Settings appmt today

Hi
I'm 5 weeks post surgery for a dual lead scientific. I'm PM dependant from A-Fib that meds would not control and didnt want to go the ablation route. I have the vagus nerve A fib.
Anyway went for my first adjustment today, they turned on my sensor for respiration and supposedly set me at 70-140 from 80-130. Checked my resting rate for the past 2 hours at intervals, and was sitting down. My rest is either 80 or 84!!!?? How can this be.?? And all the rotten luck my doc is leaving to go teach in another part of the state and I'm stuck with a stranger. Should I call the office or the pacer place to see why I'm not at 70 where I should be.

1 Comments

RELAX!!!!

by donr - 2011-12-28 12:12:19

Sounds like you are fine. You just need a quick explanation of the numbers.

The 70 - 140 are the limits for the PM to function within. It will never let your HR go below 70 beats per minute. It will stop pacing you at 140 BPM and become a passive observer/recorder of events. In between those numbers it is an active participant in your heart's functioning monitoring the heart functions & generating pulses when needed for you to live.

Now from what you say I cannot tell if your Atrial Sinus Node works at all. If it does it appears that it sets the pace at which your heart runs & the PM is following along.

What was your resting HR when you were well and before PM? I'll bet it was greater than 70 that's why you count 80 - 84 now. The PM has no "Brake Pedal." It cannot slow the heart down only keep it where it is trying to be or run it faster.

For this para I'm going to assume that your Atrial Sinus Node (AS) is working and setting the rate for your heart. Now how can you be at 80-84 when "Resting"? Easy - you are not resting as far as the SA is concerned. You are sitting still; but you are looking for a HR that you don't get & you get subconsciously anxious. Voila - your heart senses that & runs faster than the resting rate you are looking for. You can probably only reach that 70 when you are asleep flat on your back!

The real question is "How do you feel"? Good bad what? If good there is probably nothing wrong. I would not at this point call anyone unless you feel bad. I would also counsel you to stop taking your pulse. The concern it raises will affect how you recover & feel. Once upon a time I took my BP twice daily. I got so anxious over what it would be that it went HIGHER! I stopped taking it & now I feel better - much better. But at least I discovered that it was WNL (Within Normal Limits). If your pulse is between 70 & 140 it's WNL.

Don

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

Member Quotes

I'm still running and feeling great.