Heart Rate below Pacemaker setting.

Hi!
I have a adapta dr pacemaker and was wondering if anyone had issues with their heart rate being lower than their pacemaker setting? Mine is set at 60. Their are some days that I have had my heart rate taken and it is at 49-51 for several hours and I'm unusually tired..which is why I check the heart rate. Is this an allowable deviation? I do not have a different night setting. Im doing fine but am very curious...

5 Comments

Information, Please...

by donr - 2013-11-04 01:11:06

Joanna: What do you have your PM for? Pls go to the profile page & complete the entries.

Next question - what are the arrhythmias you have NOW? Are they PVC's, by chance? That would really influence my answer to you.
Don

Joanna

by Joanna H. - 2013-11-04 01:11:20

Will do!! Thanks!

Hysteresis setting?

by lbdina - 2013-11-04 03:11:11

Could it be a hysteresis setting? If your basic rate is set to 60 and hysteresis is 20%, the PM would allow your heart rate to drop to 48 (20% below 60 bpm) before kicking in and pacing you at 60.

Mine also has a rest rate, set to 10 bpm below my basic rate, and that threw me at first. I thought my PM wasn't working right, but was doing exactly what it was programmed to do.

I'd guess it is mostly a setting.

Joanna

by Joanna H. - 2013-11-04 05:11:25

The docs said I was a pauser?...Heart would just stop for 8 seconds then surprise pop back up to normal. I believe Sinus Bradycardia is the closest thing they can assign. My pvc's have always been normal. I'm still waiting on the VA to call back to verify the hysteresis setting...lol It could be awhile. Thanks to all for the advice!

call

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-04 12:11:41

I would call. It's ok for it to be a few beats under the lower limit but not more than that. Could your lower limit be 50?

How are you getting your number? If using a monitor, try counting manually because sometimes the monitors are inaccurate for us.

You know you're wired when...

You have an excuse for gaining an extra ounce or two.

Member Quotes

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.