Afib tachycardia and pacemakers

I thought pacemakers control hr so one won’t get tachycardia?

Back in hospital with afib and tachycardia. It’s 2 months post ablation. Shame because I was supposed to had stopped multaq tomorrow.

Curious about hr control tachycardia function with a pacemaker.

Sorry to hear you're back in hospital. Have they said whether it's flutter or something else?

Pacemakers are very good at maintaining a minimum lower heart rate because they can cause a heart beat when it doesn't happen on its own. That's been their standard use for decades, but using them to slow down a fast heart rate is newer technology and not such an easy problem. All a PM can do, after all, is to cause a heart beat when it otherwise wouldn't have happened. So how do you slow down a heart rate when all you can do is cause more heart beats? The answer is a bunch of fancy algorithms aimed at fooling the heart into slowing down by inserting beats that will interrupt the repetitive cycle its in. The trouble is, this a lot harder than simply making sure your heart beats often enough and it's not perfected.

It's possible it can be corrected by reprogramming your PM. I hope that turns out to be the case.

I’m here for
Reason For Visit
RAPID A-FIB, S/P ABLATION / PPM

I was told my pacemaker settings was functioning to kick in in lowering my hr at 171 and I need it tweaked. It never happened. Im pacing 99.9%. Hr up to 168. I’m on a cardizen drip. Now my atrial is pacing like mad.

I was ecv 44 times. Same Er dr recognized me and asked if I want to be ecv? Shannon suggestion was ecv lose their effectiveness in time.

Can one be ecv with a pacemaker? In April I experienced sinus arrest (asystole-flatline) pauses for two days. I was documented before my pacemaker I had up to 10 1/2 seconds asystole pauses. Won’t they return until my PM is turned back on after an ecv ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2021 02:38AM by susan.d.

I would choose the cardioversion. I think you somewhat misunderstood Shannon. They don't lose effectiveness. It's just that they're only a temporary solution, but sometimes temporary solutions are warranted. But if you're hospitalized, this is a question for the doctors treating you. What do they say?

So sorry to hear this.

I will keep you in my thoughts and hopefully they can do something with your current PM or get you another that fits your fickle heart's needs.
Would another visit with Natale help or has he done everything he can for you i wonder....he is a wizard so maybe he can you help down the road.
Keep us updated Susan.

So sorry to read of your latest issues. You have really had a time of it for sure.

Susan, Also hoping you get some answers and, better yet, solutions. Thoughts and prayers.

Thank you. I’m still in the hospital. I’m having a rough go but looking forward for the light at the end of the tunnel in getting better.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2021 12:19AM by susan.d.

Quote
Susan

Shannon suggestion was ecv lose their effectiveness in time.

I agree with Carey here, I think Shannon was meaning that as AFIB usually progresses, then the ECV's will not hold NSR as long. It doesn't mean that ECV will not work in the short-term, to get you out of distress.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2021 04:28PM by The Anti-Fib.

I should had the ecv but I didn’t know at the time my pacemaker dr abandoned me and didn’t offer a replacement cardiologist and kept me hanging. I’m so new to pacers that I don’t know anything about how one can be ecv with a pacemaker and if someone (cardiologist) needs to reset my pacemaker afterwards?

I’m home in nsr!!! Yay!

Observation: when in AF with tachycardia RVR, I was laying on my back and I felt strong vibrations. I am a veteran to af and never felt this before. It felt like the rolling earthquakes we are so used to but faster. Could a pacemaker vibrate during RVR? I noticed immediately when I self converted 27 hours later the vibrations stopped and I was in a calm nsr.