Running & heartrate

I have a Medtronic Adapta PM, which was implanted two weeks ago. I am 97% dependent.

I am a runner and with my doctor's ok, I ran on the treadmill yesterday for the first time and felt fine. Running for 20 minutes.

My question was regarding heartrate. According the HR monitor on the treadmill, my first reading was 132. Then it dropped to 107. After which it varied between 107 and 120.

I don't know what type of settings my PM is programmed for.
Definitely a question for my next follow-up appointment.

Is this normal?

Any input would be appreciated.

9 Comments

I was wondering the same thing

by johnb10000 - 2009-08-11 02:08:05

I also have a Medtronic pacemaker and have seen the same thing.

I have been using the treadmill at walking speed for about ten minutes and seem my heart rate drop from around 90 at the start to about 75. The pulse does increase if I set the incline steeper by it is still lower than when I started.

My next appointment is two months away but this is also a question I want to ask my doctor. This is also why I was looking at buying a wrist pulse and blood pressure monitor which I mentioned in a post a few days ago.

normal

by Tracey_E - 2009-08-11 02:08:21

It's very common to get an unreliable reading, or some of us get no reading at all. The pm can interfere with the heartrate monitor and make it inaccurate. Sometimes it's a signal interference, sometimes it can pick up pm spikes as extra beats.

rate response in pacers

by golden_snitch - 2009-08-11 04:08:16

hi everyone!

that you start with a higher rate, and then go down though you keep exercising can be "blamed" on the pacer's rate response sensor. most pacers only have a so-called accelerometer (the adapta has that, too) which reacts to movement. this sensor is really good when you need a more sudden increase in the heart rate, for example when you start running to catch a bus. it reacts very quickly when you start exercising. but the problem is that it is not good for any kind of endurance training. the accelerometer doesn't provide a steady increased rate, after the first quick response it takes the rate down again. that is why a combination of two sensors is much better: accelerometer plus minute-ventilation. i have heard lots of cardios say that especially the younger and more active patients need the two sensor systems. the minute ventilation makes sure that you get a steady increased rate.

there are not a lot of pacers on the market that have both sensors which might partly be because most patients are elder and not that active so they do pretty well with the accelerometer only. medtronic had a dual-sensor years ago, but took the minute ventilation out again. boston scientific has a pacer with these two sensors (altrua), so does sorin group (reply dddr, that's my pacer). sorin's is supposed to be the best on the market right now. that's one of the reasons why i chose - yes, i chose picked my pacer myself - this pacer. it works very, very well.

hope this helps a bit.
best wishes,
inga

heart rate monitor

by golden_snitch - 2009-08-12 02:08:07

i use a polar heart rate monitor. some people say that it doesn't work well when you have a pacer, but in my case there have never been any problems. used it once while having a holter monitor, and it turned out that the polar monitor showed exactly the same rates as the holter. interference can happen when several people in one room (or running next to each other) have such a monitor, and also with some electronic equipment. i noticed this when i wore the monitor while sitting in front of my notebook.

as frank said, the heart rate monitors on treadmills etc. are not that good, especially not when you have a pacer or arrhythmia.

if you think your rate response is not working well, get a holter and then exercise while you have it. maybe your cardio can tweak some settings afterwards.

best
inga

Thanks to all

by PEteacher - 2009-08-12 03:08:14

Thanks to all for your feedback.

It is really appreciated.

Only two weeks into life with a PM and thanks to this website, I'm adjusting very well.

Thanks again.

running and heart rate

by patio - 2009-08-12 10:08:41

HI, I'm 4 weeks after my first PM but I haven't started running yet, I see the medtronic guy this Monday - I am going to ask him to set my PM at around 180. I was not one to check my pulse so I asked all of my running buddies and was told they get up to 160 to 185, I think I'm only set at 130 now
good luck

Adapta pacer

by mendedheart - 2009-08-12 10:08:51

I had a new Medtronic Adapta implanted in March when my other Kappa died after seven & half years.
THey worked on the proper settings for over two months & I was running to fast with high heart rate. After four visits we got it right. I told them my old settings were perfect so two Medtronic reps, Electrophylogist & two nurses reset every setting back to my old setting . I could feel the difference in the clinic before I left. I pace 94% of time. The new Adapta is very high teck then my Kappa 700 model.
I go to a large hospital in Newport Beach, CA.
Patty

Monitor errors

by ElectricFrank - 2009-08-12 12:08:24

The heart rate monitor on most exercise bikes and treadmills picks up a form of the ECG signal measured between the two electrodes on the handles. With a normal ECG this works reasonably well for most people.

Two things can upset these readings. The most common it that the monitor isn't designed to deal with the unusual ECG waveform the pacer produces. Instead of a single ventricular wave there is an additional spike caused by the pacer. The monitor will intermittently count both the ventricular wave and the pacer spike as a heart beat. This gives a double HR reading. but since it is averaged over several beats.

The second possibility is that the original condition that required the pacer make cause your ECG to misread the HR.

The best way to get an accurate reading is to use a separate HR monitor that uses the finger pulse read with an LED light and photodetector.

The rate response issue that snitch mentioned can also cause real changes in heart rate.

frank

New Pacer Settings

by ElectricFrank - 2009-08-14 01:08:28

mendedheart: I've already talked to my cardiologist and the medtronics rep about the settings on a new pacer. I'm still 6mo-yr off on it, but like to get ahead of the game. I've let them both know that I have no interest in their playing around with their new toy when the time comes. No leaving the pacer on the factory default setting "until things settle down". I expect to walk out the door with the same simple settings I have.

patio: also check to be sure they don't have Rate Response on unless you need it. If you do need it and plan on running, you really need to schedule a treadmill test where they optimize the Rate Response for your body.

best,

frank

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I've seen many posts about people being concerned about exercise after having a device so thought I would let you know that yesterday I raced my first marathon since having my pacemaker fitted in fall 2004.