pacemaker S606

I am a 64 year old male, was a vigorous tennis player, no health problems except bradychardia (HR 40). First pacemaker in 2001 at age 52. Now my 3rd pacemeker S606 put in June 2012. Since then, when I try to play, even at the first point running up and down, I get serious shortness of breath/chest tightness, and I can't run. Wait a few minutes, I am fine. No wheezing. Several settings were tried, no change. Setting is at 60, Holter monitor with event monitor was done, normal findings, Stress Echo done, normal findings through stage 4.
I can run on a tread mill slowly increasing speed from 2.5 to 4.5 miles mph and stay at that speed for 10 minutes without any discomfort. So, my shortness of breath/chest tightness (no pain or dizziness) happens only when I run up and down like in tennis or racquet ball, even at the first point. I used to play vigorously with my previous pacemakers.I can also feel tiny discomfort like this when I quickly run up the stairs. Routine activities are fine.
Never a smoker, never overweight. Only medications 5mg Crestor and 81mg aspirin.

Any body had similar problems with S606?

2 Comments

Tennis and stuff

by gleesue - 2014-04-04 01:04:55

I am a very active guy doing lots of activities and tennis is one of my favorite. I notice that it takes a little time to warm up. You mention slowly increasing your speed on the treadmill and everything is great. I find, even at tennis once I get going everything is fine. I do a lot hard bike riding and also find that after a minute or two after some hard breathing everything settles down.

You may just need to take a minute to get things going. One thing my EP said though is that if it wasn't speeding up fast enough just put your hand on it a shake it a bit. That fools it and it thinks you are working harder.

Jerry

Hi jokannar

by IAN MC - 2014-04-04 12:04:07

I am still a vigorous tennis player although I'm older than you ( dammit ! )

You don't say why you've got a PM but your symptoms, which I have also had , sound very much like a lazy sinus node which doesn't kick in immediately when you start charging up and down a tennis court. It is quite an explosive sort of HR increase requirement.

I know nothing about the S606 as I have a Medtronic and I had mine adjusted half an hour ago. as it happens .

Have your PM gurus tried every variation in the Rate Response settings assuming that you have it switched on ?

There are all sorts of algorithms for the RR setting and certainly one of them caters for just the problem which you describe.

The fact that you have only experienced this since changing pacemakers i ) may be a co-incidence ii) may reflect the settings or iii) or may indicate that your sinus node has changed .

But I am only guessing , if you have a PM for heart-block then forget everything I've said !

I hope you find the solution.

Ian

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