Can't seem to sweat while exercising

I have an interesting question for you guys. Before my pacemaker I would go to the gym and I would really really sweat a LOT! But since my pacemaker and now that I'm going to the gym again, I am having to start over with my routine. So, I start by doing 10 minutes in the sauna, then I get on the treadmill. Before the surgery I could do 1 to 2 hours on a treadmill at 3.5 to 7 mph. (Yes I'm a very large person so let me tell you that was a great workout for me), I know most if not all of you can do a lot better than that. Anyway, after my pacemaker I lost all energy, I have been sleepy and tired every single day and I have not been able to get to the gym because I've just been to exhausted to go. Late last week, I set my mind that I'm going to get back to where I was prior to the pacemaker. Well, I am struggling to do 10 minutes at 5 mph so I've made a new routine. I do the first couple of minutes at 3 then I bump it to 4 then 3 then 5 then 3 then 6 then 3 then 7 then 3 for as long as I can do it. Today was the longest I've been able to run and I made 8.5 minutes. Well I've noticed that I am having a really difficult time breaking a sweat! I am sitting in the sauna, I do the treadmill, lift weights and back into the sauna and the absolute most is my neck has gotten damp! I just cannot seem to sweat. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

6 Comments

First, Congratulations!

by Grateful Heart - 2012-11-12 08:11:02

On working very hard to improve your health. You deserve a lot of credit.

You're pacemaker may need a setting adjustment. Easy for them to do during the interrogation checkup. Find out what your upper setting is set at, it may need to be raised. If when you exercise, your heart rate increases higher than your upper setting, the pacemaker reads it as a skipped beat and knocks your heart rate down from say 120 to 60 all of a sudden. It's not a good feeling and you lose energy, feel exhausted and it's hard to pick up the exercise pace again.

Did you clear the sauna with your doc? Try skipping it and see if it makes a difference, but do check on the settings and sauna with your doc (repeating myself but it is important).

I'm sure you know sweating is your bodies way of cooling itself down and is also important, especially if you know you normally do sweat a lot during exercise.

BTW, 1 to 2 hours on the treadmill, that's great!! I can't do that, no matter what speed.

Feel better and keep us posted,

Grateful Heart

Thank You for your response

by jahugo - 2012-11-13 02:11:56

Thank you so very much for your input. I will ask the Dr about the sauna, the upper setting to my device is 120, and I have noticed that if I take my pulse when I get off the machine you are right, it isn't above the 120 in fact it's like 110 or something like that...it isn't high at all and I'm pushing myself as hard as I can

Upper Setting

by Grateful Heart - 2012-11-13 06:11:52

You don't want it to go above the upper setting. That is when you won't feel well. But it could be going above during exercise and you don't realize it. You may want to ask your doctor to raise it as you progress so you can keep your heart rate below the upper limit. For example mine started at 120, then it was raised to 130 and recently to 150 because that is what was happening to me.

A heart rate monitor can help you keep an eye on it during exercise. Many different types, I use a Polar Heart Rate Monitor, www.polarusa.com

Good luck,

Grateful Heart

Stl

by Stl613 - 2012-11-18 01:11:20

I too have a heart rate monitor/polar,does UR monitor while excersising show 00 instead of a number ex 120 for a period of time?I've mentioned this to my pe,she said it's due to interference from the device.what's UR thought?eventually thru out my bike ride a h.r apperars but more times than the monitor shows 00.I've called polar tech dept.for answer,they stated I could be interference.so any answers out there?Thnks stl

STL and 00 Reading

by Grateful Heart - 2012-11-19 12:11:12

Yes, I sometimes get a 00 reading, but it is usually when sitting on the exercise bike. I find when that happens, if I press the transmitter strap (that part of the strap that senses the heart rate) closer to my body and hold it for a bit, it will read my heart rate again. I think it is the angle of sitting on the bike for me as it doesn't seem to happen with other exercises.

Hope that helps.

Grateful Heart

new settings

by jahugo - 2013-01-04 06:01:49

ok, first let me say thanks for some of the things to ask so I did and found out that it was true, the pacemaker did in fact slow my heart back down once it hit a certain level. So, they've upped the upper number to 140 and I will now see how that works for me.

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Member Quotes

I had a pacemaker when I was 11. I never once thought I wasn't a 'normal kid' nor was I ever treated differently because of it. I could do everything all my friends were doing; I just happened to have a battery attached to my heart to help it work.