Heart Rate while exercising

Hi all, I've had my PM for about 6 weeks now for complete heart block. one thing that's worrying me a wee bit is that when i exercise (say run for 5 mins or fst walk for 30) my rate only goes up to about 80 even though i'm out of breath. alos after exercise i have slight SOB for a couple of days and feel tired. any one else experienced something similar? i can't tell if there's a problem or if i'm just unfit!

many thanks
Mar

4 Comments

well...

by Tracey_E - 2008-07-15 09:07:46

The conditions that lead up to getting a pm can get you out of shape so it could be that you just need to work up slowly. I know I was in horribly shape when I got my first one, I'd been nearly bedridden for months.

Are you on any medications that could keep your hr down?

It could also be that your settings need tweaked, they often do the first few months you have a pm. I'd call and ask to have it checked. If they don't see anything on the pm report, ask for a stress test to see what's going on.

you're welcome

by Tracey_E - 2008-07-15 10:07:16

Sounds like settings. I wouldn't wait 4 weeks, they shouldn't mind seeing you sooner. If you were asymptomatic before, you should be now also. It's not serious, but there's also no reason to go a month getting out of breath when it's probably an easy fix. This is completely normal, they will not be surprised to hear from you!

thanks!

by Mar - 2008-07-15 10:07:17

Thanks Tracey, not on any medication no and I was asymptomatic. I was active before the PM but my heart rate was about the same as it is now, that's how I discoverd there might be a problem as my friend's were averaging 120 to 150 bmp after the same amount of exersion. I guess I was expecting it my HR to shoot up during exercise with the PM. It probably does need tweaking, I have my first check up in 4 week so we'll see!

thanks again

Low HR

by SMITTY - 2008-07-15 11:07:43

Hello Mar,

I've had a pacemaker since 2000 and I have been down the road you find yourself on. After being on a treadmill for 30 min my heart rate may reach 85. My PM has a low set point of 70 which means my HR increase was minimal. Now I'm old and fat which means I expected my HR to be well above a hundred. In my younger days the same exercise would've given me a 110 to 120 HR. One complaint to my EP and they activated the rate response and gave me a PM range of 70 to 120. With the help of the rate response I would be at about 105 after my walk on the treadmill. I still had SOB bbecauseI am out of shape, but it is very short lived.

Let me add, that while the rate response will increase the heart rate during exercise, everything comes with a price. In my case they could never get the settings quite right and the rate response would cause the ventricle to start contracting a millisecond before the atrial finished its job. This resulted in what amounted to back pressure on the mitral valve which was sometimes painful. There are a few other unwanted side effects that are possible, but not every one runs into side effects.

I mention all this in case your pacemaker has the rate response feature and your doctor decides to activate it, should you run into more items that you cannot explain, it can be the rate response. But, based on what you say, I think the possibility of activating the rate response is worth mentioning to your doctor.

Good luck,

Smitty

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It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.