Question

I have only had my pacemaker 6 days now but feel like I'm pacing too fast. My resting heart rate was in low 40's and now PM has me at 60. I'm wondering if they will turn me down a bit and gradually move up! Anyone else feel a constant pounding in the right ear after getting there's? Also, had low blood pressure prior to PM and now on medication.

4 Comments

Call 'em

by cliffbennett - 2011-07-11 02:07:39

I hope you have a call in to the PM clinic or whatever they call it in your hospital.

Mine's been in 2 weeks. I was feeling the pacing kind of directly in my heart whenever I moved around much. Like it was trying to fix something that wasn't broken. Riding in a car on a rough road made it think I was exercising and it would speed up my heart rate.

So I had them turn off the rate response function, which tries to calculate and match some sort of "correct" heart rate based on its sensor readings. I didn't need that function.

I got the PM because of a resting heart rate in the low 30s, even though I wasn't passing out or having other difficulties. They set the demand function at 50 for me and I feel fine. So, yes, they can set it lower -- it would depend on what the doctor thought was OK in your case.

You said you "...had low blood pressure prior to PM and now on medication. That implies you didn't need blood pressure medication before the PM and now you have high blood pressure without it. Why did they think you needed a pacemaker to begin with?

Pulse in the 40s, coupled with low blood pressure doesn't seem that bad. If you were under 50, exercised regularly and were in athletic shape there would seem to be nothing wrong (in my humble, non-expert opinion).

Anyway, you shouldn't feel a pounding in your ear, and I'd say you should find out what's going on.

Let us know, OK?

why

by Tracey_E - 2011-07-11 03:07:09

Why did you get the pm? For some problems such as heart block, the lower setting is irrelevant and the rate is all you. My rate went from the 30's to the 80's. My atria had always been going that fast, but now the ventricles were keeping up. And it felt really fast!! Like I'd been mainlining coffee. The feeling eventually went away, it's just a matter of getting used to it.

If your problem is the atria getting sluggish, something like SSS, then the lower limit determines your pulse. They may turn it down a bit if you ask but 60 is pretty normal.

The pm usually has no effect on bp. Sometimes it will be high for a bit after surgery as your body adjusts to the trauma but all a pm does is add beats when your heart goes too slowly.

When in doubt, call your dr and ask.

this is why

by thesuz - 2011-07-11 03:07:16

I do have a call in to the doc office. Low 40's had become my resting rate but would drop to 30 while sleeping. One episode of passing out. SSS is the dx. I was an avid exerciser! I'm hoping just turning it down a little will help all the new symptoms go away!!! Thanks for all the input!

low rest rate too.

by climber - 2011-07-11 03:07:48

My rest rate is in the low 40's too. That's been put down to a high level of exercise over the years, I'm now 49 and still running and mountain walking etc. Due to av block I had my pm fitted last October. My pm is set at 40. It has taken over 8 months to start to feel normal'ish. Still get a few palps. The feeling of the pm on my shoulder still bugs me. Time will heal, so they say.

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