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Anyone else living with Syncope Bradycardia
Was just diagnosed with syncope bradycardia and had a pacemaker installed. As a 50 year old active male who had no known health issues prior to this it came as sort of a shock. Cause unknown but my heart appears to go into severe bradycardia episodes with some pauses of several seconds. The pacemaker is supposed to help but looking for others who are dealing with this issue.
Good evening;
Good to see you are on the mend.
My first indication that something was amiss came on the third Tuesday of January, last year. My alarm went off at 4:20 AM, I remember hitting the snooze, sitting up and then reawakening about a minute later face and knees to the carpet. (Thinking back, the first episode I can remember is almost fainting at work about 5 months before the January episode.)
I felt okay after my morning shower, so went on about my work day as usual. However, the incident disturbed me enough that before saying hello to my wife after work, I called my doctor to make an appointment for a physical, which was to be the following Tuesday.
Friday comes, same thing happens, so I get me to the doctor as soon as the clinic opens. Actually, I asked my wife to drive me; this incident left me with a crescent shaped rug burn over my right eye that was about 3" across and 1 1/2" high. I still have a light scar from it.
Physical, bloodwork, stress test, EKG, ultrasound, x-rays...normally healthy for a man my age, save the mild hypertension for which I was already being treated.
Then came April 15th, I was reading my emails before work (I had the afternoon shift, so this was late morning) and conked out. I was awake in less than a minute and was speaking with my wife about a repeat of January...boom, out go the lights again within 10 minutes of the first episode. She said it looked like one of those inflatable lawn Santas collapsing from a slow leak; said I made a noise like a whoopee cushion with hiccups.
She got me to my doctor, who sent me on to the emergency room (where the testing was redone, except the stress, with the same results as before, also a reassurance of no arterial or venous blockages, nor any heart muscle damage), they got me to CCU for over night observation on a monitored bed.
The rest you know from my first message to you.
The head nurse said she'd read about symptoms such as mine being associated with Sinus arrest, but in 17 years had not had an actual patient. I have normal beats, flatline, then normal beats again; nurse showed me the trace from the EKG during one of the episodes.
My mom always has thought me a special boy 8-)
I think that my condition is a manifestation of the heart trouble that runs on my mom's side. She had triple bypass surgery a few years ago; eats healthy and exercises every day, always has, still had blockages. Her younger brother had a heart attack at age 51.
But I'm hopeful; got a new distributor cap and plug wires, so I should be good for many years to come ,-)
Looks you have a very good handle on what you need to do to rebuild yourself.
Good luck! Steven
Good to see you are on the mend.
My first indication that something was amiss came on the third Tuesday of January, last year. My alarm went off at 4:20 AM, I remember hitting the snooze, sitting up and then reawakening about a minute later face and knees to the carpet. (Thinking back, the first episode I can remember is almost fainting at work about 5 months before the January episode.)
I felt okay after my morning shower, so went on about my work day as usual. However, the incident disturbed me enough that before saying hello to my wife after work, I called my doctor to make an appointment for a physical, which was to be the following Tuesday.
Friday comes, same thing happens, so I get me to the doctor as soon as the clinic opens. Actually, I asked my wife to drive me; this incident left me with a crescent shaped rug burn over my right eye that was about 3" across and 1 1/2" high. I still have a light scar from it.
Physical, bloodwork, stress test, EKG, ultrasound, x-rays...normally healthy for a man my age, save the mild hypertension for which I was already being treated.
Then came April 15th, I was reading my emails before work (I had the afternoon shift, so this was late morning) and conked out. I was awake in less than a minute and was speaking with my wife about a repeat of January...boom, out go the lights again within 10 minutes of the first episode. She said it looked like one of those inflatable lawn Santas collapsing from a slow leak; said I made a noise like a whoopee cushion with hiccups.
She got me to my doctor, who sent me on to the emergency room (where the testing was redone, except the stress, with the same results as before, also a reassurance of no arterial or venous blockages, nor any heart muscle damage), they got me to CCU for over night observation on a monitored bed.
The rest you know from my first message to you.
The head nurse said she'd read about symptoms such as mine being associated with Sinus arrest, but in 17 years had not had an actual patient. I have normal beats, flatline, then normal beats again; nurse showed me the trace from the EKG during one of the episodes.
My mom always has thought me a special boy 8-)
I think that my condition is a manifestation of the heart trouble that runs on my mom's side. She had triple bypass surgery a few years ago; eats healthy and exercises every day, always has, still had blockages. Her younger brother had a heart attack at age 51.
But I'm hopeful; got a new distributor cap and plug wires, so I should be good for many years to come ,-)
Looks you have a very good handle on what you need to do to rebuild yourself.
Good luck! Steven
Thanks for the look ahead Steve. I go back to work Monday, just under a week from my Implant (had it done last Monday at about 4:00 in the afternoon). I am feeling pretty good today. Yesterday had a short period of lightheadedness and stomach upset (there is also a virus going through my family that has the same symptoms) and I will tell my docs about it when I see them Tuesday. My next step will be to start some light excercise this week, probably with my bike on a trainer but that will be after I see my doc, right now just walking around a lot.
Your condition sounds a lot like mine except yours were going a lot longer. Longest they saw on the two nights of monitoring with me was 9 seconds, but I did get hit at least once, if not twice by episodes that occurred while I was 'awake.' Luckily both happened at home and only once was a fall involved but I must have known something was coming because I did manage to grab the fridge handle before I went down even though I don't remember it.
Since getting home I have slept with my Polar HR monitor on but monitoring the time I spent first between 30 and 60 (60 seconds in a night of sleep), then between 30 and 55 (10 seconds one night, none the next). I am still wearing the polar and when I feel something funky I check my HR and so far nothing below 65 while awake.
For something I had never heard of it does seem like there are a lot of us out there. One common thread seems to be no real good diagnosis of a cause for the naps but at least a treatment.
Thanks again and keep in touch. I will update things as they come along.
Your condition sounds a lot like mine except yours were going a lot longer. Longest they saw on the two nights of monitoring with me was 9 seconds, but I did get hit at least once, if not twice by episodes that occurred while I was 'awake.' Luckily both happened at home and only once was a fall involved but I must have known something was coming because I did manage to grab the fridge handle before I went down even though I don't remember it.
Since getting home I have slept with my Polar HR monitor on but monitoring the time I spent first between 30 and 60 (60 seconds in a night of sleep), then between 30 and 55 (10 seconds one night, none the next). I am still wearing the polar and when I feel something funky I check my HR and so far nothing below 65 while awake.
For something I had never heard of it does seem like there are a lot of us out there. One common thread seems to be no real good diagnosis of a cause for the naps but at least a treatment.
Thanks again and keep in touch. I will update things as they come along.
Good afternoon;
I hope you are feeling a bit better today.
Welcome to my world brother; 52, healthy in spite of past and continuing bad habits =)
I got my pacemaker 16 April 2008, for asymptomatic syncope, which they finally found (after 3 months of tests and observation) was caused by sinus arrest. During the overnight monitoring I had 13 flat line occurrences, 8 between 5 and 15 seconds, 5 between 15 and 30; longest was 28. Seems my sinus node likes to take a nap when I go to sleep, or just after I awake.
Boy, I thought I was pushing it when I went back to work a couple of days shy of 3 weeks after the procedure.
I do still have a mild "tearing" sensation from time to time in the scar, and had an internal suture knot work its way out a couple of months ago.
BUT, everyone I know says I look a lot better and seem to have much more energy than before the procedure.
It takes a bit of time, but you'll get back to a good level of energy and enthusiasm
Take each day as a a good one.
best - Steven
I hope you are feeling a bit better today.
Welcome to my world brother; 52, healthy in spite of past and continuing bad habits =)
I got my pacemaker 16 April 2008, for asymptomatic syncope, which they finally found (after 3 months of tests and observation) was caused by sinus arrest. During the overnight monitoring I had 13 flat line occurrences, 8 between 5 and 15 seconds, 5 between 15 and 30; longest was 28. Seems my sinus node likes to take a nap when I go to sleep, or just after I awake.
Boy, I thought I was pushing it when I went back to work a couple of days shy of 3 weeks after the procedure.
I do still have a mild "tearing" sensation from time to time in the scar, and had an internal suture knot work its way out a couple of months ago.
BUT, everyone I know says I look a lot better and seem to have much more energy than before the procedure.
It takes a bit of time, but you'll get back to a good level of energy and enthusiasm
Take each day as a a good one.
best - Steven
That sounds like an awful lot to do so soon. Keep in mind you need time to heal and the heat does not help. I also bought a heart monitor to wear and it helps me know when I am doing too much. The stomach issues may be from all the meds they gave you for your surgery. Things will get better and the soreness goes away completely around two weeks and you will notice a difference in how you feel around then or atleast I did. Just take it easy and don't push yourself.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Not so great... Just spent my first day (Surgery Monday, today Thursday) out and about and I felt fatigued and at one point light headed but my heart rate didn't seem to be an issue (had my Polar exercise HR Monitor on to monitor myself). My incision is still very sore and my IBS is still in full bloat, pain, gas mode and I still haven't had a full night sleep. Might have done too much too soon (full day at the zoo with hot weather and a lot of walking). I am hoping the rest of it starts coming around. Thanks for asking and hope your SSS works out. Mine still is a work in progress.
I have a similar problem. I am 37 and have sick sinus syndrome. I had long pauses and rates in the 30's so had to get a pacemaker about two months ago. It is hard to accept but it has helped.
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