Pacemaker in young adults

Reflex syncope

by AgentX86 - 2023-07-20 11:38:02

Hi Tyler, welcome to the pacemaker club (at least as a provisional member).

It seems the reflex syncope is caused by either Bradycardia or a sudden drop in blood pressure, due to some stimulus triggering the nervous system.  A pacemaker is an easy fix for the first and probably won't do anything for the second.  I assume that they've definitely traced it down to Bradycardia as the effect and don't know what the source is. 

In your case, the pacemaker won't affect you in any way, other than you shouldn't participate in full contact sports.  In the UK, that would be no rugby for you.  A direct hit on your pacemaker will hurt like hell.  It's not going to damage the pacemaker but the leads are much more vulnerable. I also have a restriction on free-weight presses, for the same reason but you probably won't because you won't be dependent on your pacemaker. Other than that, you'll have to ask your cardiologist but I doubt there will be any restrictions.

Your pacemaker will, I'm sure, only be set to pick up the heart beat if you have one of the episodes.  According to you, that's once a month.  Other than that short period, it'll be doing absolutely nothing but watching, leaving you free to do whatever you would normally do.

Have at it and don't worry about your pacemaker.  You'll forget you have it, as much as you forget your navel.  You know it's there but it's irrelevant to your daily life. It's the least invasive reason to need a pacemaker.

The facts about pacemakers

by Gotrhythm - 2023-07-20 12:28:39

A pacemaker doesn't cause limitations. A pacemaker is a workaround for the limitations caused by your condition. It allows you to live better, more normally, and with fewer limitations. Pacemakers fix the problem of a heart that beats too slow, whether it goes too slow all the time or just occasionally, say, once a month.

A pacemaker to treat vaso-vagal syncope or reflex syncope is probably the clearest example of what a pacemaker does. People with reflex syncope often have no "heart condition" at all. Their heart is healthy and works fine. But something about their sympathetic nervous system (the part that regulates blood pressure, heartrate) goes haywire sometimes. When that happens, the blood pressure falls and the heart rate falls when it shouldn't. And they faint. Sometimes the heart may even stop.

What a pacemaker will do is keep your heart rate (but not your blood pressure) steady during a syncopal episode. In terms of physical activity, you will still be able to enjoy the same level of fitness as before. Many of our members are cyclists, weightlifters, hikers. And young.

Unfortunately, the pacemaker will not take away the reflex syncope. You will still have it. You can still faint and have presyncopal sensations. So there may be some behavior changes you will need to make to avoid the triggers of reflex syncope--for me that's avoiding extreme heat and standing still too long. But the changes you may need to make have nothing to do with the pacemaker.

The chances are you will have no awareness of your pacemaker changing your life in any way.

lift run exercise don't let the pacemaker stop you

by just - 2023-07-21 09:36:02

Had to get a pacemaker at 54. Two years later I am benching 225 for the first time in over a decade, and while my running pace isn't what it was ten years ago this year I am running more miles at a faster pace than the last two years. 

Running in a 10k next month. I also jumped out of an airplane. My cardiolist didn't recommend it, but said it had nothing to do with the pacemaker. 

I would say the toughest part has been gettiing them to adjust the pacemaker to my pace since the pacemaker doesn't really know how fast to make my heart beat. So they had to adjust the maximum heart rate it will pace at as well as how quickly the heart rate increases and decreases. But, now that those seem to be working well I don't think about the pacemaker when I run and not much when I lift. 

I started a substack recently where I have begun writing about my experience. . . https://houseofthedog.substack.com

it won't slow you down,

by Tracey_E - 2023-07-21 09:59:31

Just the opposite, it will speed you up! Your heart will be able to keep up with your activities.

I just left a long reply on the post just above yours by Brompton, also young and needing a pacer. I got my first in 1994 at age 27. I'm still healthy and active and going strong. 

Full impact sports are a bad idea. Anything else goes. And some do impact sports with no ill effects. Talk to your doctor about placement and make sure they know activity is important to you. They can place it so it's more out of the way and protected. 

Make sure your doctor knows you cycle. Some pacers work better for cyclists than others. 

Feeling relieved

by Tyler123 - 2023-07-30 12:21:20

Wasn't expecting such informative helpful responses! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and knowledge. Im feeling a lot more positive about it all now and can't wait to be fully recovered so i can get on with life as normal! 

20 years in

by TexaCaliSierra - 2023-08-21 16:07:23

Hi! I was in my 20s when I got my first pacemaker, I'm now 46 and still able to go to the gym, lift weights, do hiit training etc. I do F45 workouts and my heart rate is usually the lowest in the room due to the settings on my pacemaker but I can still keep up pretty well. Hope your surgery was a success!