I breath hard going up hills

I had pacemaker put in 2015 because I had bradycardia. I am 63 now and have always kept myself in good shape, In the last year or so when I take a walk in morning 4 miles or so I feel good but when I get to a hill I have a hard time catching my breath. I am really having a hard time going up a big hill----WHY.  I otherwise feel fine. It just seems lately I have a hard time catching my breath if I run even for a little bit. My blood pressure is ok.  Does anyone else have this problem. 

4 Comments

SOB under exertion

by AgentX86 - 2021-11-12 15:19:51

Well, don't we all...  ;-)

Seriously, you may need a tuneup.  I walk a lot and will sometimes huff and puff up a good hill (or a couple of sets of stairs). 

I assume that you have rate response turned on.  If so, your pacemaker can only respond to the beat of your feet.  It has no idea how much work your expending to move your feet.  When walking up a hill, your feet may be moving at the same rate as you would if you were walking on the flats (or slower, making things worse).  However, you're expeding significantly more energy doing so, so you need more oxygen.  Your lungs know this but your heart doesn't get the message.  Since the heart isn't pumping enough blood to satisfy the body's needs, the body will try to compensate by packing more oxygen into the blood that is getting. so you breathe harder.

If you really want to feel this, push a full weelbarrow up a hill.  It makes one think he's a total couch-potato.  I have my PM's sensitivity set to the max but it's not enough.  I now hire that stuff out.  It just doesn't work.

HEART RATE

by doublehorn48 - 2021-11-12 16:35:57

Had similar problem.  Went in for my yearly pm interrogation a couple of months ago.  Tech said that my heart rate was set at 95. She reset it to 105.  I now climb stairs without getting short of breath.

Going up hills

by TAC - 2021-11-13 13:14:41

Being short of breath during exertion, may be something unrelated to your pacemaker. It could be a sign of cornary heart disease or heart valve disease. You better check it with your heart doctor.

changes in response to exertion

by Persephone - 2021-11-13 17:22:07

TAC has a good point, ROBO - hopefully PM setting adjustments will address your issues, but your doc may recommend testing if you don't experience improvement from adjustments.  May be relevant or not, but I know when I'm feeling anxious or let myself get dehydrated or have not had a good night's sleep, I will feel SOB on inclines.  Take care and try to keep doing what you can - it's important to try to stay active.

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