Rate Drop Adjustments

It's been three months since I got my pacer and I was finally getting used to it. Then, on Thursday, I hade the same pre-syncopal symptoms I had before (light headed, dizzy, off balanced, hot). Thankfully, due to Skip (I call my pacer Skip), I didn't pass out. When I contacted my EP, he was concerned and said I should be paced before I even have symptoms.

A quick trip to the device clinic showed that my heart rate went from 120 bpm to 50 bpm in about 5 seconds and probably would have gone lower without intervention. They also said that I have been paced 384 times in the past two months for rate drop alone, not counting bradycardia.

They adjusted Skip to be more agressive. Since then, Skip has been a lot more active and I notice it like I did on day one. I woke up today with my heart racing like I had just run a marathon.

The device tech did say that rate drop cases can be a little difficult to get the settings right and sometimes it takes several tries.

This should be fun.

3 Comments

settings

by Tracey_E - 2017-09-03 09:05:29

Settings are not one size fits all so yep, it can take a few tries to get it fine tuned just for us. It's great that your team is so responsive. Once they get it right, it should be good indefinitely. Rate drop can be tricky because they want to prevent the sudden plummets, but when we are activce we want the rate to come down normally. I use that one, also. 

Rate Drop

by TBrous&Chip - 2017-09-04 10:47:07

Would you share your rate drop response settings? Chip''s is set to trigger after a drop of 25 and then set hr at 100 for 1 minute.  A few weeks ago during an ekg at general practioner office (in consultation with cardiologist) we tried to cause a rate drop event. My hr dropped by 20.  I began to get dizzy because the drop was not enough to trigger rate drop feature.  Still looking for proper rate drop setting.

My Settings

by JaqsDad - 2017-09-06 00:47:08

Prior to last week, my settings were 25 bpm drop within 30 seconds with a low floor of 50.

My current settings are 20 bpm drop within 25 seconds with a low floor of 60.

My intervention setting is 100 bpm for one minute.

 

Between the new lower limit and the more agressive drop detection settings, I can definately notice that Skip is more active. It may be a little too active, especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. I may have my EP dial it back a bit.

Does anyone know if there can be different day and night settings?

 

You know you're wired when...

You can hear your heartbeat in your cell phone.

Member Quotes

I am just thankful that I am alive and that even though I have this pacemaker it is not the end of the world.