pacemaker

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humboldt
Posts: 197
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:42 pm
Location: NW Kalifornia

pacemaker

Post by humboldt »

I am 81 years old and I a 45-70 and a 45-90 with straight black powder. I have both afib and another problem and I am to receive a pacemaker next week. I will talk to my surgeon but I doubt that he is a shooter. Is there anyone on this forum that has a pacemaker and shoots? I have a longtime friend that is on his third pacemaker in 25 years but still hunts every year for both deer and elk and is very succesful. But hunting and firing 60 or more shots on a range are quite different . Maybe I will have to give up shooting, but I hope not. ( I am already thinking about building a 25-20 W for Schuetzen) Mori
life is good!
ChrisF
Posts: 1151
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 1:33 pm

Re: pacemaker

Post by ChrisF »

I have a pacemaker and defibrillator both. Does not bother me a bit. Just shoot off the opposite shoulder where they implant it. And of course tslk to the Dr.
Michael Johnson

Re: pacemaker

Post by Michael Johnson »

Humboldt, I am an Anesthesiologist and a shooter. I have 40 years of operating room experience giving anesthesia to patients with implanted pacemakers as well as implanted defibrillator units. The big issues have to do with electrical discharges from electrocautery units accidentally reprogramming the pacer or defibrillator unit. As stated earlier, have it implanted on the opposite side of your shooting shoulder to minimize the jarring experienced during recoil.You could also query the manufacturer of said unit about your concern. These things have been around for some time, so this would not be an unheard of question. - Michael Johnson, M.D.
rdnck
Posts: 1885
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 9:33 pm
Location: Woodlawn,Texas

Re: pacemaker

Post by rdnck »

Mori--A 40-65 will significantly reduce recoil from the level of the 45-70 and 45-90. A 370 grain 40 caliber bullet at 1200fps will take down a ram, and a Lyman 410655 flatnosed bullet is an absolute killer out of a 40-65, to include buffalo and elk. Shoots all the way through them. Good luck, and shoot straight, rdnck.
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Michael Johnson

Re: pacemaker

Post by Michael Johnson »

Recoil is not the issue unless you are resting the buttstock on the pacer unit, hence the advice to put it on the opposite side of your shooting shoulder. If you are not having difficulty shooting your current BPCR rifles this is not an issue.
humboldt
Posts: 197
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:42 pm
Location: NW Kalifornia

Re: pacemaker

Post by humboldt »

Thank you all for the good advice, it helps a lot. Redneck, I have a new to me Browning 40-65 that I working up loads for and it showing great accuracy to date. I will try the bullets you recommended. I will be getting the pacemaker shortly, probably next week after I have another test. Thanks again for the replies. Mori
life is good!
Rufus Krile
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:45 pm
Location: South Texas

Re: pacemaker

Post by Rufus Krile »

Got my pacemaker/defibrillator unit 6 weeks ago.... went to the range yesterday (for the 1st time since) and shot my 50 X 2 1/2 a little over 40rds off the bench. I think I'd worry more about my retinas than the unit.
Perentie
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:22 am
Location: Queensland, Australia.

Re: pacemaker

Post by Perentie »

May I ask what the symptoms are that requires one of these?
I have had irregular and skipping heartbeats for 12 months now but the Doc does not seem to think its a problem. Some nights I lie there and it misses every third beat.
Jim Kidwell
Posts: 3616
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2002 6:15 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: pacemaker

Post by Jim Kidwell »

See another doctor.... FWIW..............
....................................Jim
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MLV
Posts: 3710
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2003 5:21 pm
Location: Livingston, MT
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Re: pacemaker

Post by MLV »

I had a combo defibrillator, pacemaker installed last November. I shot my first silhouette match last Saturday. To be honest, I'd forgotten it was even in there.
MLV
Beware the man with one rifle. He may not have enough interest in it to be competent!
CO
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:50 pm
Location: georgia

Re: pacemaker

Post by CO »

I have both. Boston Scientific . Was originally told that hunting and shooting a few times a day would not have any affect, but lying down and shooting 60-80 shots, maybe I should consider a smaller caliber. I shoot a 35-40 and a 38-55. I have no problem knocking over the rams, mainly because I hit so few. Same with Turkeys. CO
SchuetzenDave
Posts: 864
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:07 am
Location: St. Albert, Alberta

Re: pacemaker

Post by SchuetzenDave »

I have had a three lead pacemaker with a defibrillator for the last two years.

I have no problem shooting a .40-65 with Swiss FFFG and 410 grain bullets or my .32 RKS Schuetzen rifles; but some doctors do not like you shooting high recoil magnum rifles.

Only problem I have had was using a pressure washer which interfered with the pacemaker signals.
Michael Johnson

Re: pacemaker

Post by Michael Johnson »

All this talk make me think that I should bring an AED or a Crash Cart to my next rifle match! - Mike in WA
SchuetzenDave
Posts: 864
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:07 am
Location: St. Albert, Alberta

Re: pacemaker

Post by SchuetzenDave »

Perenti:

I also had irregular and skipping heart beat for a number of years but the Doctors were not concerned since my heart was pumping enough blood to meet all my needs.

My Cardioligist decided I needed a Pacemaker when my heart would only beat 40 minutes per minute and I was confused at times and very lethargic due to a lack of oxygen.
My heart was only pumping 25% of the blood out of the ventricles (55% to 75% for normal person) and my left and right ventricles were out of sync.
This was determined with an ultrasound test.
If you have heart concerns your Doctor needs to refer you to a Cardiologist for a proper evaluation.

The blood flow was increased to a minimum of 60 beats per minute with the pacemaker and my left and right ventricle now beat together.

If your heart beat fluctuations are due to A-fib; the pacemaker is programed to increase the heart beat to make up from reduced blood flow from the irregular beating of the top of the heart. A-fib is reduced or stopped with a shock or drugs. A electro cardio (shock) got rid of the a-fib that I developed a year after I had the pacemaker installed. The pacemaker helped reduce the reduction in oxygen in my system until the doctors could treat the A-fib later.

My pacemaker has a defibrillator to give me a shock if my heart stops for more than 20 seconds.
So far it has only stopped for 10 second intervals due to ventricular-fibrillation.
The pacemaker also keeps a record of what your heart does and they can read it from an automatic reader beside my bed.
They check up on me whenever they get a message my heart stopped or when it's beat became erratic due to being exposed to a capacitor start motor of a pressure washer I was using.
Perentie
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:22 am
Location: Queensland, Australia.

Re: pacemaker

Post by Perentie »

Thank you.
That tells me more than my Doctor. My heart must be pumping enough then that they are not concerned yet.
I just find it disconcerting, but I guess I just need to live with it.
Thanks again for your reply.
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