Heart rate increases rap;idly

I am now 3 months post Medtrolnic implant, and until the past two weeks had other health issues that intefered with exercise.   I am 66, and had SSS, with a resting rate of 40 and a max HR of 100.  The PM is set to a resting rate of 60 and a max of 140, and the EP doc agreed to increase it to 155; but I wish he would set it to 170.  Prior to developing SSS I would walk 6-8 miles a day 3-4 days a week, or 50 min on the elliptical.

The issue I have is that my HR rapidly increases to 140 without much effort.  I find it almost impossible to hold a HR in the 120 range, and on the elliptical that is a very low RPM.  I would like to stay in the Zone 2-3 range while exercising.  Unlike others I have no problem walking up hills, going upstairs, and etc.  When I go walking my HR ramps up from 90 to 140 in 2 minutes.  I know that many people have the opposite issue with the Medtronic PM, but has anyone had an issue with too rapid rate increase?

Mike

4 Comments

Mike

by IAN MC - 2019-03-03 14:19:39

It may be a very simple fix for your rapidly increasing heart-rate problem. As you have SSS it is highly likely that your heart-rate does not naturally increase the way it should when you exercise .

If this is the case then you will have the Rate Response function switched on.  This means that your PM will trigger off heart beats when you exercise.

It can be set to respond to very mild exercise, to higher levels of exercise or to only quite substantial levels. It sounds as though your's is set at too sensitive a level. The rate at which your HR is set to increase is also adjustable as is the rate at which it returns to normal.

See you PM guru and explain the problem, as I said it could be an easy fix.   As with all heart problems though , it may not necessarily be pacemaker-related.

Ian

rate response

by Tracey_E - 2019-03-03 16:01:29

If the pacer is getting your rate up for you, then how fast it goes up when it senses exertion is part of the settings and can be adjusted. 

I shoot right up to 140-150 with minimal exertion also. I choose to have the settings like this because when it was less sensitive, I struggled with stamina.  We don't really fit neatly in to the charts when we are paced. How do you feel at 140 on the elliptical? If you feel good, if you are pushing as hard as you want to, don't worry too much about what the chart says. If you feel strong, if you can talk but not sing, then your rate is good for you at the time. 

More information is needed

by AgentX86 - 2019-03-03 16:14:59

Are you being paced when your heart rate increases or is your heart responding itself? Do you even have rate response enabled? The bigger question is whether you're being limited. If you can ad everything you want to do, just keep your EP informed and continue on. If not ask him for help with your settings. You can't compare your heart rate to others. You're now unique. That means that you're going to have to relearn how your body works. By all means keep your EP in the loop so he can help and ward off trouble.

I had this

by PacedNRunning - 2019-04-13 08:44:48

I had this at the beginning of my implant. I apparently have a lot of p waves and the pacer was responding to a lot of them so the tech made it so the pacer ignored most of them. That helped! 

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