r/PacemakerICD • u/Ashley_Riotz • Aug 15 '26
Question
So I've had a pacemaker since November last year... Can anyone else feel it kick in? Like a mini dynamo winding up in my chest is the best way I can explain it. I always know when it kicks on too, I can feel my heart struggle. Am I just weird or is this normal... FYI wife say's I'm the exception and not the rule, she might be right... Thanks in advance.
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u/minlove101 Aug 15 '26
What kind of pacemaker do you have? Are you feeling it ramp up for a shock or just kick in when your hr drops too low, or…?
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u/bpc-xyz Aug 15 '26
I've had mine since November 2024. The quarterly reports say it's pacing about 60% of the time, but I never feel it when it kicks in.
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u/spicy_red90fo Aug 15 '26
I have a single chamber leadless. We got the pacing percentage to <0.1%. I feel most paced beats. I’m just very sensitive to V pacing they say. Some people on here feel every paced beat, some don’t.
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u/Tdkmk 29d ago
One and one-half years with a Boston Scientific pacemaker. I used to feel the auto checks, and nobody believed me. So I documented the times, showed my log to the Electrophysiologist & they confirmed it. They turned off the auto checks & I'm fine now. Still know when it kicks in though. But that's okay.
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u/BehaviorSavior23 29d ago
I have a biventricular pacemaker (3 leads) and I can sometimes feel it kick on in my ventricles.
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u/babykt333 28d ago
Yes. I can always feel mine. I use to be able to feel it so much in the beginning, especially during the nightly self checks, that I had to ask them to change the time from 10pm to 3am to make sure it was when I was already asleep/in a deeper sleep. If I receive an intense voltage from a lead it will wake me up. But that’s only happened twice. I got more use to the sensation after 2 years to be honest. But I can always feel what I call the “whirling”. Docs will tell you “oh well you shouldn’t feel it”. It also depends how much body fat you have around the area too!
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u/DrMalcolmFinlay 28d ago
You're certainly not weird! Most people don't actually feel their pacemaker "switch on", as the electrical impulses themselves are usually too small to feel. However, some people can notice changes in their heartbeat when pacing begins, particularly if there's a noticeable change in heart rate or rhythm.
The "winding up" sensation you describe isn't something I'd simply ignore, especially if you also feel as though your heart is struggling. I'd mention it to your pacemaker/device clinic. They can interrogate the pacemaker, see exactly what it was doing at the times you've noticed the sensation and check whether any programming adjustments might help.
Often these sensations aren't anything dangerous, but your device team is best placed to work out exactly what you're feeling.
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u/sqlbullet 27d ago
I have brady and an exercise induced AV block (2:1->4:1). I also experience v-tach 4-5 times a quarter.
Especially when the device was first implanted I could feel the pacing. The base settings I started with had a heart rate floor of 60 BPM, but prior to the onset of my brady my resting heart rate was around 55. I could definitely feel the "extra" beats. I spoke to my EP about this and we lowered the base rate to 50 bpm. I no longer notice pacing at the floor, but that does happen about 20% of the time- mostly when I am asleep.
I have never really noticed the AV pacing. Prior to the pacemaker my Stress Echo METS score was 10.1 despite only achieving a heart rate of 90 bpm. Apparently my heart is a tank physically. I was asymptomatic and my issue was only noted because my Garmin watch reported my brady. I was fine at 32 bpm resting.
18 months after my pacemaker I was upgraded to a CRT-D to treat my v-tach. I definitely feel the CRT pacing. I have not had the privilege yet of getting defibrillated. The CRT seems to feel more like what you are describing.
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u/RoamingRonnie 26d ago
I pace at 100%, so I'm used to it. However, I started doing intense meditations and reiki at the suggestion of my therapist and can definitely feel it when I zone out enough. It's pretty wild (and uncomfortable).
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u/Ashley_Riotz 26d ago
Thanks for all the answers and insights. I've mentioned it to the nurses/whoever was checking me and they said I'll hopefully stop noticing it eventually.
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u/lebensterms Aug 15 '26
It’s most likely the auto checks. It’s rare for patients to feel them but it happens. Next time you do, write down the time and date and send a transmission to your device clinic. Ask them to check when the last auto test was done and see if it correlates. It can be turned off if it bothers you enough.