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what does ICD going off feel like?

mrsaa
0 Recommendations

dear all

sorry to be a total "flake" but....
1 year on from out of hospital VF and ICD fited and woke with a real jolt today.
6 am this sudden thump in the middle of my chest woke me up. then 2 more. is this my device going off? I have been unwell for the last few weeks and did have the weirdesy dreams last nite so.. what do you think team. Is this what it can feel like?
any answers would be v v welcome including any that say no "get over yourself" sorry I am an English Scouser !!!

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Pain Typhoid

8 replies

eviefor3

wow....thumps in the middle of your chest eh? were you asleep when it went off the other 2 times?

mine went off in 2007 but along with the THUMP in the chest (twice, a couple of minutes apart), i had like a lightning flash in my eyes. the only pain that i had was immediately when it fired and after the second firing i actually felt much better but still ended up in coronary icu for 5 days due to a mixture of a-fib and v-tach that they were trying to get under control.

have you talked to your doctor's office yet? they may want you to come in to have your device interrogated to see if it did fire and if it did, the reason why.

good luck,
keep us posted
evie

Kennarina

Hello! Try the search box upper right corner for many older postings on this topic - including this one about naming your ICD! http://www.inspire.com/DebBar/journal/icd-pc-nicknames/#replies

You're not a flake!

XOXOXO

http://www.myheartsisters.org

kardia

mrsaa,

Kinnarina, you provided a great link... I remember that day...I just reread it, how funny and serious and honest....everyone is. Hope it helps you mrsaa...

Only thing to add is that I just learned of new ways a shock can go off...twice? I didn't know it could do that, but makes sencce if the heart can't catch its footing with the first, and yes, that feeling of euforia (spelling? euphoria?) great calm....follows every time for me. Don't want to gross anyone out, but it is orgasmic in the relief it creates.

I have had so many shocks, that I really got to the place where I was just annoyed at the idea of the possibility of having another one...tired of the fear of having an embarrassing moment in public and stopped looking for work because I wasn't sure if I could have clean times without a shock...then we changed medications, and I am not having them. Maybe there is something your doc can give to you for it. Sotalol did not work for my arrhythmias. Doesn't work for a lot of people.


Congratulations on the weight management, that is huge. Lots going on with you and self care...and you are doing it!

Best of luck...I am glad you are asking the questions...sweet dreams tonight...

kardia

Gammacygnus

Wow, I never had the thump first just the ZAp and the flash behind the eyes and back to normal. One of my devices was having a Zapping storm couldn't tell a good heart rate over a bad heart rate. Zapped me a total of 42 times collectively was replaced after only 15 months. My new device(4th) since Dec/07 has not Zap me for over 2 yrs, knock on wood, has paced me out of a V-tach. Just think of the device as EMT on duty 24/7. Do have your device interrogated?

laurali

Hi Mrsaa -- what has your cardiologist told you?? The wonderful thing about an ICD is that the dr can quickly tell from an interrogation what has gone on. If it's nothing serious you can be on your way relieved. If there is a problem, then they can advise what steps to take, etc. Do you have a modem interrogator at home or do you have your ICD interrogated in the office regularly? I had an episode one morning while still in bed that I wasn't sure about. Cardio had me come right in to be checked out. A cardiologist should tell you what to do re various situations -- if they haven't, you need to ask! Hugs, laurali

mrsaa

dear all yes I do have a carelink monitor at home. Contacted cardiologist and he asked me to download there and then. Prob was i was in work and all phones are digital !!! so had to go to a colleagues house at lunchtime and use their home phone to download. Oh well, all adds to the variety of the lives we ICD sisters have now :-)
But download showed device hadn't fired so do feel like a flake now but have never felt a series of "thumps" like that before and defo never been woken up by my heart. So no further forward. But one weird thing is I haven't had any monthly thingies since last May when the VF happened so thought ,hey great ,one benefit gone through menapause without noticing . But something started the day after the "thumps" which isn't like it should be , more like when you first start when you are a young girl. Odd I know, anyone any ideas?
And oh yes if you have picked up my previous post on "can you have an allergy to your ICD" my cardio thinks yes possibly or I may have a long term deep seated infection. Sending me to see some "super hero" re allery but also to an infectious disease speciaist re poss inection. Now I am a flake and possibly "typhoid Mary" !!!!
Oh to be normal again and never have to think about your health! Well as my Mum used to say "what does not kill you , makes you stronger"
thanks to all of you , God bless and stay well xx

eviefor3

this may seem like a silly question to you, but do you remember if you were lying on your left side when you felt the thumps?? it seems like i read somewhere that laying on your left side can do that...i have had that in the past.......it's like a really strong heart beat (one big one at a time) but when i move from the left side i think i remember that it stopped.
i'm on amiodarone for the arrythmias and still have runs of vtach but not enough to cause my unit to fire so i guess that means it's working.

evie

DaytonaKaren

i have had my icd for 4 years. It has fired twice. Once when my rate hit 180 bpm. I had just gotten out of the shower, sat on the end of the bed and it felt and looked like lightning was leaving my body. The second time was last month again I was getting out of the shower, reaching for a towel. My daughter had come into the bathroom and later told me I had a breathing issue, my eyes rolled back in my head and a passed out and fell to the floor. My boyfriend took me to the hospital where I was hospitalized. I found out the next morning that I had vent fibrilation and heart registered 315 bpm causing my defibrillator to fire. I never even knew it fired. Doc said it saved my life so I guess I don't really care what it felt like. It was worth it. I do wish I knew more about what happened though. I also feel the ICD pacing my heart occasionally.

Best of luck to everyone.

Karen

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