Winded walking up hill

Got my pacemaker March 1 2020 right before Covid.  I was 66 asymptotic but my heart rate was below 30 so Dr said it was time.  Before implant I was doing 30mins a day on elliptical - no problem.  After the implant I have to take 15-20 sec breaks intermittently while exercising.  We're on our first trip then and I had to take several breaks while walking uphill - the group I'm with is my age and the other 5 had no problem.  I've spoken to my EP and they say my Pacemaker is set on the optimum levels for exercise.  Curious if anyone had any thoughts or similar issues.

3 Comments

Your PM needs to be tuned/adjusted for you

by crustyg - 2021-10-09 16:44:39

Take the trouble to record your HR from feeling your radial pulse on a couple of these occasions and make a note of date/time.  Then go back to your EP-doc and ask for your PM to be adjusted.

The general experience here is that very few EP-docs really know much about normal HR response to exercise in Seniors. Folk in their late 60s able to handle HR>160BPM?  Pah!

What may be going on is that before implant, while your SA-node wasn't providing the needed increase in HR, your AV-node was.  And now (unrelated to the PM, but related to the passage of time) it isn't providing enough support. So your PM needs to provide more support.

Best wishes.

Thanks

by Snickers1 - 2021-10-09 17:12:15

I've complained about this twice but your idea is sound.  Always best to go in with specific times and examples.  Thanks - I'll definitely give it a try.

Always learning

by Persephone - 2021-10-09 18:19:49

Firstly, Snickers, you've been through very challenging times.  Good for you for perservering.

Secondly, thank you, Crusty, for the info pasted in below; this is a new or at least refreshed lesson for me and I am very appreciative of the information:

What may be going on is that before implant, while your SA-node wasn't providing the needed increase in HR, your AV-node was.  And now (unrelated to the PM, but related to the passage of time) it isn't providing enough support. So your PM needs to provide more support.

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