Settings ?

Hello again friends,
I am just wondering... there is so much talk about pacemaker settings.I and probably some others would like to know..exactly what settings are there on a pacemaker other than of course the high and low limits? Mabe this is one for our esteemed Electric Frank ? I know this would be so helpful to me right now as I will be going back to the cardio on tues for a stress test.(Have already had the veinous studies and complete pulmonary function tests over last 2 weeks) I still suspect a pacer setting may need to be adjusted for shortness of breath and leg (calf) pain/heaviness when walking any distance. I cant even really broach the subject without knowing anything at all.
---And folks wish me luck! for tuesday-- I think they may try to get me to run !? Lord have mercy I havent RUN in probably 35-40 years !! I dont know what may fly and who might get hit with it!! HA HA ! === I have been thinking that I will tell them that I "AM" running ! That I am running SO fast that they just cant see me move!...Do you think It'll work???

3 Comments

settings

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-15 05:03:35

Settings aren't for specific symptoms or pains, they are to increase how efficiently your heart beats. The idea is to get your heart beating the way it would be if you did not need a pm, as close to natural as possible.

Lower limit- this is the hr that your heart will never get below

Upper limit- this is how high your pm will pace you. This doesn't mean your hr won't go higher, it can go higher on its own but if you are ventricularly paced and your atrial rate goes higher, the pm will only know to keep up with the pm to your upper limit

There are various settings for delays- how long the pm will give your heart to beat on its own before stepping in

There are settings for how strong the impulse is that the pm generates

Rate Response is a setting that artificially increases your hr when it senses activity, it can be adjusted for sensitivity

They don't actually make you run most of the time. They start you with an easy walk. Every so often, like every two minutes, they increase the speed and increase the incline of the treadmill. Once you reach the target hr they are looking for, you are done.

PM Settings

by SMITTY - 2009-03-15 10:03:27


Hello Mrs. H,

I have a dual lead Medtronic PM. I have copies of my checkup printouts and I was just counted the different parameters for which the setting can be changed. I see more than 60 which means there is an almost infinite number of different settings combinations available for my pacemaker.

If you have a copy of a printout I suggest that you take it with you and point out the items of interest and ask your doctor for a definition or explanation. If you don't have a copy of a printout and would like to have one, private message me an email address and I'll send you a copy of one of mine. All identifying names and numbers have been removed. Of course it will have my settings which should not interfere with your asking questions. Even if your brand of pacemaker is not Medtronic I suspect all brands use pretty much the same terminology and could provide a base for your questions.

So, if you could use a copy of mine just let me know.

Smitty

Hi

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-16 12:03:16

Tracey covered it well so I won't go through it again.

One thing you may find is that they will do a "Cheimical Stress Test" which is where they give you an IV injection that causes your heart to work harder, rather than have you run on a treadmill. This is used where a person can't reach the levels of activity they need because of other physical problems. They also use it when Rate Response is turned on. With rate response all they are testing is the pacers response to exercise, not your hearts.

One exception is when they are trying to adjust the rate response to you and they use a treadmill to calibrate it.

frank, The Esteemed!

You know you're wired when...

Your ICD has a better memory than you.

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In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.