sleep issues with PM

Have had my Medtronic rate responsive PM for five years with good success. During the recent year or so I have been having issues with falling asleep and staying asleep. My lower setting is 60bpm and it stays there at rest. A few queries;
1. Will a lower setting--say 50 or so put me in a more relaxed state---my resting state with bradycardia prior to PM was as low as 42?
Can the PM be programed at a lower resting rate only during my normal sleeping hours and then go back to it's normal lower rate?
2. Does the PM go into test modes during the night which could arouse my sleep pattern? Can this be changed?
Thanks for comments


9 Comments

Me, too!

by aldeer - 2012-08-16 07:08:18

Frank, this was the question I wanted an answer to...
Aljdeer

Me, too!

by aldeer - 2012-08-16 08:08:27

Frank, this was the question I wanted an answer to...
Aljdeer

Me, too!

by aldeer - 2012-08-16 08:08:30

Frank, this was the question I wanted an answer to...
Aljdeer

Me, too!

by aldeer - 2012-08-16 08:08:33

Frank, this was the question I wanted an answer to...
Aljdeer

Help

by MelissaB - 2012-08-16 10:08:08

I'm not an expert on this but I think that even if your pacemaker has a lower setting it won't help you sleep better. I had one all throughout my childhood which was set around 80 bpm.

me too

by Fatigue1 - 2012-08-16 10:08:27

rate response PM ? is this the option for newer model medtronics icd which allows minimum beat per min bpm and ability to select times for this rate?
if so i just discovered this option with my new icd software replaced during battery change. informed my doctor and requested a low setting we decided 40 minimum beats per min from 11 pm to 7 am. major improvement, let me know if this is rate response mentioned.
1: yes the lower rate help me relax for a rim level rest.
2: yes most medtronics have a morning 4am self diagnostics that will wake me up every night. i also had this setting changed to 7-8 am time frame.

good luck

Sleep mode

by ebfox - 2012-08-17 10:08:53

The new Medronics have a sleep mode (at least mine does). It drops your minimum heartrate by 10 beats for a specified time period. You have to get the tech to turn it on- I was having some similar sleep issues and mentioned it to the tech and he said "oh, we'll just turn on sleep mode..." Apparently they don't turn it on unless you bring it up.

Hope this helps.

EB

sleep

by Jill7 - 2012-08-18 04:08:32

I have the new Medronics pm and my low is set for 50bpm. I have bradycardia as well and before my pm my heartrate would go below 30 when resting. I sleep fine at night. I would ask to have it lowered to see if it makes a difference.

Medtronic Sleep Setting

by john1945 - 2012-08-24 09:08:45

Hi,
I have just posted that I have had trouble sleeping but the technician set my Medtronic ICD to 45bpm during the hours 22.00 to 07.30 and I slept like a log last night for the first time in over 6 weeks.

ronaldo - I am in the UK as well. It is your ICD and your body so I would persist and insist. Poor sleep patterns are very debilitating. One of the technicians listened to me, discussed it and changed the setting whilst another one was purse lipped and was advising to leave it well alone. Interestingly the examination room has the chair with its back to the computor so you cannot see what is coming up on the screen, so I asked if I could watch and he let me with no problem at all - fascinating - especially when he revved me upto 100bpm.

I dont know about other ICD brands but Medtronic do an automatic home monitoring kit which reduces your clinic attendance to once a year. The performance getting one (seeing as they are "free" from Medtronic) via the NHS is a joke. They want you at the hospital to have a Medtronic Technician explain it, an electrician to test it for electrical safety and their own technician. In other countries Medtronic just post it out to you and you get on with it.

By the way you can download the Medtronic Clinicians Manual(s) from their sites. Very complex but some good information if you are that interested.

regards john1945

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I'm 35 and got my pacemaker a little over a year ago. It definitely is not a burden to me. In fact, I have more energy (which my husband enjoys), can do more things with my kids and have weight because of having the energy.