Pacemaker recipients: Looking for support from others

@mauricepower
Got to remember you have a foreign device in our body. Yes over time the body will encapsulate the device and it usually results in less feeling of device and pain, etc.

However when placed below skin (mine is under chest muscle) movement of your muscles from your arm and chest can cause some irritation to the area around your device.

What I did when I first got mine was to remember when I felt pressure, irritation, etc. and what I was doing at that time and refrain from doing that.

I do water aerobics 5 days a week and we use our arms in all types of movements. I refrain from any exacerbate movements of my left arm that cause irritation or pain in the area of my device. I just do something else. I have found I know what is irritating the device or wires and don't even have to think anymore but remember to alter the movement.

I also found that sleeping on my left side put a lot of pressure in the area. I use a pillow to raise my upper body when sleep on my left side. I also use a pillow under each arm regardless of which side to prevent downward pressure onto chest.

@jc76 Thank you. You’ve always provided me with good advice.

A support group sounds like a great idea. I’ll be a new candited to Pacemaker, hopefully. Glad to join the group

@jc76 The newest pacemaker devices are small enough to go directly into the heart. There is nothing under the skin. They are implanted via a catheter through a vein. One feels nothing.

Because there is no device under the skin, there is also no restriction on movement, save the first week when the opening in the vein needs to heal.

I just got mine implanted June 16, 2026. Check out https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/healthcare-professionals/products/cardiac-rhythm/pacing-systems/pacemakers/micra-av2-leadless-pacemaker.html

I’ve been trying to think how to post this, but I think it’s important particularly for new members to know I’ve had my pacemaker a year and a half and in that time I’ve been fighting an issue of having trouble breathing every time I move my arms I’ve asked on this site as well as every doctor’s appointments. What could be causing this issue? I’ve had multiple test, including an echo a stress test a heart Cath nothing could be found to cause this issue. My primary care doctor sent me to a pulmonologist. They couldn’t find anything there all this time. My doctor kept having the physicians assistant give me the results of the test saying there was nothing they could do. I finally got a little upset with the physicians assistant and demanded to see a doctor because the physicians assistant told me at my age I probably just have to learn to live with it. I was 75 when I had the pacemaker on planet and now I’m 77 I was not ready to accept that when I finally got to see the doctor. The doctor said they done everything and couldn’t figure anything out, but they would call in people from Medtronic the makers of my pacemaker and see if they had any advice two technicians. Medtronic came to see me in about 15 minutes. They had figured out that it was simply the settings on my Pacemaker. They set the pacemaker correctly and now I have no problems at all to think that I spent a year and a half having trouble breathing and not being able to do the things I wanted to do it’s ridiculous so I’m telling people that are getting a pacemaker today. You have to keep fighting but eventually they’ll get it right and people that are stuck seeing physicians assistance. You have to keep fighting to see a doctor cause eventually, the doctor agreed that he didn’t have the answers and was able to push me to the technicians from Medtronic who worked on the pacemaker to get the settings, right I’m sure there are some good positions Assistance out there unfortunately I didn’t have the right one.

@amalfi1279 Welcome to the pacemaker discussion group here on Connect! I read both of your statements. Many people participating in the pacemaker discussion have been bionic for a long time. While we are all different, some tips are universally helpful. Mine is an ICD named Buddy, has a defibrillator component which has never been needed in the 3.5 years we've been an item. Here on Connect we encourage people to learn all they can about their medical situations. Mayo Clinic posts much information; here are two links you may be interested in reading: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pacemaker/about/pac-20384689 and https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pacemaker/multimedia/pacemaker/img-20008517. Actually, there are more including video presentations by Mayo doctors. In your browser, you may type Mayo Clinic Pacemaker to see many more items. Knowledge helps us to understand what is happening with our hearts as well as helping us to formulate questions for our doctors. How did you find out that a pacemaker was needed? Do you have an electrophysiologist, a specialist in the electrical functioning of hearts? When will your pacemaker be installed? Which type - so many new models are now available as other contributors have described. Please keep us posted with both your progress and personal impressions of this journey.

I'm new to this site. I've been having mini blackouts and found out it's caused by very slow heart rate that you get when you have Afib. I had a 4 sec pause. It caused spatial disorientation. I'm hoping the electrophysiology dr will consider putting in a Pacemaker, but since it's all new to me I'll have to research the latest best safest kind.

@kb49 thank you for sharing that vital information.