Rate Response Turned On???

HI all,
I have a question. My EP wants to turn my Rate Response on. I told him I would have to think about it.
The reason he wanted to turn it on is that my HR increases to 170-180 while walking on the treadmill for 4 minutes.
We already knew I had tach before the PM. He wasa hoping it would get better when my HR wasn't fluctuating so much. But it didn't.
From my understanding...the Rate Response will increase my HR with movement...is that correct?
Cause I don't need that!
He said if he turned it on it would stop my HR from dropping so suddenly when I am done exercising or walking.
BUT....don't you FEEL that?
I thought someone on here told me that you can feel that kicking in when your exercising and the Rate Response kicks in??????
I have to see my EP again tomorrow....so I know he will wanna turn it on.
He also wants to change my BP med to Diltiazem to slow the HR down.
Any one taking that? I don't wanna be tired all the time.

Thanks........Holly

5 Comments

Rate Drop Response?

by LIVE_STRONG - 2008-11-09 02:11:24

I thought there was only one Rate response setting. They did say my hr would increase with movement....but it would stop the sudden drop.
I will ask if I have the option of ONLY the drop response. But they way they sounded..it would be both.
I get dizzy if my hr increases above 150 while jogging.
So I have to back down when it gets to 150. Normally it doesn't drop that fast....but it did on the treadmill stress test....so maybe it does and I just wasn't aware of it.
Hmmmmm....food for thought.
Thanks Tracey. I will ask about that.

Hope you are well.
Holly

rate DROP response

by Tracey_E - 2008-11-09 02:11:55

Rate response increases your hr with movement. Rate drop response (if I understand it correctly) is something different that prevents sudden drops, chronotopic incompetence is what i think they called the drops. I have this turned on and it really helps my workouts. I was getting dizzy when I worked out. My hr would be steady in the 160's, then drop to 120 for a bit, then shoot back up again. Rate drop response will let your rate go down, but slowly so you don't have a sudden drop when you don't want it.

rate

by Tracey_E - 2008-11-09 04:11:20

Mr rate drops but bounces right back up again, according to the last stress test I had. I've never counted the lower rate because it goes right back up again within seconds, but it's enough to make the room spin and kill my workout.

My understanding is it's two different settings, but I could be totally off base. Where are Frank and Smitty?!?! The reason I think that is I've had that setting turned on since I got my first pm, which was before they developed rate response pm's. When I got my last pm, it was never turned on for some reason until I had problems last summer, so now it's on again.

My rate response has always been on!

by bambi - 2008-11-09 09:11:14

I don't ever feel the rate response feature "kick in" or any indication that it is being utilized. I sure do know when it is not high enough though! I had an interrogation Thursday, and told the tech/rep that I was short of breath and dizzy for the first 15 minutes of beginning exercise. He turned it up, and I feel much better! I believe the settings were purposely set lower than I need them to be because they are trying to preserve the battery life. Why don't you go ahead and let them turn on your rate response feature and it can always be turned off if it doesn't end up helping you? To me, it would be worth trying! Good luck!
Bambi

Rate response...

by bunnykin - 2008-11-10 06:11:03

is precisely what it means. If you're active and have been having trouble getting your rate up, this button should assist those who are not having sufficient beating of the heart in response to your exercise or whatever activity you may be engaged in. Basically I would have thought that if you had tachycardia before, your PM is really a standby sort of thing. I don't think you're PM dependent cos you can actually run up to rates of 150-170. PM and ICDs are actually very intelligent devices, barring rare recall defective problems. In the hands of skilled product technicians or EPs who know what the patient requires, these devices are "tailored" to the individual....depending on your lifestyle and of course AGE. As for myself, I am dependent 100% and have an ICD and though not young, nor elderly, I'm athletic, so the need to switch on this feature, Rate Response. It's cleverly designed actually, there's also the deceleration mode to assist in slowing down and speeding up, acceleration feature. So I think there should be no big issue, but please do talk to your doc, let him know your needs. Everyone is different; No standard settting really. So the discussion here is really just a 'discussion' but eventually it's what you really require. Do let your dr know what sort of lifestyle you lead and how you feel when you're exercising or how soon you get "pumped out" during activity. Hope this helps...warm regards.
bunnykin

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