Heart rate monitor that alarms

Hi all. 

I just had a CRT placed 6 months ago for a hereditary cardiomyopathy.  I am currently 58 but have dealt with issues since I was 18.  I have continued to stay very active my entire life despite my heart.  My love is cycling.  Last week I went for a routine ride.  I typically do 20 miles 4 days a week.  Nothing out of the ordinary and I felt great.   Out of no where my debrillator fired and I was knocked off my bike.  It continued to shock me again and again every 15 seconds.  I got 8 shocks in a row.  Fortunately I was on a bike trail and was close to a fire station and people ran for help.  For anyone that has not experienced being shocked yet, it is NOT pleasant.  I have a Boston Scientific device.  It mistook my sinus tachycardia for V-tach and continued to shock me.  Obviously the algorithms in these devices are not always exact and they have attempted to reprogram mine. Hopefully it will recognize the difference the next time.  They have also slightly increased the rate at which it will shock me.  I really don't want to give up biking and I definitely don't want to experience this again.   Does anyone know of a heart rate monitor that will alarm you in real time when you get to a certain rate.  I don't want to depend on looking at a device every couple of minutes while biking and I want to be able to push myself to get back in shape.  If I had something that would warn me I could back off of the intensity.  

Thanks in advance for your information and stay safe with this Covid nightmare.


4 Comments

Monitor

by PacedNRunning - 2020-05-02 05:05:00

Oh wow! What a day. They say the chest strap monitors are the best. I too wanted to hear my heart rate via hmmm ear phones instead of looking at my watch. I use an appp called interval timer and I can manually set it to tell me when I'm over my max. It's harder once my rate is over 170 so I set it to tell me when I'm over 165. Once I'm under 165 it will tell me I'm in range which is 135-165. I looked around for many apps to tell me and this the only one that does it. Hopefully there are other people that know other apps or devices. 

Heart rate monitor that alarms

by AgentX86 - 2020-05-03 12:02:11

Apple iWatches have a pulse rate alarm (high and low) but I think you have to be inactive for some period for it to work.  It's essentially something to monitor for Bradycardia, tachycardia, or Afib and not really exercise limits.  A chest strap type is probably better for you, and all around, but not something to wear all the time.

Cardiomyopathy and exercise.

by Selwyn - 2020-05-03 16:47:55

I think the safest course of action is to discuss your exercise with your cardiologist. I speak as someone with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. You have to be careful that there is no outlet obstruction. This typically occurs with exercise. I well remember a fit 17 year old dropping off his bicycle... dead, due to an undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  This problem is not related to heart rate, rather due to the contraction of your heart muscle ( cardiac output). 

I hope you don't want to put yourself to the sword? You are very fortunate to have a cardiologist that has given you a second life.  Perhaps you should consider some medication, like a beta blocker to keep your heart rate down when you exercise and relax the heart muscle. 

A rate monitor is not going to stop sudden obstruction of your heart with exercise. If you really want to shock yourself just take up weight lifting! Without your ICD you will wake up in heaven, if deserved! Heart rate is not the problem.

Heart rate

by Micgabber - 2020-05-03 18:55:29

Thank you all for your answers.  I am looking into that App. Yes I also have an apple watch but it only alarms without exercise as it can sense that.   I have already spoken to my cardiologist about all of this.  Of course when the debibrillator malfunctioned I was rushed in to the ER.  My cardiologist is the one that wants me to exercise daily.  The problem is I also have episodes of V-tach in addition to my cardiomyopathy.  My device is suppose to recognize the difference between sinus tachycardia with exercise and ventricular tachycardia but it failed to do so.  The algorithms are obviously not sophisticated enought to do that all the time yet.  They have attempted to reprogram it but I have no faith that it will work the next time.   I am also on a beta blocker and have been for over 30 years now. I have a hereditary cardiomyopathy that is slightly different than a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  I don't have any outlet obstruction.  Exercise is the only reason I have stayed alive all these years.   I am just looking for a heart monitor I can see while on the bike so I can keep my heart rate below a certain rate.   There is no way I can look at a watch over and over.  I actually found several bike computers that mount to your bike and allow you to watch your heart rate with a chest strap on.   And please do not worry I speak to my cardiologist and my EP all the time.  Both of them are friends of mine outside of just being my doctors.  They always know exactly what I am doing.  Thanks again for your comments guys.

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