Pacing or...?

Hi all! Merry Christmas Eve!

Sooo...I primarily had my device implanted 4 years ago for the ICD function but I also have the pacemaker function. Today, I was just resting on the couch and I got a little startled by what felt like a small electrical impulse. It felt a bit like what it feels like when they test my device at checkups. I have a little device at home that can check your pulse, so my husband put it on my finger almost right away. My pulse was in the 50's at the time. Could it be that I was being paced?? My condition is Arrhythmogenic Mitral Valve Prolapse, so I'm not paced regularly like most of you. Should I be worried that my heart rate went down into the 50's?

2 Comments

Bradycardia

by AgentX86 - 2022-12-24 22:40:36

A heart rate in the 50s, by itself, isn't usually a problem. Since it's a new symptom, I'd sure raise the issue to my cardiologist as soon as possible.  The pacemaker part of your ICD should keep you out of trouble depending on how it's configured.  It might be set to 50 and your heart is trying to go below that.  This is something you should be discussing with your doctor.  Something has changed and it needs to be understood.

Heart rate fluctuations/pacemaker stabilisation programmes running ?

by Gemita - 2022-12-25 02:20:49

Lildanishgirl, good morning and happy Christmas. I agree with AgentX86 that it would be best to check with your doctors the significance of your recent symptom, since it appears to be a new one.  I would send a transmission in to your clinic to get them to check your heart rate and rhythm and what triggered your symptom at the time.  50 bpm by itself wouldn't concern my doctors.  What is your lower rate setting?

I wonder whether it could be related to an increase in your recent beta blocker since I recall your doctors wanted to increase dosage to give better protection against your arrhythmias.  

Perhaps your heart rate keeps crashing and your device is kicking in to restore heart rate and this is what you felt?  My main concern would be to prevent any unnecessary shocks either from a sudden fall or increase in heart rate.  It could be that your device or medication may need adjusting if your symptoms increase or are difficult to tolerate?

I often get that "dropping" feeling in my stomach area when my tachy arrhythmias start.  This for me is often due to my pacemaker programmes kicking in to help control (stabilise) sudden, fluctuating heart rates.

Hope the little one is doing well.  

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