Rate of pacing

I was at the technicians yesterday for a check up of my PM.

She said that the upper chamber of my heart was pacing at the rate of 80%. What happens if the pacing rate goes up?

Can someone explain this to me? Is 80% something to be concerned about?

Thanks,

Pinkie

5 Comments

Good Question...

by donr - 2012-02-10 02:02:21

...That no one ever thinks to ask the tech or cardio when told that! It is MOST LIKELY nothing to be concerned about - unless it goes up because there is a deterioration in your condition.

This question is the same as "How long is a piece of string." It depends. In this case on how much pacing your heart requires. Some folk's atria are paced very little; others 100% - then there are all those in the big nebulous middle - you are a member of the huge, huddled masses!

You really have to ask your cardio this question, because it depends on your particular circumstances - it may be serious or just "Ho hum." Depends on what your cause for the PM is. F'rinstance: I'm paced at 99+% in my atria; essentially by design. I have a severe PVC problem, solved by rather massive doses of drugs to induce bradycardia (Slow HR) followed by my PM that brings my HR up from about 58 BPM to an acceptable 75 BPM. I was a natural 72 BPM all my life & that is as close to normal as they could get.

Second F'rinstance: Someone who has had an ablation to totally destroy their Atrial sinus node will have NO rate of their own - that capability was destroyed by the ablation. They are paced 100%, again by design.

The huge middle can be paced for varying percentages w/ as many explanations as there are people in it.

Don't you just love nebulous answers? But they are real & do describe the situation some times.

You did not give us enough info about your cause for the PM to get a more specific answer. If you embellish your description, there is someone here who can wax poetically about your case.

Cheers!

Don

Rate of Pacing

by R.A. Celtnieks - 2012-02-10 02:02:47

Thank you Don for your quick response.

I received my pacemaker 14 months ago for problems with Sick Sinus Syndrome and fainting spells where my blood pressure drops down to 40 over 30 from time to time. Evidentally I have had this problem every now and again and after being admitted to the ER in an hour or so I was feeling good and usually discharged.

October a year ago I fainted on a day trip to an apple festival in PA. I was able to get off the bus and walk over to the first aid stationwith the help of the tour guide. After putting the blood pressure cuff on me they started an EKG and off I was rushed to Gettysburg Hospital. Two days later the pacemaker was put in at York Hospital in PA and back to Maryland I came with no apples from the festival but more importantly with the needed pacemaker that I guess my body was flirting around with for years. That is the story. Can you add anything else to my original question?

Pinkie

100% paced

by Janey L - 2012-02-10 04:02:18

Hi. I'm 100% atrial paced as my sinus node doesn't work following 2 ablations near it (2nd one damaged my sinus node). I ended up with sick sinus syndrome with chronotropic incompetence (HR did not go up on exertion). That was last June & I had my PM implanted last September. Now I feel great & I'm not worried about the 100% atrial pacing as it means I can function normally again & I have my life back. Before the PM I felt TERRIBLE.

I'm only 0.1% ventricle paced as my AV node works fine. I think if that % pacing went up I might be asking my techs & EP why.

What was your atrial pacing % before? Has it gone up a lot?

Best wishes
Janey

I'd a'guessed SSS...

by donr - 2012-02-10 05:02:57

...but that wold have been stretching my luck.

The MOST important question for you is: "How do you feel PPM (Post PM)?" Sounds like you are pleased w/ the results, but curious as to how to interpret all that has happened to you & what the PM is doing now. Trust me, you are not riding a Great White Stallion, firing silver bullets & having an Indian companion named "Tonto." A lot of us get surprised by the requirement for a PM. I, likewise, went into the hosp feeling punk after my sensible pulse dropped to 35. Two days later my cardio's head nurse walked into my room waving a sheaf of paper shouting "Eureka! I have found it!" or words to the effect. At least she wasn't wearing a towel around her after rapidly exiting a bath tub. Then she announces to Wife & me that I needed a PM. 15 min later, hosp maintenance arrived w/ the ladder & she climbed up to the ceiling to get me where I was swatting flies. Not that I freaked out or anything like that. After that, I've been happier than a clam w/ my PM & what it's done for me.

(Sorry to digress). But, if you feel good, that is what counts, not how frequently you are paced. Janey, who posted just before this, felt rotten for a long time - now feels great & is paced 100% in the atria. But - it took several months of them tweaking her PM settings to get her that way, There is a lady in Alaska who also falls into that category. Which raises the question - "Have they tweaked your settings?" Followed by another question (I'm just full of them): What are your NORMAL HR & what are the upper & lower limit settings?" If your normal HR is significantly lower than your lower limit setting, you will be paced in the atrium a high % of the time. Another question: "Are you taking any drugs that affect HR?"

I am not a SSS guy, so other than these generalities, I cannot answer many questions. I think you have now given other folks enough to add a comment or two.

Cheers!

Don

Thanks Don

by Miss Emily - 2012-02-20 05:02:07

I have my 2-week check-up coming Friday and just reading your response has given me so many positive feelings I am looking forward to that check-up. I have questions, but when you said "But, if you feel good, that is what counts. . ." - that is what I am shooting for.

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Hi, I am 47 and have had a pacemaker for 7 months and I’m doing great with it.