Pacemaker is going crazy

I hope to see the clinician in a couple of days, but can I get some feedback from the group?
I have WPW and severe syncope. Pacemaker is set to come on at 60, but if it registers a sudden drop, it paces at 90. Purpose was to make sure I could exercise hard and not pass out. So far, so good. Problem is that it goes into his overdrive mode when I sit or lie down.
This feels like an adrenaline rush that you get when you see a cop and you are speeding. (the kind of speeding that gets you thrown in jail). Serious heart pounding. This happens 3 to 7 times every time I rest. I'm really tired of this.

So can anyone give me setting info that will make this problem go away?

3 Comments

Rate Drop response

by ElectricFrank - 2012-07-04 01:07:07

What you describe is Rate Drop Response. It is intended to help those who are light headed when their HR drops too rapidly. Apparently the drop rate trigger is set too low so when you sit down your heart drops fast enough to trigger it. The other possibility is that the pacer is doing its job and responding appropriate to your heart rate dropping rapidly.

The best approach is to get an office check and see if they can find a compromise.

By the way while the change to 90bpm is definitely noticeable it isn't a threat. So just relax and accept it. Your reaction to the change is likely causing the 3-7 times to occur. It jumps to 90 and then senses that your HR has increased on its own due to your reaction. Then you settle down and your HR take another fast drop. This all repeats for several times.

frank

settings

by Sophia2982 - 2012-07-04 08:07:23

I had that problem when i first got my pacemaker, i have mine set to go off when my heart rate drops below 50 and that feels much better. I also had the sensitivity adjusted...to what im not sure but defiantly ask about getting the sensitivity adjusted down so you wont feel or notice it so much.


Sophia

I turned Rate Response off

by BA_Wolverine - 2012-07-05 10:07:34

The clinician said that this function is very hard to set correctly due to the multiple variables that ALL have to be correctly tuned.

She said that healthy people have more problems with rate response and she said pacemakers didn't have this function for many year and people did just fine without it.
I agreed that I wanted it turned off for now. If I have trouble exercising, I will look at turning it back on.

You know you're wired when...

Like the Energizer Bunny, you keep going.

Member Quotes

I am a 58 year old woman, race cars, ski at 13,000+ feet, work out daily, have become a second-degree black-belt in Karate, run a business - no limitations.