Low Pulse

The low setting on my pacemaker is 60. I was feeling really rotten earlier today, so I decided to check my blood pressure. It was 90/40 and my pulse was 35. The low blood pressure is not unusual for me, but I thought that the low pulse was very odd considering the settings on my PM. I checked a couple more times to be sure that the reading was accurate, and it was well below 60 each time. This isn't normal, is it? Could there be something wrong with my PM?

Amanda

4 Comments

Amanda

by MHCHAMPION - 2008-01-29 09:01:14

There are others on this site who know much more than me about this and I'm anxiously looking for a reply to your question.
Margaret

PVCs

by MSPACER - 2008-01-29 09:01:32

You could be experiencing premature ventricular contractions, which sort of interferes with the pacemaker's brain. I get pvcs a lot, and when I take my pulse it is lower than the 60 beat low setting. The pacemaker is set to sense your heart beat, and a pvc is like a half beat that you can't really feel when you take your pulse. The pacemaker counts it as a beat, so it may think that your heart is beating at the correct rate, and therefore, will not pace you. PVCs can also cause you to feel dizzy or short of breath, and generally bad.

The other possibility is the pacemaker is not working due to a lead problem or something like that. When was the last time your pm was checked? Either way, call your doctor. 90 over 40 blood pressure is really low.

Call

by hooimom - 2008-01-29 11:01:46

Call your doctor. Sounds like you need another interrogation to see if your PM is working correctly.

Michelle

Thanks MSPACER

by scadnama - 2008-01-29 11:01:54

My last PM check was about 3 weeks ago...all was working fine. I see my doctor again on Friday because I have been blacking out and feeling lousy.
Thanks for your insight about PVC's, that is something that I hadn't even thought about.
As for the low blood pressure, it's not a big surprise. I am on medication to keep it up, but it still falls pretty low from time to time.
Thanks again for your input!

Amanda

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