Something Still Wrong

So for anyone who read my post from yesterday, I saw the doctor today after another episode. (By the way I take no meds)

Yesterday: First thing in the morning took dog for a short walk and could tell my HR was rising. Came home went upstairs and HR took off to at least 140. (The upper limit on my pm is 150).It continued to rise with minimal effort. Told daughter to call 911. HR was coming down when EMT arrived. In hospital all was ok. Saw the EP and they set my pm to record atrial activity. Flet fine the rest of the day as long as I didn't climb stairs, but knew my HR was up a bit with just normal walking. Resting HR was in the mid 70s.

Today: Felt great 1st thing this morning. Ate breakfast and after going upstairs, HR went up to about 120 but came down again once I sat down. Went about my usual stuff, making the bed and could tell HR was up just a bit (110). Went downstairs and getting ready to go to the store with my husband and told him I was going to the treadmill to see what my heart would do. After walking less than a minute at 2.2 mph my HR shot up to 150 and of course that put me into a 2:1 block.

Called the EP and saw the doctor right away. EKG was fine. They thought the lower # of my bp was a little elevated 120/88.
Interrogated me again, but this time saw that the atrial rate reached 160, but was considered normal (No afib etc).

So, to see why that is happening I will be wearing a heart monitor for 28 days and am scheduled to have a nuclear stress test next Thursday Sept 2 (2 days before my 54th birthday).

For now am taking it easy waiting for my event monitor to come in (hopefully tomorrow), but for now wearing my exercise monitor to keep tabs on my HR. Right now as I am typing it is 79.

If anyone has any opinions to offer or has experienced the same I would be really happy to hear from you.

5 Comments

Not sure

by LS - 2010-08-27 10:08:16

My thoughts are maybe your EP will want to add a medicine for you?
Liz

Thanks Liz!

by heartu - 2010-08-27 11:08:33

I hope I won't have to take any meds.

When the PM was set to monitor the atrium on Wed, the doctor said that my HR went up to 160 but that the beats were normal. They just have to find out why my HR is going up so fast with certain activities, like squatting and going upstairs. No problem with normal walking on falt surfaces.

Rate response

by ElectricFrank - 2010-08-28 01:08:30

Sounds like our old friend Rate Response. It is either ON when it isn't needed or if it is needed it is set way to sensitive. The EP should understand this though so there may be some other problem.

Ask for a copy of the latest report that is downloaded from the pacemaker. One important item is the mode the pacer is set to. The mode will be something like DDD or DDDR. If the mode has an R on the end then rate response is on.

frank

Thanks Frank, but no rate response

by heartu - 2010-08-28 09:08:25

The pm was checked on Thursday and rate response is not on.

I have been wearing my Polar heart monitor almost 24 hrs a day to see what is happening. Wore it last night and sometime during the night the HR shot up to 209.My husband said he heard my heart monitor beeping (I have it set to beep when it goes over 142 beats per min so I don't hit my 150 upper limit of my pm when I exercise, plus 142 is 85% of my target heart rate when I exercise).

Just thought I would wear it until the Carelink event monitor arrives. Should be hear by Tuesday and then I have an educator calling me to set me up on how to use it. Nuclear stress test is set for Thursday.

I just want to get this over with and move on. I thought once I had the pm for 3rd degree heart block my troubles would be over. So here I am basicaly cannot do much for at least the next week and it is depressing.

Thanks for update

by ElectricFrank - 2010-08-29 12:08:00

Since RR isn't on and the upper limit is set to 150 I can only think of a couple of possibilities. Either your ventricles are beating at 209 on their own (vtach), or there is a problem with the pacer itself. The Carelink should show which one is happening.

best of luck with it and keep us posted,

frank

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