Rate Responsiveness Delay

I had a PM check-up today and was discussing with the cardiac physiologist the fact that I can set the RR off by vigorously tapping on the PM . As I was all wired up, looking at a computer screen of my heart rate, he said " Start tapping now and we'll see what happens !"

I happily tapped away and nothing happened to my HR . I stopped tapping and he said " It doesn't seem to work for you" ... and then, after what felt like a good 2 minutes my HR shot up from 60bpm to about 110 bpm. Even he was surprised at the extent of the delay.

Could any wise person comment on the speed at which you'd expect RR to kick in . ( incidentally I've now had my RR switched off but that's another story .) I have " Sick Sinus Syndrome" which I thought meant that my sinus node wasn't having a great enough effect on the atrial contractions but in my case the Sinus Node is working intermittently ..sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it doesn't ... I am looking forward to finding out if the " sometimes it's working perfectly " bits are enough to support the exercise levels I desire without the help of RR.

Still it could be worse, a friend of mine had all his teeth taken out today!

C'est la vie

Ian

7 Comments

Ian - You just left yourself WIDE OPEN

by donr - 2012-05-28 03:05:24

Do you mean wise as in "Wise Guy"? Or, wise as in "Smart"?

There are both kinds in here, all waiting for just such an opportunity!

Teeth removed? It could be like a dog on the way to be neutered. Not much better.

To paraphrase a dentist friend - "If tapping on your PM sets off the RR, then don't tap on it."

Cheers!

Don

Rate Response

by TalkinCardio - 2012-05-28 03:05:29

I thought there was a setting that tells the pm how long before you want the RR to kick in. I could be wrong but I thought that is what I understood.
Cathy

On Form

by TickTock-UK - 2012-05-28 04:05:23

That Don is on form today Ian, if he is not telling you to stop tapping on ypur PM site, he is on the other thread above telling a young lady to go topless.!!!

Len

Hi Cathy

by IAN MC - 2012-05-28 04:05:28

You may well be right and it may be a dumb question on my part... I have never understood whether it is as simple as that, or not . I know there are different sensitivity settings for RR but have never been 100% clear as to how they work.

similarly for Sick Sinus Syndrome ..its a term I've often used and thought that I understood it ... my simple mind knows that " sick" means below par in some way .. if you feel sick, you are sick all day .

Does "Sick Sinus Syndrome" ALWAYS mean that the sinus node works perfectly some of the time and then not the rest of the time ? .. or are there other types of SSS ?

I had quite a liquid lunch with some old friends today before I sent my posting ; I think it has affected my thought processes. when I sober up I will think " Why on earth did I send that ! "

thanks for your response , and you too, Don ... my friend who had his teeth out today also left himself wide open.

Cheers

Ian

SSS

by ebfox - 2012-05-28 08:05:44

Hi Ian,

Sick Sinus means a lot of different things- I have some symptoms of it and when I asked my EP if I had SSS, he said "maybe."

Regarding your PM, IMHO you are better off to keep Rate Response Off as long as your Sinus Node does its job well enough for you to function in everyday life, at whatever activity level you choose. If it gets to the point that you are out of breath a lot, tired, etc. then turn it back on but go to a technician who understands how to set it up (the guy you were talking to obviously does not understand how it works). They can make it respond at a level appropriate for your activity level.

One last thing, since you mentioned a liquid lunch- my EP told me that drinking alcohol was the worst thing you can do for SSS, it just makes it worse. I know that's a bummer, I enjoy tossing back a few myself. Hopefully moderation is the key.

Best of luck-

EB

Thanks EB

by IAN MC - 2012-05-29 09:05:09

I agree with your views on RR. I started with it "off"when I first got the PM, then had it "on", on a variety of activity settings, and now have it back "off" again. Intuitively, I feel that it's better switched "off" if my sinus node has enough function to provide the lifestyle I'm after.... that is the problem though ; I'm quite a high activity sort of person and I was hoping to find a combination of settings that will allow me to run marathons again.

It is interesting , I can play fairly strenuous singles tennis but long-distance running seems to be a no-no.

In the words of my EP .." Don't expect too much from your PM ! "

Isn't it ironic, if you read anything on getting fit , the advice is always that your exercise should make you breathless a few times a week. Reading this forum, the number of people who frequently get breathless is considerable..we must have some really fit people out there !!!

Thanks for your comments on alcohol..I'll drink to that !

Cheers

Ian

Me too

by Peg541 - 2012-05-29 12:05:24

I got my first PM in January and they switched the RR on after my first interrogation. I was very unhappy. It ran my HR up just rolling over in bed. So that got turned off. I can exercise and do just fine no problems. I just got back from the Y and on the bike my HR only got as high as 89 but that seems to be enough for me. Probably after a lifetime of bradycardia I can manage with out going into the 100's I hope it stays this way. I hated the RR.
Peg

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