Sharp pain

For those of you who dont know me I have an Autonomic Disorder that has caused me to have some heart and blood pressure problems.  I also have MS on top of this.  I was diagnosed last September with Bradycardia and Sick Sinus Syndrome as my heart rate was in the 20's.  I had to have a pacemaker to regulate my heart rates.  I have a lot of chest pain and chest pressure which my Cardiologist did a cardiac cath in march to double check to make sure there was no further damage or heart disease.  Which as he suspected it was clean and he said that the pain and pressure is due to the Autonomic Disorder.

Now, my question is that I have been getting out everyday and walking.  Today I stepped it up a few notches and was walking pretty quick and my heart rate was pretty high I could tell.  I started to get sharp stabbing chest pains during this and once I slowed down and my heart rate settled some it stopped.  Has anyone ever had this happen before?  I dont want to bug my cardiologist about it if it isnt something to be really concerned with.  But I have been getting the feeling that something more is going on here than they know.  Or am I being paranoid.  Or could it be that my heart rate hasnt been that high before and the pacer is doing something wrong?  Just firing off thoughts here.....

Hi Els,

Please call. It is probably nothing and has an easy answer. Let them tell you what it is. It is better to be safe especially with all that is going on with you than take chances with something serious. Plus peace of mind is PRICELESS!!!!!!!! They would want to know about this. You are not bugging them. You are helping them stay in business! :) They like that! (My cardiologist is always joking that he needs the business to keep his summer basketball camp up and running for the at-risk kids he works with! LOLLLLLLL)---maybe he isn't joking.;)

Hi els, Im sorry to hear you are having these problems. I hope you called your Dr. today. Let us know how you are doing. Im sure everything is fine, but best to know for sure. God Bless!


~Wanda~

I wanted to let you all know..I had my pacemaker interrogated yesterday and some of the readings coming out of it were off.  It showed that I had periods of A Fib and dysrhythmias which would explain the chest pain.  It is weird as I have bradycardia and that is why I have the pacemaker and now my heart is having times where it is going too fast.  I really don't understand what is going on with it.  Anyway, my Cardiologist is supposed to look at the strips and see if I need to go on medication to control the fast heart rhythms.

Not really, now they are talking about switching out my pacemaker for an ICD...I dont think I am quite ready for that

Thank you so much hope.  ICD is an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillation device or what some just refer to as defibrillator.  It is kind of a scary thought but I have done some research on them and it may not be so bad.  I hope?

Thank you Bill, its good to see you.  Right now I just have a dual lead pacemaker, but my cardiologist has mentioned that I may need an upgrade to an ICD soon.  I think I am just scared of being cut open again since I have had 3 surgeries in this area already and have lots of scar tissue.  I had to have 2 lead revisions done within 3 months of implant.  Anyway, I will keep everyone posted...keep checking in with us here.  Take care

Hi dizzyintx,  Dysautonomia is in the same family of disorders that I have, which is also related to and often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's Disease.  My MSA is what has brought about my bradycardia (low heart rate).  I also have extreme problems with body temperature regulation just as you described and I have orthostatic hypotension from it also which makes my blood pressure drop suddenly and I pass out as a result.  Usually these type of disorders are first diagnosed by a cardiologist since they first present with heart and BP problems as mine did.  My cardio was the one who first suggested that I had MSA.  My neurologist who I had been seeing for 5 yrs due to Multiple Sclerosis just kind of blew it off.  But my primary care doc pulled strings and got me into Vanderbilt University in Tenn.  they have a group of doctors that specialise in autonomic disorders.  After a few weeks up there and many tests it was determined that indeed I had Multiple System Atrophy.  If it is suspected that you have an autonomic disorder then you should seek out a Movement Disorder Specialist.  These are the doc's that really study these disorders and can say what it is.  Please keep us posted on how your doing...Take care