Road vibration causes increase in heart rate

I have ARVC and was fitted with an ICD approx 7 years ago. I suffered many VT's and subsequent shocks untill last October when I was treated with ablation. Since then my heart rythm has been fairly stable except when travelling along a bumpy road in a car with fairly hard suspension. This has got worse since my pacing technician adjusted the Rate Response, Activity Threshold from Medium Low to Low. She adjusted the setting because I complained that I need a bit more "go" when exerting myself or walking up hill. My heart rate now seems to jump from about 60 to 100 with no additional effort, just vibration, and I feel pretty awful as a result. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Could someone explain why this is happening? Thank you.

4 Comments

YES MOST PEOPLE

by pete - 2008-08-09 02:08:34

Quite normal for your motion sensor to detect that you are as it sees it "moving around".You see your pacemaker thinks you are doing some real work. The only way to stop it is to have your motion sensor switched off. Pacemakers are a bit dumb at times. This pheonomenon sure does keep me wide awake whilst im behind the wheel. Best to put up with it. Cheers pete

Very common

by Suze - 2008-08-10 11:08:11


I was told this is common complaint from pacemaker patients. My rate response thing was turned down. I hardly notice it now.
My PM tech told me that when I rode over a really bumpy road my PM was tricked into thinking "she must be running now so her heart should speed up". It was only trying to help..LOL

Hope this helps.
Sue

mmmm

by nrracing - 2008-09-02 06:09:18

Well I Have WRX STI with raod racing suspension, and let me tell you the bump i feel are hard, but I have not had the problem. i had it before I got the ICD put me but now I seem to be doing ok.

PC responds to motion

by PadWC2 - 2011-03-06 06:03:42

My cardiologist recommends to his bicycle racers with PC's that they give it two-three pat's just before the flag.

You know you're wired when...

Your device acts like a police scanner.

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My pacemaker is intact and working great.