Should I get a pacemaker soon?

I have been disgnosed with low heart rate that goes in the low 30s. Physically I don't feel that bad, am still able to play volleyball, workout in the gym, during my workouts, my rate goes to 100bpm, my rates fluctuate during the course of the day from 65 to 30 at rest. All my life I have been very althetic and in good shape. I am at my mid 50s, male.

The cardiologist said it all depends on how I feel. If I feel really weak and not function well, then I will need a PM.

I have been struggling for the past half a year whether I should have it put in or not, emtionally this is very hard for me to accept, however, sometimes I do feel weak and lathargic, and worried as there was one time I seemed to have minor heart attack, checked in the emergency.

I am glad that I have found this club and have read other people's advice/comments. Like it or not, I am joining the club:-). You guys sound so sweet and helpful, super nice people!

I would greatly appreciate someone who has similar situation and share thoughts with me.

Thank you in advance.

braveheart

8 Comments

Same issue

by dad4dds - 2012-12-21 01:12:09

I had a low heart rate as well. My Dr said we will just monitor it because it was not effecting me physically. Then when I started being winded all the time we put in a pm. If you are going to have one anyway the younger you are the easier it will be to recover.

Good Luck

Brian

A bit on the low side

by ElectricFrank - 2012-12-21 01:12:54

A HR in the low 30's is a bit low except in extremely athletic people. You may find you feel better with a pacemaker, and it isn't all that big a deal.

Your situation though is kind of interesting. You seem to have good sinus pacing during exercise and it is only your resting HR that goes low. How do you feel in the morning right after waking? A low rate all night could leave your brain a bit groggy until you start moving around.

frank

sleeping?

by Tracey_E - 2012-12-21 07:12:30

Have you had a holter to see how low you get at night? As Frank said, if you are dipping down too low at night it may make a difference in how you feel in the morning.

I lost energy gradually enough that I didn't realize how much worse I was feeling until I got the pm and felt better. Unlike you, my rate never went up with exercise. It stayed in the 40's all my life, dropped into the 30's the last year. Then one day it dropped to the low 20's and I ended up in emergency surgery. Instant energy surge! Not everyone feels the drastic difference I did but when I woke up in recovery I could already feel the improvement. I also noticed that some minor health issues went away once I had better circulation. That was almost 20 years ago. I'm healthy and active and feel great.

It's up to you when you choose to do it, but odds are pretty good you will feel better. The surgery is easy. Most of us heal, move on and forget about it. I regret putting off as long as I did.

Thank you so much for your comments

by braveheart - 2012-12-21 10:12:46

Hi Brian, Frank and TraceyE,

Thank you very much for your comments, I really apprecaite it!

When I woke up, I felt alright, not so groggy.
I had holter monitor (48 hours, 24 hrs) twice, the lowest record when I was sleeping it was 28bpm, with some skip beats.

My dr. suggested MP is certainly will be needed, just unsure as of when. As each PM will last only certain amount of years, 7-10 years, and will need replacement. Is it better to wait when I start to feel weaker? How many years do you actually have your PM replaced? As I read other comments some people have to replace it in about 3-4 years due to battery issue?

Once again, thank you for your advice?

Merry Christmas!

by braveheart - 2012-12-22 02:12:44


Hi TraceyE - thank you for sharing your experience and addressing the battery issues. It is very informative and encouraging. Although my nornal rate is at 30s, except mentally I am disturbed (when thinking to have PM put in, pros and cons, etc.), physically I still function alright, occassionally I feel weak and tired, upset stomach, some nights not sleep well, diagnosed sleep apnea, overall, I am still doing just fine.

Having said that, I am encouraged by you guys and seriously considering to have the PM done some time in early 2013. It is better safe than sorry.

Tattoo Man - thank you for your comment as well. I appreciated your advice.

Merry Christmas from Toronto!

braveheart

Quality of Life

by donb - 2012-12-22 04:12:50

Hi Braveheart, Very fitting postings on your condition by above members. Having my 1st PM implant in 1992 at age for exactly the same complaints as you except added to mine was having tummy "flu" too often. Always blamed on daughter #1, exactly your age, thought it was flu bug from school. "Wrong", along with 30 HR at rest I have a very touchy Vegus nervewhich would shut my heart down & I'd end up on teh bathroom floor. Little did I realize that I also was aging way too fast for being very active.
Wife Sharon told my Cardiologist at work Don is not going to get old without a PM. Short story, within a few days I had my 1st PM which stopped the aging along with real Quality of Life all these years. Now only a few days short of age 81 I finally realize also what your DOB means as far as hospital care. If my records would show DOB as 1/13/42 instead of actual DOB 1/13/32 I would be far better off with care givers. Example: Had to have Cardiolite chemical stress test instead of walking treadmill. Well had a bad reaction this past March & almost died in the hospital.
Finally, now I'm OK to walk the treadmill as they can now afford the little extra time instead ever using the fast acting dialating drug next test in 2 years.
If you like I can forward a private message also as how I self diagnosed my low heart rate with a home recording sleep study. Working elctronics all my life I used this knowledge to get around some of the feet dragging of getting my PM. AS my Cardiologist said, "YOU DID WHAT?"

varies

by Tracey_E - 2012-12-22 09:12:40

On average they last 7-10 years, some don't make it that long, some last more than 10. ICD's last less than that, that's probably where you saw 3-4 years. It has to do with your settings, the safety margins, the condition of the leads, how much you use it- lots of factors! Generally they start it out turned up high and with factory settings. Once your heart gets used to pacing (first checkup), they turn it down to the minimum needed to get the heart to beat, then they start customizing the other variables to your needs and maximize battery life.

I have had 4 devices since 1994. I had a lead go bad at one point, that drastically shortened the battery life of #3. I got a new lead with my last one, and should get 7-8 out of this one. I'm fully dependent, btw, I pace 100% of the time.

Replacements are no big deal! If I get an early appointment, I'm home for lunch. I went hiking at high altitude a week after one replacement, road trip to the Keys a week after another one. I had to stay out of the water because the incision was too new but other than that I could do whatever I wanted.

I chose to wait to get mine until it was no longer optional. I had a dr who didn't want to put one in a young patient so he didn't encourage it. In hindsight, I don't think that was a good decision. I spent over a year toughing it out, trying to wait as long as possible, when I could have spent that year feeling good. What was the point of suffering? I've had mine for almost 20 years now, it doesn't really matter at this point if I've had it 18 or 22 years. After I got it, small health problems went away, my mind was clearer, even my eyesight changed. Oxygen is a good thing :oP Even if symptoms are minimal, a very low hr is doing damage to our bodies.

Go with what you're comfortable with. Take some time to get used to the idea and do your research. There's no reason to rush into anything, but my suggestion would be sooner rather than later. Emergency surgery like I ended up with is not the easy way- I almost died, my family was worried, decisions were made in a blur. Pick a date, choose your surgeon, ask your questions and plan it out on your schedule. And passing out is often the first symptom that things are getting worse, also not the easy way to go.

Braveheart...............

by Tattoo Man - 2012-12-22 12:12:19


...................it seems to me that the decision has a lot to do with 'Quality of Life' and indeed in the extreme... 'Having a Life to have any Quality in '

As Frank says "30 is a bit low", in my case so low that I once passed out while driving..this is NOT FUN.

Tracey rounds it all up very well..at the end of the day why resist a life changing and affirming operation when a solution to your condition is within your grasp.

If you can, try and put concerns about battery life to one side and make 2013 the best year of your life

Hapy Christmas from the UK

Tattoo Man

You know you're wired when...

The mortgage on your device is more than your house.

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