exercise and limits

Hi All

I have a PM since September last, and lead an active life, with exercise now being walking the dog for an hour most days. I find when I walk briskly, I get pain in my chest and become very aware of my PM and can feel the leads and my heart. This tends to leave me fairly wiped out for a few hours. I dont feel bad enough to go
for an early check up as I am due my six month check 4 weeks.

any ideas?.
many thanks
AP

4 Comments

Possibly too low upper limit setting

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-04 02:01:07

If you haven't had a check up since your implant in September the problem may very well be that the settings aren't as they should be. The pacer comes from the factory with "default" settings that are a compromise with the idea of providing safe pacing until they can be set.

There are two settings that are the most notorious for causing symptoms like yours.

The most likely is the upper pacing limit. I see you have a Medtronic pacer. The upper limit comes from the factory set to 120. Any activity that attempts to drive your HR above this level with cause the pacer to start skipping beats which isn't comfortable.

best,

frank

The other problem is Rate Response which is the pacermakers system of using body movement to determine your optimum HR for the current activity. If your natural pacemaker is intact there can be a conflict between the pacer and your heart. This can also produce irregular beats with some being strong enough feel painful.

I had both of these early on and simply walking a few blocks into a wind would give me chest pain. I figured it out and contacted the cardio after only a week and had RR turned off and my upper limit set to 150. The effect was so noticeable that I walked a couple of miles home from the docs office.

thanks

by APgirl - 2011-01-04 04:01:39

HI Frank, & JB

thanks for the advice, I had a 6 week checkup to ensure all was ok, but I dont think they made any changes to the settings. The only time it happens is when I exercise briskly, so I will stick to gentle walking until my check up and more importantly, now know the questions to ask!

best

AP

Chest Pain

by J.B. - 2011-01-04 12:01:52

Hi APgirl,

If you are having pain in your chest when you exercise you should leave the exercise alone until you can check with your doctor. The symptoms are not necessarily connected to your PM. It may be nothing, but it can be your heart crying out for help. Regardless, chest pain from an unknown cause should not be ignored. So play it safe while you can, see the doctor to be sure.

JB

Happens when walking briskly

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-05 02:01:13

That really sounds like the symptoms of upper limit set too low.

One suggestion when you bring it up with the doc is to suggest that the limit be set higher, but you will use good sense in pushing it. I was 75 yrs at the time I got the pacer and asking for an upper limit or 150 wasn't popular at all with the doc. I told them that I didn't intend to push myself to 150, that I just wanted to be able to sense my own limits like I had been doing before the block.

Like I told the cardio, if I was being chased by a bear in a camp ground, I would rather die of cardiac arrest than becoming a meal.

frank

frank

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