Min BPM pacemaker

Hello all

Finally decided to join this interesting forum after reading it for a while now.

I have something I do not understand and do not know what is wrong with my pacemaker Medtronic: has minimum BPM set to 55. However there are times mostly during the night that my Garmin Forerunner 35 detects minimum of 49- 50 BPM. Even a recent Holter study detected it. The sensibility setting was increased to 0.90 I guess but it still happens.

Before I knew this is happening I was totally with total peace of mind that pacemaker is doing the job.Now I am a little worried and do not understand why these below min rates happen.

 

Any clue ?Have you had such cased?

 

Thanks

 

 

7 Comments

close is ok

by Tracey_E - 2018-08-23 20:32:35

When we talk about 60 bpm, we don't really mean 60 beats in a minute but rather one beat per second. That's how it's programmed, in fractions of a second. If the heart goes a second without a beat, it kicks in with pacing. Over the course of a minute, that will work out to approximately 60, but not always exactly. Also, pvc's and pac's - little half beats between the full beats- will throw off the count. If you were getting 40 or even 45, I'd be concerned, but you're close enough that it's statisticallly not under your minimum. 

But...

by AgentX86 - 2018-08-23 21:43:45

PACs and PVCs will increase the number of beats in a minute.  I wouldn't be concerned if it were only his watch but a holter also measured almost a 20% difference.  I'd want a reasonable answer from my EP.   PACs and PVCs don't do it for me.

Well being is not a number. How do you feel?

by Gotrhythm - 2018-08-25 15:52:21

What did the Holter monitor study show?

PACs and PVCs can both increase and decrease the bpm. Go figure.  Anyway, as long as you're feeling okay, I wouldn't worry about numbers that seem a little off. Your pacemaker is working.

Comment

by Flymexico2010 - 2018-08-25 16:44:56

Well I feel good.I had a regular holter study performed and there a minimum of 39 bpm were registered during the night.In that time iI had a min of 55 setup.So the sensitivity was increased from 1.2 to 0.9 because that was not right.Since then The lowest my watch registered was around 49 bpm now that I have min of 55 day and night.

Sorry but what is PAC and PVC?

PAC/PVC

by Tracey_E - 2018-08-27 16:00:28

Premature atrial contractions/ premature ventricular contractions. They are little half beats between the full beats. Most everyone has at least some. Some feel them, some don't. They are harmless but can be annoying.

use the second hand

by dwelch - 2018-08-27 23:33:40

There are lots of posts about devices that can detect your pace and how not all if any work with pacers.

Use a good old fashioned clock on the wall or a watch with a second hand or a timer on your phone, whatever.  Take a FULL minute, fingers on your wrist or neck, dont shortcut.  

If your fitness monitor doesnt match, then oh well, dont worry about it.  As pointed out above the pacer is not going to try to have one beat every 55/60ths of a second, not how it works.  A holter reading may very well have lots of single beats that are slow and some that are not. 

Count them out for a full minute, no shorter.

 

Thanks

by Flymexico2010 - 2018-08-29 01:51:23

Thank you all for your comments.

Have any of you had less bpm registered as it qas the minimum value set for the  pacemaker?

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