Pacemaker sleep rate

Hello to all, My pacemaker, which I’ve had for about a year, has a sleep rate, as I guess most others have, and it is set at 50bpm, from 3AM to 11AM. Strange hours, but not for me because I do my best reading and film watching till about 2 or 3 in the morning. Of course you know I’m old and retired, but I try to stay young at heart. But my pacemaker is not helping: it will not keep the settings for sleep time and keeps changing on its own. I had it adjusted at least five times in the last few months. My doctor keeps telling me it will work this time, but it doesn’t. So it will go into sleep rate at 2 or earlier and earlier and kick in the same way, earlier and earlier. However, the worst part about all of this is:  that for the last two weeks, or more, when it goes into sleep rate my arrhythmias come on. That is to say PVCs, PACs, Palpitations, etc. I’m wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I would very much appreciate any post that might shed some light on any of this because it’s driving me up the wall. Thanks

5 Comments

see enclosed http

by Selwyn - 2011-02-28 04:02:33

http://www.springerlink.com/content/g54142415gv6n133/

to Hot heart

by awlright10 - 2011-02-28 05:02:06

Hi, nice to meet you. Yes, sleep rates are in all PM or have been for a long time. It's set by your doctor to the time you let him know you'll be sleeping, naturally. When that time arrives the memory kicks in and the pacing slows down as usually happens in a heart without a PM when a person is asleep. In most people the normal sleep rate is lower than in the awake rate.

wow! you learn something new every day!

by Hot Heart - 2011-02-28 11:02:56

I had no idea that there was such a thing as sleep rate. Is this something new?

HH

Noooo such luck

by awlright10 - 2011-03-01 05:03:35

Hi Hot Heart, No way. Sleep rates don't stop you from getting up. It just means the heart is beating slower, nothing else. If you start walking around the rate climbs right back up. In short, the PM picks up the fact that you're in need of a higher rate and it goes into it. Smart little buggers aren' they. Sometimes I have to get up earlier and although I don't feel the same my heart starts beating at 60bpm which is my regular rate. That's the way it was explained to me by my doctor. PMs have what is called a sensiing device. It keep track of the heart's natural electrical activity. It sends impulses to the heart which is what we call pacing. For example, if the PM senses tha the heart is beating too slowly or pausing for too long, it sends tiny electrical impulses. These impulses are too slight to be felt but they stimulate the heart muscle to contract and pump more blood. On the other hand, if the PM senses that the heart is beating at a proper rate, it goes "on demand" and stands by until it is needed. The instant the heart starts beating too slowly or pauses, the PM will begin pacing again. This sensing function can be adjusted or "Programmed" by your doctor to meet your particular needs. These PMs are called "Rate Adaptive PMs." So I'm afraid you'll have to make the coffee. (LOL). and all the best. awlright.

wow thanks!!!

by Hot Heart - 2011-03-01 08:03:33

I had no idea. Soooooo next weekend and its my turn to get up and make the tea I can tell my husband its my pacemaker stopping me from getting up, not the weather. lol.

HH

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