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I had a Saint Jude PM installed about two months ago.  I am very active (69 Years Old) and do about an hour of cardio on the elliptical or treadmill 6 days a week.  I also do some light weightlifting four of the six days. My heart rate used to be 48-50 is now set at 60.  I do have some anxiety from the procedure and get the jitters when I am resting, and the PM wants me at 60 beats.  I am getting ready for my first adjustment in the next ten days.


4 Comments

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by new to pace.... - 2022-10-08 15:45:39

that is the minimum that is set for pacemakers.  
Do make sure you tell them everything you do.  It might be good if you write down all your questions ahead of time.

Do come back and tell us what the tech did ,  and start a new thread.  

new to pace

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by AgentX86 - 2022-10-08 21:51:24

As New says, make sure your device tech and EP not only know your lifestyle but how you're feeling, including your exercise.

EPs often don't change the out-of-the box settings very much when they implant PMs.  Of course they'll set it up for your condition but rarely for your quality of life.  We're all so different that it doesn't make a lot of sense to take time to do it right then.  They're going to have to adjust things soon after so there's a chance to start optimizing the settings then.  You need to tell them everything you're feeling to start to get this right.  It may take some time to tune everything in.

They can set the pacing rate below 60bpm.  Mine is set to 50bpm at night (80 day) so that I can sleep better. There may be good reasons to change the resting rate below 60bpm but 60bpm is considered "normal".

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by Mad Hatter - 2022-10-08 23:33:43

As a lifelong runner my resting hr was around 50 and my pm was set at 50 at implantation.  I would press the doctor for this since you are having trouble adjusting to the higher rate. 

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by Good Dog - 2022-10-09 09:14:55

As previously suggested, you really need to convey to your Doc and/or Pacer Tech your history, current activities, and especially how your feeling before and after. Your concerns! My PM was set at a minimum of 60 bpm when implanted, but I was not comfortable at that rate and had trouble sleeping. I had always had a 1st degree block (congenital) and would go in and out of full heart block (3rd degree). Like you, my body had adjusted to a much lower rate for many years before the PM. It always dropped as low as 35 bpm while sleeping. So my Doc adjusted my minimum rate to 50 and I felt much better. At that rate I was usually in a 1st degree block, but that was not an issue. That worked for me and at a relatively young age, my heart still picked-up on its own with activity. I maintained that minimum rate for 35+ years now, but as I've become more PM dependant it is becoming a problem. My point is simply that as long as your heart rate is responding well to activity and your exercise (during and after), then you may be better served by a lower minimum rate (below 60). I think it depends to a large extent on how PM dependent you are. Ask your Doc.

Sincerely,

Dave

You know you're wired when...

You can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.

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I have a well tuned pacer. I hardly know I have it. I am 76 year old, hike and camp alone in the desert. I have more energy than I have had in a long time. The only problem is my wife wants to have a knob installed so she can turn the pacer down.