For Active Person

Hi All,

I am pacemaker dependent following an AV node ablation and find that I am having a great deal of difficulty getting the correct settings for my pacemaker.

I am in my mid 50's and am trying to live an active lifestyle but have found that since the pacemaker I am having a great deal of difficulty breathing properly during exercise. If I keep pushing myself I can do the exercises but am exhausted afterwards sometimes to the point of feeling ill. I was on a treadmill today for about 15 minutes and my heartrate never went above 84 that entire time. I have been back several times for adjustments but nothing seems to be working.

If someone could provide feedback it would be greatly appreciated.

I have the following settings

ADL Rate 105 bpm
Optimization On
ADL Response 3
Exertion Response 4
Activity Threshold Medium Low
Activity Acceleration 30 sec
Activity Deceleration Exercise
ADL Setpoint 29
UR Setpoint 45

What should I be asking for with regards to these settings to accomodate an active individual who is totally pacemaker dependent?

Thanks
Fraser

3 Comments

Is Rate Response On

by J.B. - 2011-06-22 09:06:10

Fraser,

Sounds to me like the rate response is not on or not set high enough to help you. Before mine was turned on I could not get my heart rate to go above the low-80s and now with it on response on I can hit 115 to 120.

Looks like you may have a copy of your checkup report and if so at the top under Mode it should read DDDR if the rate response is on. If you have a copy and don't see that my first question would be "is my rate response turned on?" If it is tell them you need some settings changes.

Thanks

by Fraser - 2011-06-22 10:06:03

The Mode says VVIR. Does that mean the rate response is not on?

Rate Response

by J.B. - 2011-06-22 10:06:33

I'm NOT smart enough to say much about the VVIR mode, but below is something on that I got off the Internet in case you haven't seen it. Like I said, I think it is time to tell the folks that you need some settings changes.. Hope it helps.

''From this the basic ventricular "on demand" pacing mode is VVI or with automatic rate adjustment for exercise VVIR - this mode is suitable when no synchronization with the atrial beat is required, as in atrial fibrillation. The equivalent atrial pacing mode is AAI or AAIR which is the mode of choice when atrioventricular conduction is intact but the natural pacemaker the sinoatrial node is unreliable - sinus node disease (SND) or sick sinus syndrome. Where the problem is atrioventricular block (AVB) the pacemaker is required to detect (sense) the atrial beat and after a normal delay (0.1-0.2 seconds) trigger a ventricular beat, unless it has already happened - this is VDD mode and can be achieved with a single pacing lead with electrodes in the right atrium (to sense) and ventricle (to sense and pace). These modes AAIR and VDD are unusual in the US but widely used in Latin America and Europe The DDDR mode is most commonly used as it covers all the options though the pacemakers require separate atrial and ventricular leads and are more complex, requiring careful programming of their functions for optimal results."

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