Change in Feeling

Hi All,

Just a quick one, had my Meditronic Dual PM for nearly a year now, have had a few bumps in the road, but have generally been good.

I am a keen hill walker & sent many days in the hills & not having an issues with ascents, however a couple of weeks ago I noticed a my body not being as capable of preforming climbs, than it had been say just a month previously.

Any reasons why this could be & what can be done?

I am going to see my healthcare provider but justed some opinions from here to keep me at ease until then.

All the best 

Kieran 


5 Comments

Not really enough information for a remote 'diagnosis'

by crustyg - 2021-05-28 09:26:47

I can see an earlier post where you shared that you have/had-at-that-time 2nd degree HB.

There are *lots* of reasons why your athletic performance might have taken a dip and not all of them are heart-related.  I'm not going to start listing them here, it won't do anything helpful and more likely will provoke anxiety,

In your place I would start with my primary care provider.  In fact, that's exactly what I did (poor chap!).  I'm already at an age where it's not uncommon to have more than one 'problem' - you may be too, I don't know.

 

Rate response change

by Theknotguy - 2021-05-29 21:02:03

Kieran:

Crustyg is right, normally what you've indicated wouldn't be enough to give people an idea of what your problem might be.   However, I ran into a similar problem with my pacemaker and it might shed some light on your problem.  Maybe not, but it's a starting point.  

Had my pacemaker for five years and was volunteering at a hospital.  Back hallway was 954 feet long and I had to walk that on the way out.  Always ran out of air at 900 feet.  I'd be OK but at 900 feet would come to a stop gasping for breath.  I know the hallway was 954 feet because one of the maintenance guys had to run cabling the entire length.  I always ran out of air at almost the exact same point.  

Talked with my EP and he ordered some tests.  Did a treadmill test where you walked until you ran out of air.  They finally had the cardiologist do an ultra sound and he said it was the pacemaker and not my heart.  They brought in the mfg. rep for Medtronics and he brought up some screens I had never seen in the previous five years.  Had a discussion with technical points with words I could barely understand.  Upshot was some tweaking of the pacemaker settings and everything got a lot better.   It was an adjustment to rate response.  

I had had some recent changes in life style and was walking more and walking faster.  Old pacemaker settings on the rate response wasn't bumping up my heart rate to match the activity.  Consequently I'd run out of air.  New rate response settings brought my heart rate much more quickly and sustained that level.  

So you may need an adjustment to the rate response on your pacemaker.  Hope this helps.  
 

Heart rate high

by KF - 2021-05-30 13:54:46

I walk and cycle, but mostly walk. I live in the Hudson Valley in New York. I was out walking this past February for a half hour. It was 45 degrees and windy as hell. I took my BP and pulse right after the walk. BP was 151 over 91 and my pulse was 103. It took several hours for my heart rate to recover back to 80. Turns out after some research that in cold weather the blood vessels constrict, heart works harder to push blood through the arteries and up goes everything. I also noted on hot days (90 degrees +) I get a BP reading of 108 over 68 and a pulse of 70. Also in my neck of the "woods" allergies abound with everything growing around me. Stay well, stay hydrated. FYI, I have a Medtronic azure xt , one year old.

Re

by HeartyOne - 2021-05-30 16:26:32

Hi all, 

Thanks for you're time & answers

I think my question was potentially too expansive & vague, so I do apologise.

I am 38 no other conditions that I am aware of apart from AV block 2:1, not feeling tired, dizzy,lethargic or feeling any pain or discomfort. Had some slight muscle weakness in the claves & getting slightly winded after ascents (not all the time though) 

I walked 13 mile on the flat yesterday, had no issues at all. Did a 10 mile bike today and was fine on the flat not pushing to much but a good steady pace, had a few hills & responded well enough but the last finally hill definitely winded me. 

Overall, I definitely know that something just isn't quite right, hoping that it is just a settings adjustment as mentioned, but feel I will have to push for a stress test with my healthcare provider to investigate further.

Thanks again

Kieran 

Maybe it's nor HR related

by LaserDad - 2021-07-26 23:53:06

It's taken 13 years for my doctors to figure out that my eratic performance issues were from low iron, caused by Celiac Disease.  They kept telling me that I was in great shape for my age, and I should be happy. 

I am now 65, and, over the last 5 years, have had proceedures for Atrial Flutter, AFIB, and a PM installed, but I had to prove that something wasn't right, each time.  Don't stop pushing your doctors to get results.  They don't understand athletes and think that we should be happy being like normal patients.

Now that I'm not eating wheat flour, my iron is up, and I'm not winded like I used to be, even though my Medtronic Azure doesn't help increase my HR when I need it.

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