jump in resting rate after implant

Hi All ...

Background: About five weeks ago, I had a pacemaker implanted when I had pauses of 7 and 4 seconds. Whether or not I really needed it, I got convinced and it is in there. It does not seem to be pacing me very often.

My question: Before implantation, my resting pulse rate was 50-60. Now that I have the pacemaker, my resting pulse rate is 88-95.

Today, I went into see the electrophysiologist who implanted the pacemaker and a Medtronic tech for a check. The Medtronic tech told me that it was set for a range of 60-140, as requested.

It seems weird that my base pulse rate would jump up above my previous resting rate after a pacemaker implantation.

My cardiologist tells me that it is not a problem.

Does anyone know something? Should I seek additional advice elsewhere?

========

Update: Went to another cardiologist at a more prestigious hospital (Cleveland Clinic). He prescribed a medication to slow my heart rate down and all is fine.

5 Comments

My experience

by KAG - 2014-06-12 07:06:42

was that my HR was higher for about 5 to 6 months after the install. Normal before was high 70's, jumped into high 80's, low 90's and now back to normal. Not sure why but maybe due to some anxiety and my body adjusting to this foreign object.

It sounds like you sinus node is working OK, so it's your system raising your HR, not the PM.

If it bothers you get it checked.

Kathy

Good Question

by NiceNiecey - 2014-06-12 10:06:45

For many years before a PM, my resting HR was around 80+ bpm. The past few years, however, it had been sitting around in the low 60s. I had no idea this could be indicative of a problem. I knew I was exercising less but I somehow convinced myself that this new lower HR was a good thing.

Now that I have a PM, the low setting is 50 BPM. My resting HR is typically back in the 80s again. Shortly after having the PM implanted, my resting HR was between 100-110 (too high!). I also had some aFib episodes so I was put on a low-dose beta blocker which has brought my HR down considerably. My trouble now is that I can't get my HR up higher than 115, even with vigorous exercise. My cardiologist said this is because of the beta blocker.

I hope my comments were helpful.
Niecey

Don't confuse why....

by donr - 2014-06-13 05:06:43

.....you got the PM w/ your changing resting HR.

You got the PM to protect you against the potential for a pause in HR that is so long you die from it. Call it a security guard, if you want. It's on duty 24/7/365. Your heart only has to have that long pause ONCE & it's down the drain for you. The PM will fix that by never letting your heart miss a beat.

Good answer about your knowledge of your HR history. So my next question is WHY did you monitor it daily?

The answer at this time is a resounding question - how do you FEEL? good? Bad? Indifferent?

If you feel good, it's a mere question of curiosity. If you feel bad, it's a question you should be pushing for an answer to.

Unfortunately, sometimes there is no answer, it's just the way things are. Your Cardio just plain will have no idea why it happens. If you feel good, under that circumstance, you just have to accept it as a new fact of life.

Next time you go in for a download, ask the tech to turn your PM's lowr limit down to its LOWEST setting & hold it there for a few seconds to see what your HR does w/o the PM being there. They have that capability that they can use for just this reason - to learn what your heart's "Intrinsic rate" is - that's it's rate w/o intervention by the PM. That will tell you a lot.

Right here you have two people who have changed HR's post PM.

Donr

Six weeks is not.....

by donr - 2014-06-13 07:06:26

.....a very long time to have totally returned to "Normal."

You did not say the period of time over which your resting HR was 50-60. Half your life? two weeks? Do you really know from accumulated med data over the yrs?

I knew from yrs of annual physicals in the Army that my normal resting HR was about 72. Got my PM implanted in Feb 2003 at age 66 & had a lower limit set at 75 BPM. Well, here I am 11+ yrs later & my resting HR is about 81. NO big deal. Even at that resting HR, my Atria is paced 99%. I've discovered that I must remain VERY inactive for my HR to get down to 75 - & all I need to do to raise it up to 80 is to wave my arm.

Unless you have some other symptom or really still feel crappy, it is not yet time to seek other opinions. Although - I would say it is a fair question to ask & have explained to you - if for no other reason than your own peace of mind.

Donr

Length of prior resting HR

by Hairy - 2014-06-13 08:06:40

More background: I monitored my resting HR and BP on a daily basis for about five years before my PM was implanted, my resting HR was consistently 50-60. I used a home measurement device whose measurements were consistent with the one used by my cardiologist. (I brought my home measurement device into my cardiologist's office and compared its measurements with those of his device.)

The implantation happened because because I was on a 30 day heart monitor to see if my afib had gone away. The monitor reported a pause of seven seconds and my cardiologist convinced me that I should get a PM on an emergency basis.

The Medtronic tech told me that my PM was doing very little actual pacing.

So, given all of this, that my resting HR has jumped, seems odd to me.

You know you're wired when...

Your ICD has a better memory than you.

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