cycling after pacer

Well it has been one year since I had my pacer installed Medtronic ADDR01011D
I cycle up to 300 miles per week and have entered several races including a 200km just 18 days after the pacer was installed. I found out that the Doctor that did the install did just an "out of the box" install and had to go to a different doctor for 2 adjustments. That took care of the problems I had (minor)
I have noticed that my Polar heart monitor will show readings of up to 230bpm but have no feeling of shortness of breath etc so more or less just ignore. By the way I am a73 year old male. and have always been very active. I did notice my race times were about 10 % slower than before the syncope and resulting crash but that could be caused by the other injuries I suffered.
Hope this will encourage some who are wondering if they can get back to exercising.
Mitch

11 Comments

Discomfort around pacer during excercise

by maryanne - 2008-04-27 07:04:14

this is in response to Around Pacer.....I generally do not have discomfort when excercising with weights.....but there have been times....I just reposition myself....if it becomes to boresome I just stop and perform the activity another way....you have to remember that our PM's are sitting around muscle...if we strenghen our muscle it does put pressure on the PM...but that is not dangerous...just causes a funny feeling for me...I'd rather continue to excercise than worry about a little discomfort I get when I excercise.....good luck with it.....but at the end of the day if it continues to cause you concern you should always check with your doctor.....cheers!

Around Pacer

by lahbigbro6 - 2008-04-27 07:04:51

I was wondering does your pacer site hurt after. When I do light hand weights, the muscles under my pacemaker are sore.

HR readings

by Mitch - 2008-04-28 01:04:41

The monitor has the chest band. The interesting thing is for the first several mo. after the pacer was put in I did not notice any problems. Then I would see a few very short time spikes and they did show up when they checked the Pacer. As time went by these "spikes" started lasting longer and now will show for almost the entire ride. I usually work out at about a 130 to 140 range so double would be 260+ the highest I have recorded is 233 I have taken the bike computer off and determined that it is not the cause. The cardiologist says it is atrial fib since it shows on the pacer check. I don't think so since even after 2-3 hour work out I'm not short of breath or any unusual symptoms. Also interesting is if I stop cranking it still stays high but if I stop it drops back to wherever it should be. That made me think it was the bike computer interfearing but not

around pacer

by Mitch - 2008-04-28 01:04:43

No i do not notice any unusuall soreness around the pacer during or following exercise.

More

by Mitch - 2008-04-28 01:04:52

Also it is interesting that it does not happen on the mt. bike??? Got to be related to the bike somehow? The VA fitted me with a Holter but when I took it back I have never heard back form the VA Doc and phone calls not returned,, Good ol VA Guess that is supposed to mean "no problem" Hope I am still going strong at 78. I hike in the mts a lot too but can't run any more since I had knee replaced. Tks for the reply

HR readings

by ElectricFrank - 2008-04-28 12:04:45

Does the polar HR monitor use the electrical ECG method of measurement (instead of the finger tip light method)? If so the pacemaker pulses can cause the monitor to incorrectly read the HR. What it can do is to read the pacer pulse and the actual heart beat as two beats. This will give a reading that is double the actual HR. In your case the read of 230 would actually result from a HR of 115. This sounds reasonable for someone in your condition, age, and the way you feel.
I am just short of 78 and also in good shape. Great isn't it! Glad you got the pacer adjusted.

frank

HR Monitor and Cycling

by dtread - 2008-05-04 01:05:34

Mitch, I have a Medtronic Adapta ADDR01 and use an older model Polar Heart Rate Monitor (Edge model) and have seen no problems like you describe while cycling. I have a couple of suggestions. One is to make sure that you have good conductiveness with your chest strap. Either a good wetting down on the chest strap contacts with water before you go out riding, or try heart rate monitor creme called "buh-bump". I'd also suggest that you contact the VA and get the results from your Holter readings. Lastly, I'd suggest that you get the VA to get you on the Holter again, and this time go out on your bike and make sure that you get the erratic readings while you're wearing both the Holter and the Polar. Then check with the VA after you turn the Holter in to see what the Holter recorded. This way it will either indicate that you have a heart rhythm problem or a problem with the Polar. From what you describe I think its a problem with the Polar, but best to find out for sure. Good luck, Dan

HR monitor and cycling

by Mitch - 2008-05-05 04:05:34

Dan:
Tks for the comments. I have done all the good things to assure good contact and it has not made any difference at all. When I wore the Holter I did cycle and had the high heart rate, I noted the times etc.
I just read a few days ago an article that said the El Paso VA is rated the worst in the nation!! Boy do I believe that, I have left 4 messages for the cardio unit to call---nada. So now I am going to set up to see a cardiologist in a local civilan clinic. See how that goes.
I agree, I think it is with the monitor but I sure would like to know. One bike crash at 30mph is enough!

Pulse rate

by dtread - 2008-05-05 09:05:51

Mitch, sorry to hear about all your problems with VA. I have HMO and they have their drawbacks at times, but I can usually get some kind of response. You know anybody that could loan you another heart rate monitor? Not sure whether this would work, but here is a thought about how you might solve this: When you're out cycling and get the high heart rate, maintain it for a period of time, then (if possible) try to take your pulse for a 15 second count while riding, either off your wrist or your carotid artery. This may not be feasible due to road bumps, etc. (I guess you'd need a pretty smooth road). If so, perhaps you could stop the bike quickly and try to get a 15 second pulse. If your heart rate is around 140 you should get a 15 second count of around 35. If your heart rate is around 230 you would get a 15 second count around 58. All this would not be necessary if you could get some answers from the VA. Sorry to hear about the crash - folks have been killed at 30 mph. Be careful out there! -Dan

Dan

by Mitch - 2008-05-09 02:05:23

Tell me about folks being killed!!! That was too close for comfort. I have had two surgeries since and will be paying for it for with loss of ability and pain for the rest of my life. Anyhow---I have tried what you suggested and found no increase in HR When i ask the doctor about this he said that Atri fib will not be felt but the monitor will pick it up. It does show when they put the computer on the pacer. He said that short periods of AF are nothing to worry about but It is no longer short. I just am not really convinced that AF is what is going on but somthing is recording on the pacer. I think from what I can find out, that I should be feeling shortness of breath after an hour or so and I do not. No I don't know anyone to borrow a monitor from. Whenever I take a hard hike I will record a short cycle of elevated HR same on the mt. bike but never very long. I finally got an appt with the cardiologist and will see him on June 3. I would just like to know what is going on and not be left wondering. By the way the accident was 40 miles East of Roswell, so I say the aliens tried to grab me and dropped me. Also tell my biking buddies that I have electronic ignition now so if I can get fuel injection----
Mitch

Afib

by dtread - 2008-05-09 07:05:22

Mitch, since the pacer is picking it up and you have good connectivity with the Polar its sounding like you are having periodic episodes of tachycardia when exercising, and not a malfunction of the Polar. Too bad you can't get answers from the VA, particularly from wearing the Holter monitor. Anyway, I think you're doing the right thing getting it checked out. I'd recommend that you back off immediately on the exercise anytime you start getting the high heart rates. After the heart rate settles back down (in the same workout), see if you can continue the exercise at a lower pace and see where the heart rate goes. If it elevates again I would think you should quit exercising and come back on another day. Better to chalk it up as "well I tried, but I had a bad day" rather than trying to exercise despite the high heart rate and causing more problems. Meanwhile, continue the discussion with your civilian doctor and also the VA until you get this resolved. And watch out for those space aliens, they'll gobble you up and spit you out. Particularly in the Roswell area - I heard that's where they started their colony. Too bad some of them migrated to the Washington DC area where I live. -Dan

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