low heart beat

I had a pacemaker/defib installed in October of 2010.  They set it at 60 for the low.  I take a reading every day and it was at 60 in the am and would go up to 61-64 during the day.  This was every day since October.  All of a sudden I start getting readings as low as 55 - is this thing out of adjustment or broke?  I don’t need to get cut again to replace it, also the insurance company won’t be happy, I’m 60 yrs old, I’d like to make it to 62 so I can retire.

4 Comments

PM & Low Heart Rate

by SMITTY - 2011-01-15 01:01:38

Hello Shale,

I doubt that the pacemaker is broke. What you are seeing is quite common. For example mine has had a low setting of 80 for several years and I frequently find a HR as low as 45 or 50 for a few minutes.

Here is what I have been told is going on for those of us that have an on demand pacemakers. As you know the PM monitors the heart function and when it determines the HR will be below the low set point it sends an impulse to cause a heart beat. Of course the PM works full time whenever our heart rate is below the low set point. However, that PM is monitoring constantly and doing its calculations so that it may detect a heart rate that will be below the set point and send an impulse even though we are not aware of the need for an impulse. Now this is where the PM can get fooled.

Our heart's natural PM may send an impulse to make the heart beat, but that impulse is to weak to make the heart beat. But the PM is monitoring that action and thinks that weak impulse is a good for a heart beat heart beat and does nothing. The result is the electronic device, or your fingers, being used to count our HR can't feel that missed heart beat and so you have a lower heart rate than the PM thinks you are have having. This results in our seeing a lower heart rate than the low set point on the PM.

The PM has settings adjustments that can stop it from detecting these weak signals and send an impulse. Your Dr or PM tech can change these settings during a checkup if they think it is necessary.

Believe me when I say you are like 99% of us that find our heart rate below what we know is the low set point and, just like you, wonder what in the hell is going on. It really is nothing to be concerned about and it does not mean you PM is crapping out. So you can continue with your plans to retire in a couple of years. That will certainly be a different life for you. I retired in 1994 at age 65 and have found it to both enjoyable and boring, but not at the same time.

Good luck,

Smitty


Thanks to both of you

by jaykay - 2011-01-15 02:01:15

That question has been on my mind as well, so thank you for asking and for Smitty for the explanation. Your descriptions are so helpful (like the one about 'what would happen if PM should stop working') and they are really appreciated. I mean REALLLLY.

low hr

by shale1 - 2011-01-15 03:01:15

thank you smitty for your answer i have a device check next week so ill ask them if i need adjustment, i wish the docs and pacemaker reps would tell tou this info when they put these things in , so people know what to expect the machine alone costs 60-70K plus hosp. i dont respect ins. cos. but its to easy to confuse people. i actuley when in because they thought i had a high rate, so they put in the diffub, 1 lead after a while i was running low 40,s so they put in another one this was in 10 mo, the cost was enormous both times together $ 280,000 if i didnt have ins i'd be pennieless, no wonder ins rates are so high , i'd like more comments from other users and thier experiences are tese things really worth the $ thank you again,
shovelhead

pacemaker

by shale1 - 2011-01-20 01:01:26

i had a low heartrate of readings from my device, 53-58 my pacer was set at 60, i had a regular scheduled test a few days later, when i went they could not find a signal it wad unreconizible , they sent me to hosp for more testing the co. rep tested and could not get reconiction, he said it was like it wasnt there. i thnk it puked out, anyway they quickly put in a new one then kept me 5 hrs, and sent me home tthis is the 3rd one they put in me since aug 2009, the first one they put in with one lead oct 2010 they put in a new one duel lead, they checked it in november and said it was ok, now the other day it quit, they asked me silly questions like was i electricuted or had a mrr i said no then it seemed like all got quiet everyone i asked at the hosp. staff would not say anything, now no 3 is in however i am hurting 3 cuts in 1-1/4 yrs. do i have any recourse

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