st jude not responding

I have a St Jude PM 2240. low setting 50bpm, high setting 130.
When cycling (MTB) I'm killing myself to hit 120bpm, but an easy jog on foot will hit 125-130 no problem. Even sit ups drive it to 120. Love to cycle, but can't really run because of joints. What can be done to adjust this unit? I am 65.

5 Comments

tricky

by Tracey_E - 2014-08-23 09:08:56

I'm no expert on rate response and I don't have an answer but I think the problem is SJM goes by movement to sense when it needs to raise your rate. On a bike, you're not moving enough to set off the sensor. When you run, it's picking up the steps.

First I'd suggest

by KAG - 2014-08-24 11:08:30

to get a copy of your PM interrogation report. It will have all your settings and modes on it. If you've already got it, great. We're all assuming from your description that RR is turned On. You can tell this from your mode setting. Should be something like DDDR, where the R means RR is ON.

I'm not sure about the SJM sensor used for motion, but if it's an accelerometer like the Medtronics then it needs motion to increase your HR. There are other ways the different manufacturers do it, golden_snitch is an expert. I don't have RR turned On but I know there are many settings that effect the sensitivity, rise and fall times, etc... You should be able to discuss it with your PM team and get some tweaks. Sometimes they'll put you on a treadmill to test them. In your case maybe they have an exercise bike?

Keep after it until you get your settings optimized as much as possible.
Kathy

Rate response

by laughingarcher - 2014-08-24 12:08:24

TraceyE is correct. My understanding is that the rate response, because it's in the pacer in your chest, is not so good at picking up motion in the lower part of your body and so does not raise your rate as well when you're biking. Moving your upper body changes the rate easier.

Can you talk with a St. Jude rep about this? I learned lots from my Medtronics rep! :-)

ST Jude too

by Gotrhythm - 2014-08-25 02:08:55

From experience, I have concluded that the St Jude's motion detector responds more strongly to up and down movements.

Before some tweaks, even traveling in a car on bumpy streets could set my heart racing, but riding the stationary bike, no matter what the speedometer said, my heart rate would rarely go over 100 bpm.

You might try riding on dirt roads. :-) No, seriously, if you don't already have one, get copy of your interrogation report. Understanding your settings will help you communicate more effectively with the PM tech so that he/she can optimize your settings.

rate response

by zazen_1 - 2016-02-18 06:02:59

This morning I was told if RR was turned off, my heart rate would go as high as needed while cycling without the RR governor to the PM when RR is active. I am 72 and frequently go above 130 and occasionally 140 bpm when doing hard workouts. It has only been a week but plan to resume cycling starting with a stationary, then my road bike on the rollers (it is winter here) after the left arm has healed.

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