Question on Pacemaker setting

I'm 17 with SSS.
I am not dependent on my pacemaker and it is rate-responsive (RDR) . They set the lowest rate at 60 bpm. The highest is currently at 160 bpm. I understand that if my HR reaches less than 60, the pacemaker sends impulses to make it beat a bit faster. However, what happens when my HR reaches higher than 160? Would it make my HR drop ?

4 Comments

Not in SSS

by golden_snitch - 2012-11-15 03:11:01

Hi!

If you had a heart block (AV-block), your heart rate would indeed probably drop when you reach your upper rate limit as the pacer would go into a mode-switch. Happened to me a couple of times, so when I reached the 160bpm, my heart rate all of a sudden dropped to 80bpm. But with SSS you still have a well functioning AV-node, so it'll just pass the electrical signals coming from the atriums on into the ventricles. And if those signals are faster than 160bpm, then so it be.

Best wishes
Inga

thanks

by girl dreamer - 2012-11-15 03:11:46

CynSluys, I think we just got our question answered by snitch :)

Snitch, thank you!
I've been feeling more fatigued isnce the implant, is it normal?

On another note, I am so nervous for tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll be Day 3 Post-op from my third PM surgery in a span of 10 days. Hopefully, tomorrow they'll tell me everything is fine and no surgery tomorrow!

Upper heart rate setting ...

by CynSluys - 2012-11-15 03:11:59

Girl dreamer ... I am only 16 days post implant for the same thing, and have the exact same settings. I could very much be wrong, however, my thoughts on this right now, is that it would do nothing other than record that your rate is going up that high and then adjustments would have to be made by your doctor...I think. Hopefully someone else will chime in here and confirm or correct my info :) hopefully you're doing ok? when did you get it?
Cindy

hey there

by pacemakerman1985 - 2012-12-17 04:12:48

girl dreamer, if your heart rate get's up to or over 160 BPM stop what your doing and rest, i don't know about your pacemaker but mine works 24/7 because my heart by itself only beats between 6 and 10 times in a minute, i know this because my pacemaker died on me back in 1996.

good luck to you with your pacemaker.

welcome to the pacemaker club,
member since 1985 i was only 2 and a half months old.

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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.