Need help, funny feeling on rough bumpy roads!

I dont know what is going on, but, I have a yucky feeling in my stomach on bumpy roads. I cant feel my pulse, but tonight when my husband was drving and flying over speed bumps( we were late) and around curves, I felt weird again and tried to take my pulse. Byt the time we had  stopped I could finally get a reading on pulse, I would say it was around 90. I had that feeling the first day after coming home from hospital after taking a fast curve with him. I drove the other day down a gravel road, had it again. Really bad yucky feeling . When I left down the road later I slowed down. I have my pacemaker since Dec 20th. Just went for 6 week cheekup. He said all was well. I told him some times I had a weird yucky feeling in stomach. But today, I definietly knew it was from the road. What the heck is this? I am gonna call Dr in mornining. Not happy with it. He said the other day I was pacing at 40 percent atrial, 0.02 from ventricles.

What it up! It ruined my Valentines dinner ( or I let it ruin it I should say. Any help would be great. I read I think on here that someone had something similar on rough roads? Thanks, Ileen

7 Comments

Driving

by Hamsquatch - 2017-02-15 01:31:05

Someone else mentioned it on here and from what I read it is your PM thinking you are doing exercise? I also get a strange feeling in my stomach/chest when driving and primarily happens at highway speeds. 

40 miles of bad road

by Gotrhythm - 2017-02-15 12:08:57

I ran into the same problem. There was on street in town badly in need of repaving, and every time I traveled it, I'd start feeling strange. Actualy, what you're describing isn't that unusual. Lots of us notice it. 

What's happening? When you exercise the pacemaker speeds your heart rate up--just as a normal heart does. How does your pacemaker know to speed up? Well, some pacemakers sense vibration.

Works fine when the vibration is being caused by walking, running, dancing, etc. Annoying, when you're sitting still but the car seat is going up and down due to rough roads.

But still, nothing to be alarmed about. It won't hurt your pacemaker and it won't hurt you. These days, although it still happens, I'm used to it, and I rarely notice it.

the bumpy road workout

by Tracey_E - 2017-02-15 13:12:45

Bumpy roads and amusement park rides can confuse the pacer, make it think you are exercising and need your rate higher. It's annoying but harmless. They can possibly turn down the sensitivity, but then you'd risk it not being sensitive enough when you need it. Sometimes it's a fine line and can take a few tries to get it just right. I chose to keep mine sensitive. It's a little annoying sometimes because stupid little things get me breathless, but at the gym it's awesome. 

Same Here

by Shaun - 2017-02-15 18:56:24

When I first had my pacemaker implant my heart used to race whenever my wife drove along certain roads. I mentioned this at my pacemaker clinic and it turns out the rate response was not activated on my pacemaker, so it was my wife's driving that was scaring me.

Thank you all for your answers

by Ileen - 2017-02-15 23:39:42

I appreciate all the help. Shaun is funny! ( I hope your wife saw that response, and thinks you are funny!) I did call Dr. NURSE said she had never heard of that ," bumpy road" feeling in 13 years!I tend to believe you guys  answers more! Makes sense! I hope I get used to the feeling. I did do a download, and will call and ask if they saw a fast heart rate on Valentine's day !( not caused by hubby kisses!  I am gonna test it out myself on a rough road I know of! You are all the best, thank you so much! Tracy, I will leave it sensitive, like you say, because I am a swimmer, and need that extra boost then! Ileen

Bumps and things

by Gotrhythm - 2017-02-17 13:11:48

I don't find it significant that the nurse had "never heard" of bumpy road syndrome. I've never discussed the phenomenon with anyone, except this group. I'll bet that's true for lots of us.

The medicos only focus on whether the pacemaker is "working fine." They have no idea what the experience of living with a pacemaker is like. 

Stick with this group long enough and you will know about all kinds of experiences with pacemakers the average cardio professional has never heard of.

Scary Movies

by Narelle - 2017-02-18 01:14:55

Hi Ileen,  

Me too ... we have a boat and when its choppy out and the boats slamming over the waves, Im doing 150 beats per minute..   But the funniest thing was when I first got my dual chamber pacemaker and for the first time in my life I had a normal heart rate.   I thought I was dying when I was watching a scary movie and rang the doctor urgently telling him the pacemaker wasnt working and I was freaking out!!   He just laughed when I told him what I was doing when it happened and said thats what happens to normal peoples hearts when they are excited or scared.   20 years later its all normal to me now.!!   

Oh and watch out for those big electrical towers - I used to get a stabbing pain in my implant site when I got near one... It was like static electricity, you know when you touch someone and get that charge.   Doctors thought I was mad at the time..!!    I think the latest ones are more protected from interference like that though - they start listening when enough people complain..

Once you get used to your pacemaker you will forget you have one.  I havent been on this site for 10years and now I need a new pacemaker Im checking in! 

Cheers Narelle  

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