Garminn not showing heart rate

I have been a competive cyclist since 1965. On Febuaury 22 / 2018 I had a CRT Pacemaker implanted because I was diagnosed with 3rd Degree heart block. After a few adjustments I'm feeling great and back on the Bike puting in some modest miles. 

The problem I'm having is that the Heart Rate sensor no longer works I believe the three leads are blocking the sensor. I have tryed a Polar monitor for the wrist and the problem still exist..

Has anyone had this problem and have you found a device that works with the CRT pacemaker maybe the Fitbit or other monitors. 

5 Comments

ditto

by Tracey_E - 2018-09-05 10:38:00

I was never able to find one that works, the pacer either throws it off or keeps it from giving any reading at all. Ask to try it in the store before you buy. They don't like to do that, but when I spoke with the manager and explained why I wanted to try them out, they let me. I went through every monitor in two chain stores and one specialty running store, no luck.  I go by how I feel now. If I can talk but not sing, if I'm feeling strong, then I figure my rate is good. Being paced means we don't fit in those neat charts anymore, so the numbers don't mean that much anyway. Some days I get a great workout at 130, other days I'm 160, same exertion. 

I haven't tried one of the watches that does hr but others have had better luck with them.

Heart monitor

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-05 10:59:00

The heart rate monitor on my Fitbit Blaze works as well it ever has. They tend to over-count so sometimes it shows a wacky-high number but over all it's being good, perhaps a bit better than before I had the pacemaker implanted. Unfortunately it appears that FitBit no longer makes the Blaze so I don't know what I'll replace it with when it dies.

 

Polar A300 and 2 lead PM

by Going Forward - 2018-09-05 18:57:10

I've only had my PM about 3 weeks and also questioned whether my Polar A300 chest strap monitor would work, interfere or what. I found and article by St Jude (I have a St Jude) saying that they had tested for interference with a Polar chest strap so I put it on and was happily surprised that it worked. But maybe it is that 3rd lead blocking it. 

I wanted to find out whether my PM was responding appropriately to exercise--otherwise I won't be wearing it. 

3 leads = 2 spikes.

by DampDog - 2018-09-06 09:54:59

I suspect the reason they have so much trouble reading the correct heart rate is due to each heartbeat having 2 pacing spikes. (you only need 1 with a 2 lead) A CRT generates 2 spikes (pulses) in quick succession. One for the right chamber and a sync pulse for the left chamber. Because the pulses are so close together they probably simply cannot be read, or are filtered out as noise as the device is looking a single pulse of electrical activity.

You can read your pulse using one of the cheap little pulse-oximeters and they use light to monitor the blood flow.

Garmin

by Needy - 2018-11-01 00:45:41

I have a CRT with three wires. I have a Garmin 920XT and have had no issues picking up my heart rate. 

You know you're wired when...

Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.

Member Quotes

The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.