Pacemakers and insomnia

(Sandy) said:

Does anyone here have the dual lead DDD Discovery by
Guidant? If so is yours set to correct neuro-cardiogenic
syncope? If so, do you have insomnia? [censored], I've had
insomnia now for 5 years and I FINALLY am nearing the point
when I get the new device that will allow sleep. ZZZZZZZZ I
CAN'T WAIT!!

I have a Medtronic dual chamber PM that causes no problems
at all. Its to prevent my heart going below 60 and above 130
bpm. I also have a mechanical mitral valve with a loud click
on every beat. My insomnia is more to do with my bladder and
arthritis but I often sleep quite well. What sensations does
your PM cause? Diana

Hi, Diana

Tell me how your pacer prevents you from going over 130
bpms.

What mine does, I'll be sound asleep and drop below 60 bpms
then rivent wide awake as it paces me up to 80 bpms. At that
point I'm sitting up in bed just wide awake and i'll usually
go do the dishes or get on the computer and write. It's so
friggin aggrivating.

This is to prevent my blood pressure from bottoming out in a
neuro-cardiogenic syncopal episode. I tell you what, it sure
is aging me too, I'm just generally tired all the time and
long for a good nights rest.

I still go into a stealthy sinus node rapid rate, sometimes
up to 178 at rest, and mine will dual pace me if the
synchronicity gets off but it does not convert me.

(Sandy) said:

Hi, Diana

Tell me how your pacer prevents you from going over
130 bpms.

What mine does, I'll be sound asleep and drop below 60 bpms
then rivent wide awake as it paces me up to 80 bpms. At
that point I'm sitting up in bed just wide awake and i'll
usually go do the dishes or get on the computer and write.
It's so friggin aggrivating.

This is to prevent my blood pressure from bottoming out in
a neuro-cardiogenic syncopal episode. I tell you what, it
sure is aging me too, I'm just generally tired all the time
and long for a good nights rest.

I still go into a stealthy sinus node rapid rate, sometimes
up to 178 at rest, and mine will dual pace me if the
synchronicity gets off but it does not convert me.

Hello Sandy, The thing is, I do not know what neuro
cardiogenic syncope is. Perhaps this is the difference
between us. As I understand it, if my heart is about to go
below 60 or above 130 the PM takes over but I am not aware
of anything happening. I had heart surgery and a new
procedure for AF and the rate problems started after that. I
have paroxysmal AF and flutter and a 2:1 heart block. When I
go for PM check-ups they have seemed quite happy so far and
just say how many extra beats I have had and how much longer
the batteries will last. To me, loss of sleep is a very bad
thing, always has been, but mine is not caused by the
noises, bumps and bangs of my heart. Like you I believe it
is ageing. At the moment I have a sleep during the day and
still want to sleep at 10pm and I am very disappointed to be
like this. Best wishes Diana

[email hidden] (Sandy) wrote in message news:<-
[email hidden]>...
Diana, I would almost bet that our pacer is waking you
up at night when it paces you as you drop below 60. Ask
your doc what it's programmed to pace you up to when it
drops below 60.

I too had atrial flutter but mine was caused by some scar
tissue from a previous heart surgery on the right atrial
chamber so it was pretty easy to ablate.

Do they have you on blood thinners?

(Sandy) said:

[email hidden] (Sandy) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Diana, I would almost bet that our pacer is waking you up
at night when it paces you as you drop below 60. Ask your
doc what it's programmed to pace you up to when it drops
below 60.

I too had atrial flutter but mine was caused by some scar
tissue from a previous heart surgery on the right atrial
chamber so it was pretty easy to ablate.

Do they have you on blood thinners?

Maybe it does Sandy but, at night, usually my rate is about
80 and in the morning about 60. It does not go below 60 as
the PM is programmed not to allow that to happen. That is
the whole point of having it. My heart rate was all over the
place before they made the decision to give me the PM. I
believe all these problems came about because of the mini
maze open heart treatment I had for AF. When I woke up after
surgery I was wired up to a pacemaker which I had to carry
around with me on a pole. This went on for over a week.
There were three wires into my chest. One day they switched
it off at the nurses station but did not tell me. I had to
walk about for a while and I thought I was going to die. It
had to be switched back on until things settled down.

Diana

(Sandy) said:

Do they have you on blood thinners?

I forgot to say - yes, for the rest of my life, as is normal
with a mechanical valve. I used to have it for the AF
anyway. Now the INR reading needs to be between 3 - 4. Diana

Quoted message said:

On 29 May 2004 13:26:20 -0700, [email hidden]

(Sandy) said:

Do they have you on blood thinners?

I forgot to say - yes, for the rest of my life, as is
normal with a mechanical valve. I used to have it for
the AF anyway. Now the INR reading needs to be between 3
- 4. Diana

That's a bit high for even a mechanical valve. Did you have
a problem with the more usual 2.5 - 3.5 ?

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MD/PhD said:

Quoted message said:

On 29 May 2004 13:26:20 -0700, [email hidden]

(Sandy) said:

Do they have you on blood thinners?

I forgot to say - yes, for the rest of my life, as is
normal with a mechanical valve. I used to have it for
the AF anyway. Now the INR reading needs to be between 3
- 4. Diana

That's a bit high for even a mechanical valve. Did you have
a problem with the more usual 2.5 - 3.5 ?

When I was in AF, before the surgery, the INR required was
2.5- 3.5 but my local hospital have said that, with a
mechanical valve, they prefer 3 - 4. I do believe the
hospital where the surgery was carried out entered the lower
reading on my discharge papers but cannot be sure and too
tired at the moment to go looking.

Diana