Too fast

Thursday I had my first interrogation since receiving my PM 6 weeks ago. She made a few changes to help me with my exercising. I do a lot of walking, and was getting short of breath. Well, what ever she did really screwed me up. I will be calling first thing tomorrow to get fixed. Any time I get up and walk slowly, or I move fast my HR jumps to 90-105 and it feels like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. It is making me sick to my stomach and giving me a headache. So I will be relaxing all day today. I guess the saying don't fix what isn't broke applies here.

6 Comments

Hi melbee

by IAN MC - 2014-06-29 01:06:07

I remember your last post re your heart rate increasing when driving on bumpy roads . It sounds as though they have made the problem even worse ?

It seems that they have probably adjusted the sensitivity of your Rate Response setting incorrectly ( but there may be other explanations )

Keep us informed of your saga; it often takes a few tweaks to get the settings right !

Ian

Incorrect adjustment

by golden_snitch - 2014-06-29 01:06:19

Hi!

Ian is right, it was adjusted incorrectly. In most pacers (Medtronic definitely, Sorin, too, Biotronik's accelerometer also), if you switch the rate response from medium high to medium low, this will lead to the rate response reacting much more aggressively with minor exertion/movement. The higher you set it, the less aggressive it will be. A high activity level means that you are active and exercising regularly, and accordingly in a well trained person, the heart rate does not go up as quickly as it does in someone who is not that active.

Most rate response sensors can learn and adjust. By not moving you only make things worse. Could very well be that after a couple of days of moving around and doing everything you feel up to, the heart rate increase is not that bad any longer. But, of course, you can also choose to relax today, and get the settings changed again tomorrow. But if that nurse knows so little about pacemakers, I'd not count on her making the right adjustment this time...

Just went back and read some of your other postings. For the bumpy roads that change of settings was wrong, but if you were short of breath and had problems walking, the nurse probably thought that your heart rate doesn't increase enough. So, that could be why she set the rate response to react more aggressively. Now, apparently that is wrong again. If you rely on the pacer's rate response, you always need to compromise because, no matter which sensor you have, it is just not as good as a fully functioning sinus node. Try more tweakings, but keep this in mind.

Best wishes

Inga

Give it Time

by NiceNiecey - 2014-06-29 08:06:09

Keep in mind that you will have this device for the rest of your life and getting it all straightened out in the first 6 weeks isn't always possible.

I'm 6 MONTHS into this and still have some problems. Definitely call but remember, patience is a virtue!

All Fixed

by melbee - 2014-06-30 01:06:40

Just went into the office and I already feel much better. You were right Inga, I had a different technician and he said that switching me to medium low was not the right setting for me. He switched me back to medium high, turned it down to 95 from 105. Then for the shortness of breath while walking, he switched my max from 130 to 150. He feels that will help. He thinks I was hitting a wall on the hills once my HR got to 130. So I will cross my fingers and hope this is all good. Thanks for all the feedback. I am sure it will take some time to get use to all the technical words and how all this works.

Why oh why ?

by IAN MC - 2014-06-30 02:06:44

.. do they set the Max so low for so many of us ?? I believe that 130bpm is the delivery setting and they never bother to turn it up according to our needs !

I had to fight to have my original 130 turned up to my current 165 bpm. Like you, I hit so many walls before I got there .

Ian

Adjustment

by RMTGS - 2014-06-30 10:06:38

I had the nurse to make an adjustment to my pacemaker the first week after implant. Felt like I was wired to tight. Always felt like I couldn't breath. Now I am having new issues. Before the pacemaker I was able to walk and up and down the 13 steps in my home, no problem. Now my heart is racing, pressure in my chest and out of breath and slight head ache. Something definitely not right. Synecope has made me crazy.

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

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The experience of having a couple of lengths of wire fed into your heart muscle and an electronic 'box' tucked under the skin is not an insignificant event, but you will survive.