Upper Tracking

Hi All,

I have just been for my half yearly check up, the doctor has reviewed my pacemaker & analysed the recorded information on the PM, he has stated he is very happy with everything he sees & has given me the all clear to go travelling & engage in activities I enjoy, cycling & climbing etc.. With the guidance that I will now only require one yearly check up.

However, during my check ups I constantly state that I enjoy being active & enquire about optimal settings to be made to my PM, some of which were made last year.

However my upper tracking limit is set at 145, which seems quite low certainly for an active person, he is reluctant to increase the setting.

What is the potential reasoning for this reluctance? As I feel that having it set higher may help facilitate better excerise outcomes, certainly when I need to really push physical. From my research on this forum a lot of upper limits seem to be set around the 160 mark, for cyclist.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated 

I have AV block 2:1 (Morbitz) Age: 40

Dual Chamber Meditronic 

All the best 

Heartyone 

 

5 Comments

Upper limit

by doublehorn48 - 2022-04-04 12:38:18

I would simply ask my doctor why not to set the upper limit higher. My limit was always set at 160. I think pm's now are set even higher. There seems to be a reason he is reluctant.

Re

by HeartyOne - 2022-04-04 13:04:58

That's for the posting @ doublehorn48 

He was really elusive & stated that rising the limit would be better suited for me as I grow older.
Other then that he stated he was happy with the setting and where they are currently set.

I am in Germany & I have found that German doctors definitely tend to act very cautiously.

Data, data, data

by Gotrhythm - 2022-04-04 14:50:17

Part of what there is to learn on this living with a pacemaker is how to talk to doctors.

Doctors, in my experience, respond best to data. If you can do all you want to with an upper limit of 145, there is no need to change it.

If the limit of 145 hampers you, then there is the need for consultation about how your pacemaker can be better configured.

My advice is to go out there and see how you do with the present settings. Collect data as you do. Take the data with you when you see the doc again.

 

Re

by HeartyOne - 2022-04-04 16:33:50

Thanks @ Gotrhythm 

By way of data I would assume numbers, so are we talking getting a HR monitor and recording heart rate during physical activity, to see if my rate is pushing up to 140? 
The current setting I have suited me well for the past 6 months, however I feel that in certain situations like when out biking & getting out of the saddle to go uphill, that my output is not as consistent and I hit a wall. Many posts have mentioned upping the upper tracking rate to help aliviate this outcome. Problem is the doc isn't keen on adjusting the setting.

I will have a look through the forum for advice on HR Monitors.

Cheers

 

 

Upper Limit Setting

by Julros - 2022-04-04 17:39:34

I had a similiar issue with my former EP. He told me that 140 was as high as he would set my device because of my age (I was 63 at the time.). Subsequently, I spoke with the device nurse who advised I schedule a CAEP test with the manufacturer rep. I ran on a treadmill, and he adjusted my settings with a max rate of 155. 

That being said, many pacers don't repond well to the exertion required for cycling;  perhaps yours is more responsive. For my Boston Scientific, the max rate I achieve when cycling uphill, in and out of the saddle, is about 100. When running, I get to 155. I monitor this with an iWatch and a Garmin, and it seems to correspond with my device interrogations. 

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