Ventricular Tachycardia

@spittman4962
Please talk to your cardiologist about the reason for the ICD being implanted.

I have HF and had an ICD/Pacemaker implanted in 2006. I am on my 3rd device. As I write this the only reason I am here and able to write this is having my ICD/Pacemaker.

I have received about 8 shocks over the 20 years I have had an ICD/Pacemaker. Please read the words my Electrophysiolgist said to me about my device when I was under stress for having one.

He said it is like having your own EMS station in your chest to help bring your heart back to rympthm.

Do you have a Electrophysiologist. They are specially trained and specialist in electrical functions of heart and usually are the ones who deal with ICD/Pacemakers. Some cardiologist to implant them but if you have access to a EP please see one and discuss your questions and anxiety you stated above.

Your ICD will monitor your heart and if you do go into Tachycardia it will monitor to see if resolves itself and if not per how it is programmed will shock you at one rate and then monitor to see if resolved. If not will shock at higher rate.

I post that information based on my personal expereince and what my EP has told me. So talk to yours about how it is programmed and it's functions. I strongly suggest if you don't have a EP to find one and talk to them about the ICD.

Thank you so much I do have a EP and regular cardiologist…the paramedics had to shock me on the ambulance while I was awake…it was the most painful and devastating experience I have ever had…it is that fear of being shocked that I’m struggling with…it consumes my life…I can’t do anything because I live in fear of it happening either from need or device malfunction…my quality of life is gone because I can’t think of anything else but that…I’m living in fear of it going off…

@spittman4962
First I did not understand your shock was via EMS not a ICD. Most of the time when EMS have to shock someone they are unconscious.

I want to pass on to you my personal experience with this and hopefully that will help you.
You are not alone in your fear of this happening and causing you axniety and stress. Both anxiety and stress can lead to more medical and mental health issues.

Back in 2016 after 10 years with a ICD/Pacemaker I got my first shock. I fainted but on my way down I felt the shock. My wife called EMS but as I got into ambulance got shocked again. Then in ER shocked, and then again in ICU shocked.

The was caused by EP turning off my pacing thinking I did not need it to reduce battery drain. But this confirmed I did need the pacing. I have a ICD/Pacemaker.

What I want to pass on to you is I developed PTSD and anxiety/panic disorder from this. It was devasting to me like you with the fear of being shocked again. And I also feared the embarassament it would cause me if out in public.

My Mayo doctors referred me to a physicatrist PA who speicalizes in medications. She gave me a test and I scored almost at the top for PTSD. Now what I am trying to say here is I recommend to you to seek out (with coordination with your EP and cardiologist) a physciatrist or psychologist who can prescribe mediations and therapy.

We I went through my consultations and took several tests written and verbal tests I was put on a medication for anxiety called Escitalopram. My medication specialist worked with my cardiologist, HF, and EP as the medication can affect electrical waves in heart but was determined okay for me. This medication really helped me along with the consultations.

Do not feel you are experiencing something others have not experienced. As you can see after my expereince I had same fear and anxiety you had. I would not even leave my home for many weeks and worried about every PVC my heart did. It is not good to have this much axniety both medically and mentally.

Now your fear of it going off. Lets go over what I was told and it influence on me. ICD has almost a 100% success rate of bringing back your heart's normal sinus rhymthm. Now it can't fix a heart attack damage but when it is electrial, like VTAC it is very successful.

Now with information from my EP he said, "Think of your ICD as your own EMS in your chest ready to help you bring back your heart rhymptm and alwasy there to help you in need." Now with that information consider how long it takes EMS to get to you and every minute your heart is not beating properly makes all the difference in damage to your heart and brain. Your ICD will monitor your rhympthm at all times. Think of that as the benefit of having one and it's benefit to your life.

Your feelings are normal and I had the same. Please let your EP know about your fear and asked them about PTSD and can they refer you to a physhiatrist as they usually do not handle PTSD treatments.

Please after you see a phychatrist and asked for medication to help you through this that time does heal. Over time you will start to be more confident and change your mind about the fear of your ICD going off to be glad it is there. I am glad mine is in me as I am only able to write this by me having one.

There are also many medication to address the reason you had the need to be shocked and that also needs to go over with your EP and cardilogist. I am on several medications that have drastically improved my PVCs and irregular heart beats.

Thank you so much…Right now my quality of life is 0…Fear has me bound 24 hours a day…I guess on the ambulance they felt my need to be shocked was great even though I was conscious…my V-Tach had never happened before and Drs say my heart is healthy and they have no idea what caused the V-Tach episode…Did I understand you to say that it was several years after getting ICD that you received your first shock…Thank you for responding…do you have any information concerning the likelihood that the ICD could malfunction and cause a shock when not needed…Thank you….

Hi; I feel for you; I was having episodes of vt, mostly nonsustained, but not all following mitral valve replacement surgery and I too was terrified. As I am a backpacker and gym rat, my stakes were pretty high. I told my drs I saw no reason to live if I couldn’t do the things I love, which may have motivated them somewhat. (dark humor)
My situation was not exactly like yours in that I never passed out or wound up in an ambulance, but nonetheless it was very serious and I endured a long period of all kinds of testing and also lived in fear, plus depression and anger.
I was first put on medication, first a beta blocker which helped, then flecainide. Later I was on amiodarone, which worked, but started to affect my lungs and thyroid so it was stopped. I have been able to maintain on metoprolol since 2022 somehow. Why did they not try that first with you?
I had two ablations; the first was unsuccessful, the second partially successful. Has any dr done an ep study to see where the errant impulses are originating and whether ablation is an option?
If you think back, what were you doing when the episode started? Had anything in your life or health changed recently?
Were there any warnings, like a lot of PVCs or short runs? Is there any family history of scd?Has anyone mentioned genetic testing? Certain types of vt can be inherited.
My thinking is that there are a lot of unanswered questions here. I would definitely get a second opinion. It seems like you might have other options.
Yes, icds save lives but I’ve read that inappropriate shocks are an issue.
Please pursue this; I wish you the best. This is no way to live.

PS
I should clarify that simply having a lot of PVCs or short runs doesn’t mean you are going to have an event of sustained vt, just that it can be associated with increased risk.

There seems to be no reason this happened according to the Drs…it had never happened before although I have had Afib for several years I was already on Metoprolol for that, now I’m on Amiodarone also…I am a pastor and was preaching when this happened and I recently went through a bad bout with COVID…was very sick thought I would die…there was no discussion of other options or procedures to deal with this…just immediately wanted to implant ICD I was hesitant but everyone kept telling me I needed it done…so I did…now only option I have is to have it turned off…I’m just filled with so much anxiety…thank you for the reply….

Hi;
Please do start asking questions about other options. I self-referred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn. I think a lot of them. If anyone can get to the root of this, they can.
Did you have Covid before this event? Heart damage can be a side effect of that.
Personal opinion-a lot of drs are “device-happy” and icds are also a great way for them to”cya” when they don’t know what caused something.
Please keep me posted; I’m very interested to hear what happens.

From what you're saying, you've had a real scare. Maybe try some counseling, with light anti- anxiety meds combined with meditation.
Do you have a caring support system?
Guys I've known who had heart attacks had a clinical depression afterwards, living many years otherwise healthfully, with tx for the emotional aftereffects.

Yes I did have COVID before the event they did echocardiogram on my heart while in the hospital said my heart looked good and strong….yes when I got to ER on Sunday…on Monday the Dr that specializes in the electrical problems of the heart came in he was called in by my regular cardiologist…he immediately went to implanting the device..no discussion of other options or checking to see what caused my VT or anything just you need this device…I’m having a problem with and wish I had not had the device implanted…pace maker I understand I’ve had one of those since 2018 with no problems….