Exercise induced high grade AV block

My diagnosis for which I will be receiving a PM in a few weeks.

A couple of questions:

What were your symptoms during exercise pre-PM?

What improvement did you have during exercise post-PM?

With me, I could walk all day... as soon as I started to jog, I would hit a wall... I am just hoping to hear others success stories, etc..

Thanks!

4 Comments

Thanks

by USMC-Pacer - 2012-10-07 02:10:03

That's what I like to hear! My issue is a little different, but same general thing.. Sometimes stairs and hills bother me, sometimes they don't. When they do, I feel faint, have stomach pain, and my legs BURN with lactic acid! I don't have the bradycardia issue; mine tends to be on the other end. My resting HR is in the mid 40s which the DR likes. It is my exercising HR that won't go above 80ish. I go from 1:1 AV conductions, to 1:2, to 1:3 as exertion increases. I am hopeful that the PM will correct this and I can get back to much more intense workouts...thanks again..

In response...

by kermiehiho - 2012-10-07 05:10:00

To answer your first question - none. I was hit by a car, and while in the hospital, my heart started doing funky things like dropping below 30 bpm and stopping for a couple seconds at a time.

To answer your second question - I think I can do anything now after getting the pm as I did before. The only safety precaution I take is strapping down a fluffy towel over the pacemaker site when playing volleyball. I've taken a serve to the pm site with that towel (wasn't paying attention), and cardiologist says the pm is still fine. Must admit I haven't gone swimming yet though. My bathing suit strap would probably go right over the scar, and I don't think my strap padding is meant to go in the water. Oh, and doctor said no to contact sports. But being 5'1" and around 100 lbs, I was never really build for that kind of thing anyway, so I don't miss it.

easy fix

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-07 05:10:06

AV block is the easiest problem to fix with a pm because the sinus node (nature's pacemaker) works like it should. The pm sits back and watches. Every time the atria beats, it gives the ventricle a fraction of a second to beat. If it beats on its own, the pm continues to just watch. If it doesn't beat, it makes a signal that mimics what the heart should be doing on its own which causes the heart muscle to contract. The pm just completes the broken circuit. You should absolutely be back to intense workouts as soon as you heal.

With your dr's permission, you can probably get back to aerobic exercise after a few days. You'll need to wait longer for anything that involves lifting or raising the arm above shoulder level, the leads need time to grow into place.

Good luck! Let us know how you are doing, and if you have questions about the surgery or recovery. If you are already fit, odds are excellent you will bounce back quickly.

You might want to discuss placement with your surgeon. Most of them put it right under the collar bone, just under the skin. This is the simplest and has the fastest recovery, but if you are active you might prefer to have it a little lower and deeper so it's not in the way.

before and after`

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-07 09:10:39

I was born with av block, so I was always in block. I got my first pm at 27. I'm 46 now.

Before I basically did nothing! My hr was 44, never went higher no matter what I did. I got dizzy easily and often. I could ride a bike and walk if it wasn't hilly. I could do stairs if I took it slowly. High school gym glass was a blast (where's that sarcasm font?? lol) I was great at keeping score and using the stopwatch because they never let me participate.

After? I started off arguing with the nurses in the hospital who wanted me to stay in bed for a few hours, I was energized and sitting still was driving me crazy. I woke up feeling like I'd mainlined a pot of coffee. No, this isn't a normal reaction, but my hr had dropped to the 20's right before surgery so suddenly being in the 70's meant I felt a dramatic and immediate difference. My mind was more sharp and some minor health problems disappeared over the next weeks. I bought rollerblades and took tennis lessons and learned to swim. I hike or ski most vacations. I do Crossfit 5 mornings a week. I can do anything I want now and I feel great.

kermiehiho, the pm is titanium! You might get bruised, but you aren't going to damage it. Have you seen the shirts that come with padding? They're meant for sports and are more comfortable than a towel. If your incision has healed, there's no reason why you can't swim but be super careful about sunscreen the first year.

You know you're wired when...

Your signature looks like an EKG.

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Today I explained everything to my doctor, he set my lower rate back to 80 and I felt an immediate improvement.