Skipp beats and tired

Hello just wanted some thoughts on my situation it just seems to never end unfortunately, had PM placed in March last year 2019...did treadmill test twice second time they got it more right...I was able to workout again....also had fast HR was put on Verapamil, I was ok from oct - dec until recently I started to notice when I worked out....it would drop fro a sec then go back to racing...and sometimes have palpitations....and just even more recently I'm noticing slight tiredness after climbing a status again and it sucks...I was feeling good just a few weeks ago to now this....I have check up soon...also when heart rate drops to 60bpm it kinda feel strange...and also is it bad I have fridge in my room a small one???


4 Comments

I can’t speak to most of that

by MissAshleigh - 2020-01-25 10:00:03

But your fridge is fine.

My PM is for SSS/Bradycardia, so I can't go below 60BPM's. Initially, they had me pacing, but it made me feel so weird & my heart would race & palpitate driving over speed bumps & potholes (Baltimore City is a Dumpster Fire!) The took that feature off for me. 
HOWEVER, I don't have a fast heart-rate issue. Someone else can answe this better than I can. Just don't worry about your refrigerator!

good luck,

ashleigh

Tachy-Brady Syndrome

by AgentX86 - 2020-01-25 11:27:57

Though it could be anything (your bio is really thin) but you apparently do have Tachy-Brady (fast/slow heart rate) will explain everything.  With this ususally goes some sort other arrhythmia (usually Afib or flutter).  Together it's your whole deal (but it could be just about anything with just these symptoms. Your EP should be explaining eactly what your problems are.

Given the above, your pacemaker can't do anything about tachycardia or arrhyhtmia.  It will take care of the Bradycadia - put a floor on your heart rate.  The rest may be really uncomfortable isn't all that serious, as long as you take care of the side effects. Anticoagulation may be required and keep your resting heart rate below 100bpm with drugs, if necessary. Vermapril is a calcium channel blocker, which will help keep the heart rate down.  The PM will keep it from going too low, so you have the highs and lows taken care of, in theory.  In practice, see your EP.

Stairs are often problematic, particularly if you have rate response turned on in your pacemaker.  Rate response is usually pretty stupid so doesn't know you're climbing stairs.  It thinks your walking so raises the heart rate accordingly (not enough for stairs).  I really don't understand why RR is so dumb, even a FitBit knows you're climbing stairs, but that's the way it is.  RR is also the reason that potholes will cause the heart to race.  It thinks you are, so it does to support your "exercise" level. Turning it off will avoid these problems but it will also keep it from adjusting your rate. If your sinus node is functional, RR should be off.  If you don't have normal SI node functionality (i.e. chronotropically incompetent) then RR is a necessary evil.

Yeah, the only danger of a refrigerator is what's in it and then only if taken internally.  ;-)

 

Thanks for feed backs

by Mrclassy - 2020-01-25 17:46:00

Yea I still don't understand all the terms I just know I can't go above 180 I think they told me most people with pacemakers can't go much more above because of a risk of going to high and being paced induced I guess the pace maker will think your have a afib, I have a ECG watch and have recorded some events on my own to show them, because one time I was running and I notice my heart felt strange then out of the blue a lot of fluttering and skips happend, I was glad to be recoding at the time it was happening, also as people with pacemakers, do we have to have treadmills all the time to adjust? Or can the pacemaker check ups show what's happening? I have wrote down the times and days it happens can they go back and look at it?

Can I go back?

by AgentX86 - 2020-01-26 01:10:22

Maybe.  You did the right thing in writing down the day and time for what you felt, though.  There is a chance your PM recorded the event.  Since it was tachycardia (fast heart rate) it probably did.  Skipped heartbeats, maybe.  If you can, it's best to initiate a remote interrogation when you feel the problem.  This way they can get all of the information.  Only some is stored and only if it's programmed to trigger on that event.

You might want to invest in an AliveCor Kardia Mobile. This is a device, about the size of a couple of sticks of gum, that turns your smart phone into a single or six lead (depending on the model) EKG.  You can take the EKG strips and email them to your EP for comment. AliveCor will also tell you what's going on, for a small fee.

Pacemakers have a limit on the heart rate to avoid Vtach or Vfib (unlike Afib or flutter, both deadly). The heart's AV node normally performs this service but in the case of heart block, the PM is performing the function of the AV node, it has to take that responsibility.

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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.