around 90 and various discussions , I awake to 60/62bpm this morning and feel much less edgy👏
Did the monitor adjust the pacemaker or the fairies?Whomever-I am grateful!
Your observation re bisoprolol makes complete sense-I had been on it x7 years , since a heart attack.Withdrawal was probably a shock to the system!
One of the roles of bisoprolol is to lower your heart rate, so it is probably a normal reaction for it to go up when you stop taking the drug.
I have never taken bisoprolol , but I do have a Pacemaker for a form of bradycardia, and well remember the first few weeks when things were very much up and down. Even a normal rate of 70 to 80 felt as if my heart was going mad, but I soon got used to it. Before I left the hospital, one of the doctors told me that it would take about 3 months for everything to settle down, and she was right.
Don't worry about a rate of 90bpm - it may be uncomfortable (because you are not used to it), but I'm told that it is only unsafe if it reaches about 120 or more.
All the best.
I think it's definitely down to your body getting used to absence of bisoprolol. I am also on 2.5mg and, when I forget to take it in the morning, I realise a few hours later because I feel my heartbeat going faster than usual.
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