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Pacemaker, heart rate and Afib

5

550Doug

Member
Location
Southern Ontario
My wife has been fitted with a pacemaker 2 months ago because her heart was pausing up to 7 seconds after she came out of Afib episodes. The heart pausing is now controlled but she still gets Afibs with a very fast heart rate. The cardiologist gave her Amiodarone to keep the heart rate down but she cannot handle the side effects of muscle weakness, brain fog, anxiety, nausea, insomnia etc so she has stopped the meds. We are looking for a more natural method of controlling the heart rate. Has anyone else on this site had to contend with similar issues?
To keep this tractor related, why does my tach cable on the Oliver 550 squeal in cold weather even after I lube it?( so I just disconnect it)
 
can't address afib but as for the tach, the same reason my knees and hands squeal in cold weather. lack of lubrication.
 
Does the cardiologist know she is off the meds?

He needs to, could be a life endangering decision!

That's not something to be self medicating. If there is a problem with the meds, ask first!

As for the tach squealing, on the back of the tach, there is a brass piece the cable turns. Try to get some light oil into that piece, something like electric motor or turbine oil. You may need to take the tach out, lay it face down so it will get in around the bushing, but don't over oil it.
 
Doug I have been down this road. I am 70 years old. About 8 or9 years ago fib hit me. Doctor put me on a drug called Multaq to help with afib. It is expensive.
When I went in to the donut hole I couldn't afford it. Doctor put me on Amiodorone. That stuff about killed me before I figured out it was the problem. I have had 3
cardiac ablations in the last 7 years. Oh, I had a pacemaker installed about 8 years ago. Then the doctor took me off of the BP medicine that was slowing my
heart down, so the pacemaker never has to work now. This past summer I had the third ablation. I was in atrial flutter they said.Sent over to the hospital that same
evening and did the ablation. I had been on a drug called Rhythmall [Propafenone] for a year or so. I gradually reduced the daily dosage as my heart healed and I
don't take anything for rhythm at this time. I still take a lot of BP medicine though. For a while I took a BP medicine called ??????? It causes the symptoms of
Lupus.I had all the symptoms.The test for Lupus was negative and I quit taking the BP medicine that I can't remember the name of and I improved immediately. I
am not a doctor and I am not telling you what to do or not do. But I will tell you this. You have to be your own advocate. Listen to what your body tells you and
argue with the doctor if you think he is wrong and you are right. An electrophysiologist is the kind of doctor I have. He is not narrow minded at all nor does he
have tunnel vision. Was told that the cause of my afib is sleep apnea. I have complex sleep apnea.
 
Here's the tool for lubing speedometer heads, used oil similar to Marvell Mystery oil, probably hasn't been out of my tool box in 30 years.
cvphoto500.jpg


cvphoto501.jpg
 
My '55 GMC pickup speedometer did the same thing, too. I took it out of the dash and set it bottom side down in a jar lid filled with STP. Left it for a week and when I put it back in, no more squeal and the needle stopped jumping, too.
 
555Doug,
Look at how many post are not tractor
related. Who really cares? Look at
subject. If anyone can't figure out
tractor's don't have a pacemaker are
really bad off.
George
 
(reply to post at 18:56:11 12/27/19)

I had a pacemaker put in three years ago. And no one can tell me why.
Click to expand...
My wife's pacemaker is programmed to give a kick whenever her heart rate dips below 60 beats per minute. In her case, dipping to a zero rate for 7 seconds was very serious since they consider a heart 'pause' of up to 2 seconds can be treated with drugs, but beyond that it pacemaker time. A pacemaker checkup today revealed that it is being activated 20% of the time on the wire into the top part of the heart, whereas, the wire into the bottom part of the heart had a 0% activation.
So Billy, chances are you had a 'very slow' heart rate and maybe even some long 'pauses'.

Thanks MT for the response on your situation. I have come across some good reports on controlling blood pressure with Lumbrakinase, which is made from enzymes in earthworms. One product is called Boluoke.

Thanks for the ideas on lubricating my tach. I will certainly try them out.
 
My Dad (years ago) had a pacemaker installed for the exact same reason. They also gave him medication for the same reason, to prevent his heart from beating too fast. I don't know that he had any side effects, so no problems. Wish I had more to tell you.

Up here, the doctors at our clinic prescribe certain meds. I do believe they will go outside of a primary list if needed, but seems they have to follow a list if possible. Doctor has voiced several times about hoping he didn't get in trouble for "rocking the boat" too many times. Anyway, maybe you could talk with your local pharmacist (the head one if possible) and tell them what's happening, and see if they have any recommendations that you can then talk to your doctor about.

I mention your [i:9e3f5747bd]local[/i:9e3f5747bd] pharmacist even if you do not get your medications from there. 1. they deal with ALL medications; not just the ones preferred by your doctor/clinic. 2. we have at times gotten more and better information from our pharmacist than from our doctor. It can't hurt to ask.
 
I think someone screwed up. And now they don't want to talk about it.My doctor dosen't know why it was put in. Two
doctors at the hospital don't know why. There is nothing on my records from the hospital. That says why.The doc
that installed it will not talk.I told my son. If I ever need to go again. You make sure they take me to another
hospital.
 
(quoted from post at 17:56:11 12/27/19) I had a pacemaker put in three years ago. And no one can tell me why.
Click to expand...

You mean you allowed that without them having to sell you on the idea first??? I never agree right away because I always make them prove what is needed.
 
If you want to get scared look up the effects of Amiodarone on the web. My brother's wife was on it for a long time and darn near everything in her body got screwed up. I had to take it for a short time when they put in the pacemaker. Had the pacemaker because of slow rate. Stayed out a AFIB for a month or two then had to get the heart kicked again to get back into rhythm. That lasted for about a month. Now I'm in constant AFIB and told I would just have to live with it. Doesn't bother me at all because I never felt anything if I was in our out. I'm told a lot of people lead normal lives with constant AFIB. Just had my 83rd birthday so I just accept life as it comes.
 
That could very well be the reason.Because no one will tell me how to use it. Or why I have it.It is a medtronic 25000 unit.Could be a fine unit. But no one can answer me.
 
Some meds will work but there are side effects. Does you wife go to an electro cardiologist and may be a candidate for an ablation. Your heart is acting like a bad plug wire. They use a lazier to make scar tissue to stop this. a simple way to describe ablations. It will work for Afib and Aflutter. Some people do not know that they have it but are tired. There are serious effects if not treated.
 
Two years ago the VA gave me some new blood pressure pills (Clonidean sp?) After taking the pill twice my blood pressure went down to where the VA liked BUT it
also took the heart rate down to 38 beats per minute.....not good. After 3 days in ICU the Dr's came in and ASKED me if I wanted a pacemaker. They said it would
help me. I said OK and 2 hours later I had a pacemaker. I had it in for a year and then they (VA) wanted to take that pacemaker out and put in one with a defib
in it. Then about a month later I had open heart surgery and 5 bypasses. After all that I'm now good for another 80 years. I'm still kickin' just not as high.
 
I have had afib off and on for 40 years. Ten years ago I started getting it oftener, was almost on a first name basis at the local hospital. They would use electro-
cardioversion to get the proper rythem. The last time they tried 5 times and it did nothing because my heart rate was too slow. Went to a cardiologist and he put me on
Multaq (dronedarone) it seems to be working good, at least for the last 8 years or so. Here in Canada it costs costs me $175 a month. I havn't had an afib episode now for
well over a year. I'll probably get an episode tonight. lol

By the way dronedarone is a sort of cousin to amiaderone without the nasty side effects.
 
Doug,

Has anyone ever talked to you about a procedure to stop atrial fibulation? (Afib) I had a heart attack a little over 5 years ago. I had one stent
installed. About a year later, I developed pretty serious Afib. My heart would race, I couldn't catch my breath, and I felt weak as a kitten. My
cardiologist then performed a procedure called an ablation on my heart. I haven't had a minute's worth of Afib since then.

That procedure might not be a good one for your wife's situation, but I think it might be worth it to ask the doctor about it.

Tom in TN
 
In 2012 had a pacemaker put in for a fib, fast forward to 2015 had catheter ablation done because no
medicine would work for a fib, June 2019 a fib is starting to come back aggressively, dr. said a second
ablation will be performed sometime soon. I feel really well most of the time since 1st ablation.
 
It might be because of the way you are lubing it. The way I was taught was to completely remove the cable and immerse it in a can
of 30 wt engine oil overnight. Is that what you are doing. OK, 5W30 would probably do as well or better.
 
I had problems with afib a few years back. I was in the ER so often that the docs and nurses were almost personal friends. They'd put the paddles on and shock me and away I'd go. Ended up with two ablations. I've been on Atenolol since. I still get little flare ups that only last a minute or so and I never have a steady heartbeat. I've gotten used to the goofy heartbeat and don't pay attention to it anymore.
 
Well that s interesting about the Amioderone side effects. My dad is on that stuff. He is 95 and in the nursing home with weakness and dementia. One thing I have noticed is he knows his brain is foggy. He gets frustrated because he knows he should have a clear mind but its foggy instead. He used to be a very strong man but now they need to use the sling to lift him. So now I question how much of this is caused by age and how much is caused by medication. I have heard of old folks perking up when they are taken off meds. I am going to have a chat with the head nurse next time I see her.
 
Cox Maze III is the proceedure that she needs, I have no idea where your located. I'm in the mid west and we have a limited (3) number of doctors who can do
it. Mayo clinic can. It has been over 3yrs and no more afib. only get the III not number 4. if u want more info just ask.
 
I think you mean metoprolol...I got taken off amiodarone, put on met. Still have a-fib, and heart failure.
 
I?ve used metoprolol and two others for the last 18 years after my stroke. Some meds my body just cannot handle. One they put me on did just the same thing to me but I can?t remember the name. I was thinking the stroke had just caused that much damage but talked with my doctor and he switched me - I was amazed at how much I improved after I was off the stuff. Metoprolol has no side effects for me for some reason. I have other complications than just the afib so I have to take high doses of the other two meds as well as metoprolol. My reset doesn?t take the length of time hers does but happens 2 or 3 times a minute some days. Other days I?m just fine. They have implanted a monitor that downloads through Bluetooth to the doctor every night and tells them about my episodes - it also tattles on me more than I?d like!
 
My wife has afib,, been through two ablations and is doing well,, other than those here who are going through it that know what their issues ,, you need to talk to a good doctor rather than asking here,, for my wife she is very lucky to still be here, and lucky she found the team she did,, they are very good at what they do,, many types of afib,, hers is a type that a pace maker has zero affect on,, she was on meds for a year or two,, got to where the resets did not last so surgery was her only choice,, that one lasted 5 years, until again another was needed, this one seems to be holding well but there are a lot of things that can affect it still,, recently she found out her thyroid was not doing what it should and was causing her to go out of rhythm,, they have her on meds for that and now is holding again very well thankfully,, they are learning by leaps and bounds what they need to do for it,, I do hope you can get your wife's problem worked out soon,, it is really hard on them when things are not right,,
 

Mr Shafer from your posts I don't think you are a shy man and I bet you will eventually get the information! It is a shame that so many errors cannot be reversed.
 
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