rate reponse - short of breath

Hi guys

I had a Medtronic Ensura DR (MRI EN1DR07) inserted in March 2011 as an emergency due to heart block and bradicardia.

For the first 2 years I had no real noticable problems, once I had adjusted and used day (60) and night rate (50). In February this year I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, with no real problems - well the same as the other 22 people in my group.

About 3 weeks after my return, I suffered a 18 hour period of AF. Since then I have had great problems with shortness of breath, tiredness and palpitations. Every cardiac test under the sun reveals no heart problems, exercise tollerance test shows normal response. I have tried having it turned down to 40 bpm with no rate response and other adjustments with no major improvement in my symptoms. I have now gone back to the same settings as a year ago. But I suffer shortness of breath, sort of almost choking symptoms on bending, turning over in bed sometimes sets it off, climbing stairs etc. It means that life has changed and I have to take everything slowly, and have plenty of rest. I hate being like this, and feel that it is all caused by the rate response, although I cant do with out it (made me feel even worse when RR turned off).

HELP, I want to get back to normal life.......any suggestions, BTW I live in the UK and am 56.

cheers guys

John

2 Comments

First of all

by Grateful Heart - 2013-07-20 09:07:25

Congrats to you for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, especially with a PM. (even without one for your friends).

It appears (from what you said) your shortness of breath occurs upon movement/ exertion so your right, it does sound like your RR. There are sensitivity settings within RR that can be adjusted and they may be your issue, since you have had all other cardiac tests come back fine.

I hope you get it resolved, good luck.

Grateful Heart

New in the Club

by ptelge - 2015-07-14 08:07:24

Hi John
Hope you solved your problem, and if so, pls let me know how
I have a PM for 22 months and still can not run at the pace I did 4 years ago, but instead of increasing my speed, after the PM it began to decrease
The doctor said that my heart use to raise the beats by its own and I only had the PM to control not going below 60 (I was 27 at rest before PM), he activated the rate response but its still not enough, I used to run at 145BPM and now it won´t go above 115BPM I am frustrated for not having the possibility to run as I used to before everything started, h
hope I could run again
thanks

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