Does a PM sense simple motion like a bumpy road??

Thanks!

by tapeterson - 2020-05-05 18:47:03

Hey that was great input, and yes it's definitely a bit unnerving to have the rate increase when I'm really not doing anything but cruising down the road. Hopefully when I see my EP and device tech next Tuesday, I can get my first adjustments. I surely will be asking about the rough road thing LOL! Thanks again for the very helpful and speedy input! Tim

Bumpy road ahead

by AgentX86 - 2020-05-05 21:44:10

Note that if you have the "bump sensitivity" turned down, it will also decrease your rate response to exercise.  If you're a couch potato this might be OK.  OTOH, if your an active type, it wouldn't be good.  You'll likely have to find middle ground or get used to an increased rate.

Other vibrations

by Theknotguy - 2020-05-05 23:10:22

There are other things to which the rate response will respond.  Like AgentX86 said you may want to keep the rate response up in spite of it being  inconvenient at times.  

The spouse and I were taking a bus tour and I couldn't sit in a couple of seats on the bus because of the vibration.  I also volunteer in a charity woodshop and I picked up a Saws-All reciprocating saw.  Forgot about my pacemaker.  When I turned it on and pressed down hard the vibration  kicked off my pacemaker.  I also work at a charity and ride in their large trucks.  When they're empty they bounce around a lot and that will kick off my pacemaker too.  The running joke is it looks like I'm giving the drivers a Roman salute.  I'll reach over with my right hand and hold it over the pacemaker to stop the vibration.  

Hope your adjustment to your pacemaker goes well.
 

Vibrations

by tapeterson - 2020-05-06 08:00:10

After reading about the saws all vibration I have a feeling that my issue wasn't so much the bumps in the road but the vibration in that car. The exhaust is very loud and the engine is very high performance and shakes/vibrates a bunch... kinda like a saws all under your butt LOL! I'm definitely going to have to have that feature toned down because I wasn't even driving the car hard, plus I do track events with it and will hopefully be back doing those soon! 

rate response

by Tracey_E - 2020-05-06 10:58:12

Yep as the others said it sounds like the car is activating the rate response. They can turn down the sensitivity, but if all you have is heart block ask them about turning rate response off. With heart block, in theory our sinus rate is normal so we don't need atrial pacing. All we need is the pacer to kick in and make sure the ventricles keep in sync with the atria. Rate response, which is atrial pacing, is there for if the sinus rate doesn't goes up normally on exertion. 

To Tracey

by tapeterson - 2020-05-06 11:24:00

Yes that's what I have and I was told that my sinus rate was cruising along as it should but not making it past the AV. So yes I'm hoping that maybe I can either turn that feature off or at least change the settings so it's not so sensitive. It's definitely going to be the hot topic at my first follow up visit with my EP and device tech.

rate response

by Tracey_E - 2020-05-06 11:45:23

If you don't need it, it's better to turn it off altogether. It can compete with your natural sinus rate, and it will use up your battery faster. If it turns out you need it, they can always turn it back on.

Mine is on and I do use it, which is unusual for heart block. Opposite of you, I had to ask to have it turned on when I got my newest one (I'm on #5) because my doctor automatically turns it off for av block patients. 

Rate Response and Vibrations

by Marybird - 2020-05-06 19:04:54

I'm an old lady ( 72) with sick sinus syndrome ( tachy-brady), and I learned the value of the rate response feature on my pacemaker ( St. Jude Assurity Dual Chamber model 2272) after the EP turned it on during my six week post implant checkup. It had been off for the 1st 6 weeks, and though I was feeling better I was disappointed that it seemed my heart rate still didn't go up all that much when I exercised or with activity. I recall wondering if the rate response was on, but tbought it had to be, and I was such a newbie I thought maybe it was just something I needed to get used to.

Once that rate response was turned on, I really noticed the difference- felt much better, with more energy as my heart rate went up to match my every day activities. 

Even with that, it seems my heart rate doesn't increase as much as it could when I exercise, ( about 40 minutes/day 6x weekly divided between elliptical and recumbant bike as baseline exercise), and it's hard to finish it sometimes. I've thought of asking the EP/pacer tech about turning up the rate response to accomodate the exercise, in fact, we talked about this at my last EP visit.

We decided against doing so-they left it up to me, but agreed with me when I shared my thoughts about it. What came to mind was those "vibration" rate responses, which for me happens with trips taking the "back way" home, a bumpy two lane road, especially crossing a river on an old bridge. It also happens when I flip over onto my right side at night, and when I rock in one of the rocking chairs on our patio. At these times my heart rate goes up to around 100-110, and back down quickly when the activity stops. Those are about the only times I notice that type of increase, and I know it would occur more often if they increased the rate response. What I don't want is to experience that every time I bend down, make a sudden move, or whenever. 

It seems the current setting for the rate response is very much adequate for my everyday activities, and I can live with those few times the rate response drives the heart rate up when I flip over in bed, etc ( especially when I know what's happening). If I can't get my heart rate up as much as I'd like when exercising, it's,a small tradeoff. I'm  certainly no athletic whiz, so I will live with it.

So as I said to the EP and pacer tech, "welp, when I become a marathon runner or a triathlete, then we can turn up the rate response. And that'll be maybe....when the cows come home!". So until then, it's good where it is.