Pacemaker w/ av block

The idea behind most remedies/interventions is twofold: firstly, to improve the longevity of the patient, and secondly to mitigate any symptoms, especially the most objectionable. Sometimes the latter doesn't happen soon. It may take months before you feel 'natural' again, but in the meanwhile you have to adapt emotionally, with new sensations, maybe new symptoms that hopefully won't be objectionable in their own right. In other words, the new you is going to be permanently altered, and you will have to learn how that is going forward. For the truly frightening and most objectionable sensations, I believe your electrophysiologist would like to know about them and perhaps he/she has experience with what you describe and can offer a remedy.

I don't think you should just tough this out. I don't feel you ought to assume that you're just meant to suffer. But, keeping in mind that there might have to be a new 'you', see if you can find some reasonable relief from a physician. It could be that your pacemaker needs tweaking...it happens, and usually sooner rather than later as the body, especially the heart, tries to deal with its pacing function.

@kimarnold
I am on my 3rd ICD/Pacemaker. I have had one since 2006.

You just had yours done in December. It is surgery and will take some time for body to heal and adjust to having a foreign body in chest. My EP said it would take about a year for your body to encapsulate your device and for you to feel normal again.

With so recent surgery you are still at recovery. From my experience with my first one I was scared to death. I would drastically focus on my heart and chest. Unknownly was creating stress and anxiety which will make you heart pound and stress build up. Again takes time for body to adjust.

You are going to have a lot of adjustments to your pacemaker to find what is best for you. The pulsing rate, the degree of electrical pulse, exercise mode on/of, and many many things programmed into device.

I know you don't want to hear it but got to give the surgery time to heal and body to become adjusted to having a pacemaker in your chest. And same goes for you mentally. You can lay down and be so focused on device that your body will react with anxiety and stress. That causes a stress response from your brain and can make heart pound.

Not a medical doctor but can pass on to you that this was happening to me for several months after my surgery and felt the same things. The first surgery is always the worst. Over time you body will encapsulate the device and your body will not feel it as much as it does now. And you consciousness of it being there will go way down.

Do you have a home monitoring system. It is where you device talks to another device or your phone and sent your device information to your medical providers. If you have one, and you feel something is really wrong, use the manual mode to do a device check and let your medical team know you did and why.

With such a new surgery you are going to be afraid and worried. Talk to your EP about your feelings and what you are feeling and make sure you also talk about your stress and anxiety you are feeling.

Again gets much much better with time.

I really appreciate your thoughtful response. I have had others tell me similar things in terms of I need to adjust, this is the new me, it takes time, etc.. I really appreciate the insight and knowing that other people have gone through the same thing. I i’m only 56 years old, no prior health problems and this is the direct result of having Covid. To say it has been a shock to my system is putting it lightly. I have always been active, healthy, no health problems, etc. I have done whatever I have wanted as far as physicality goes, and this has been shocking. Thank you very much. I will definitely talk to my doctor about my concerns.

@
kimarnold

I had pacemaker implanted in January 2025 , also for 2nd degree AV heart block.
I also have RA and so between the stress of having to it done, worrying that each new symptom was a new crisis developing. and then the actual surgical procedure, my RA symptoms went into overdrive . The fatigue is an ever present symptom with RA and it got much worse. And, I was having episodes of being dizzy.

I too, thought I would begin to have much more energy quickly and that wasn't the case.

When you have these heart pounding episodes , is it possible to send in a strip to your device clinic to make sure everything is okay. Have you mentioned those symptom to your EP?

About 3 days after the implanting of my PM, I developed a pretty strong flapping sensation over my heart. With each flap, it was almost like I was being slapped.
I have a Medtronic 2 chamber PM with their AP on my phone. I sent in a strip which showed repetitive non- reentrant ventriculo-atrial synchrony. So I had to go in and have some re-programming of my PM.

I had SVTs diagnosed quite a few years before and had been taking Metoprolol for those and that had been dc'ed after my AV heart block diagnosis
Well, after the PM implant, those also went into overdrive and I was having pretty long episodes of those
that were pretty debilitating. So then the EP had me wear a MCOT for a week that showed those long runs of SVTs and atrial tachycardia. So back on Metoprolol I went.

It is initially very scary to have something go wrong with your heart and it can take some time to not think something is going wrong with every new symptom.

Hang in there. It will get better . And I do think, if you can, sent in something to your device to make sure
everything is okay.

@kimarnold
Now again check with your doctors. I also have been an active exerciser for my entire life.

I was an avid tennis player playing tennis 2-3 hours 5 days a week. When I started having problems with my wires do to extreme arm swings one of my cardiologists suggested not play tennis and consider Sprint Triathlons.

I have an ICD/Pacemaker. The ICD is there as I have a low EF and pacemaker to help my heart with electrical signals as I had LBBB. However, and again speaking for me, I did not have any exercise restrictions other than try not to have extreme arm swings.

One of my cardiologist, and my PCP did Triathlons (all at Mayo Jacksonville) and mentioned if not playing tennis (wanted me to continue my exercise routine) that I might be interested in the Sprint Triathlons. They said you are already swimming, biking, and walking fast (don't jog due to back issues and getting old now 78). I tried my first Sprint Triathlon back in 2017 and have done 50 of them since then.

So with your pacemaker and some very fine tuning and consultations with your doctors you may be able to resume your healthily lifestyle and be just as active. So stay positive!!!

Just know what you are feeling is quite normal and almost all of us felt exactly what you are feeling including fixation on your heart and surgery site. It does get better with time and you body will adjust to have the device in your chest helping your heart electrical system.

So stay positive. You are 56. I was 58 when I got my first ICD/Pacemaker surgery. Now 20 years later just did a 20 mile bike ride (to cold for Sprint Triathlons water temp). So look at your device as a helping tool for you. But don't hesitate to talk to your doctors.

I hope you have a electrophysiologist (EP) you are seeing. If you don't consider seeing one even if just another voice in your health care team. They are experts in electrical functions of heart.