Stupid question

Not a stupid question, it's a very good question !

by IAN MC - 2017-06-16 15:21:29

As you rightly say a "normal " resting heart-rate for the majority of people is between 60 and 100 bpm BUT there are many people outside the normal  range.

The fitter you are , the more likely it is that you will have a resting HR below 60, and athletes often have resting heart-rates between 35 and 60 bpm. Strictly speaking if you follow the definitions for bradycardia they are bradycardic but they don't have any symptoms and a low heart-rate is normal for them.

I had mine increased from 50 bpm to 55 bpm and I was surprised at the huge difference it made in reducing the fatigue that I had been experiencing.

Do you know what your normal resting heart-rate has been for most of your life ? It would probably make sense to have your PM lower limit not far off that figure.

Why is your's set at 50 bpm ?   Probably to make the battery last longer ! But the most important question is " how do you feel ? "  . If you feel OK, don't question it !    If you feel more tired than usual then maybe an increase to 55 or 60 would make a big difference.

Best of luck

Ian

numbers

by Tracey_E - 2017-06-16 15:57:41

The idea is to let the heart work on its own as much as possible. Some feel great at 50, some need it higher. They can always turn it up if you are still feeling tired. Also, if you have av block, then your sinus node works normally so the lower limit is irrelevant because that's not how you pace. Lower limit is for the atrial lead, how low it'll let your sinus rhythm get before it kicks in. Upper limit is how high the ventricular lead can go, it's job is to make the ventricles beat when the atria does, follow the leader. Most of us with av block don't pace atrial because our natural rate never dips so it doesn't matter where they set it. 

Im exhausted!

by WiredandTired - 2017-06-16 16:01:09

I'm seeing the cardiologist today for chest pressure, throat pressure (comes and goes)  and this fatigue.  I feel like I need a tweak.  Before they figured out that I needed a pm, I felt this exact exhaustion when I would dip into the 50s.  I have no idea why they have it set this way.  I think my upper limit is 130.

Thumbcoast

by IAN MC - 2017-06-16 16:24:11

I saw from your bio that you have Sick Sinus Syndrome so the lower limit is very relevant to how you feel. The lower your HR, the less oxygen to your body and the more tired you are likely to become.

Best of luck with your cardiologist appointmernt

Ian

Back from the cardiologist...

by WiredandTired - 2017-06-16 21:14:59

So they interrogated me again and the device tech adjusted me from 50bpm/130 to turning my rate response on and kicking me up to 60/150.

Fingers crossed this works.  I have felt terrible.