Most Recent Messages in Checkups & Settings

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Help me understand pacing percentages

Ths is an interesting word problem, so please give me time to set it up.

I recently went to my electrophysiclogist (EP) because I continue to have ventricular tachycardias, sometimes three a day. Luckily my ICD paces me out before it delivers the horse kick. They looked at my intrinsic heart rate and decided the  low  rate of my PM was too high, so they knocked it down from 60bpm to 45. They also dialed down my atrial tracking. My intrinsic resting rate wants to be 48-50. afte...

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New to the world of Pacemakers

Hey everyone,

I just had a Pacemaker installed about 4 weeks ago.  About 2 weeks ago, I finally went for a short bike ride and I was having a difficult time to say the least!  Yesterday I went for my first check-in to see how it's performing etc. and find out that the upper limit was set at 130bpm.  Waaay too low.  After some discussion, the upper was set at 170bpm.  I don't know if it's still set too low.

My question is - has anyone had this a...

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Resting rate

After nearly 18 months with my dual chamber pacemaker set at 60bpm, my electrophysiologist today said there was no reason to continue my atrial pacing. My pacing in the upper chamber was roughly 75% but that was because my set rate was 10 bpm higher than my intrinsic and the historic data provided by my PM showed there were no abnormal beats to be concerned with in a lower rate  

So, beginning today it’s all me!! He set my low threshold at 45 bpm. My quest...

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Simple question

Can anyone tell me if that is a magnet they lay over your pacer when they interrogate?  Mine in a St Judes. 

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Auto lead testing

I have an ICD and have had 15+ shocks, and am nearly 100% paced.  During check ups when they test my leads, i am very sensitive and feel as though i am about to pass out or get a shock (because during the test, they turn off my pacing and i can feel loss of blood in my head quite quickly).

For years i would randomly feel as though i was about to get a shock, but wouldnt and nothing would show up as an episode on my interogations at the time i documented the event.  

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Syncope

 I've had my pm since March 2018 and adjustments and checks had gone well until my latest routine check-up.

The technician said she was slowing the pm down, I felt nothing. Then she said she's speeding it up. I said, that's horrible and that's all I remember. I had passed out! I came round with her arm round me shouting my name.

The technician brought a doctor in who then consulted the duty cardiologist. They said my aortic stenosis could have got worse.

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Testing Anomaly

On my recent in-office pacer testing, my tech adjusted my settings because my heart was beating on it's own when she turned off pacer.  She was very confused about this and looked up my previous 2 visit test results where I was not pacing on my own independantly. (Complete heart block).  She said she had never seen this before.  Is it possible to get better?  Could diet have something to do with this? (Recently went Carnivore Diet) Also have been taking Electrolyt...

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Lower rate change now breathless

Hi Everyone 

Posting for my Husband, he had his pacemaker implanted in January 2019 due to complete heart block. He also had an Ablation for Afib in March 2019. Since the Ablation he has been in the main inNSR (he does get a lot of extra beats) with a few episodes of AFIB. John has suffered with mild breathlessness in recent years but since the Ablation it increased. The lower rate change from 50 to 70 seems to have made it much worse. Any thoughts would be greatly apprec...

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Pacemaker

I have an Assurity MRI with two leads, right atrium, right ventricle. Pacemaker set at 80bpm. I get a heart rate of 80bpm when I first get up in the a:m but after a little activity it drops to the 50's and stays there even after doing yard work.

Does my pacemaker need to be readjusted?

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Pacemaker monitoring

Hi

I had a pacemaker fitted for heart block 7 weeks ago and feel better overall. However I am still experiencing the odd feeling of a hiccup in my chest each day. 

The cardiologist told me my pacemaker will detect iany arrhythmias. I know the pacemaker will only kick in if I have a low pulse rate due to the heart block but will the pacemaker pick up everything in terms of monitoring? Does an arrhythmia have to be over a certain threshold? I am worried that the frequency of th...

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How are settings determined?

This is probably answered somewhere in this forum, but I couldn't find it.

I'm a 68-year-old man with bradycardia (<38 bpm at rest) and chronotropic incompetence. My treadmill test showed a peak HR or 115 bpm. I lasted 11 minutes. 

I ride my road bike 3,000 miles a year, and hike 600 or so.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting a dual-lead Medtronic PM in a couple of weeks, and am wondering about settings. I assume I'll have a conversation with the d...

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Need help

Just about 4 weeks with my dual chamber Boston Scientic pacemaker due to third degree heartblock as result of an ablation for SVNRT.

Finally starting to fell better most of the time, however there has to be some setting that is off. About 20-25 times a day I jump from low 60s to 85 and feel a very strong heart beat that makes me feel week. It is always 85 BPM +\- 2, and I know for sure I am pacing because of me Kardia monitor. The pacing at 85 only last about 60-90 seconds.

A...

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Pacemaker settings

Hey all

I was curious what people have their pm set to?? I have DCM and had my biventricular pm set to pace at 75. As my cardio doc retired two months after doing my surgery, I now have new doc who has dropped my heart rate to 60 on the pm. I now have lead legs and no ankles as they are really swollen at the end of the day  😫😫. Would love to hear from anyone who has any news. Thanks in advance 😁😁

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Can my cardiologist adjust settings remotely?

Can settings be adjusted using CareLink? 

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One Year CheckUp - Only 1.6% Usage?

Just in from my first annual check up with Medtronic Surescan that was implanted May 2018 for Second Degreee AV Heart Block. Had issues with implant procedure that required two more trips to the hospital, including an extended stay on high-dosage antibiotics after the incision came open. Took six months to convince the doctor to lower the setting to minimum Heart rate of 40 and no max (I am youngish - 46 - active, fit with low resting HR previously). In December 2018 I was pacing 5.5% of...

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Still here!

Annual check up.  I dont drop by very often nowadays but always make the effort to say hi after the annual check up.  Pacing 79% atriium, 39% ventricle.  Atrial fib only 1% of the time, this is really down from my early pacing years, and, I know the date and time and it was when I was extremely upset about something when I had a 1 hour episode.  Still swimming most days, 3 grandchildren now who  take up a lot of my time.  I feel really well and am living life to...

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Out of breath going up steps

It has been 4 months and husband is still not feeling great.  The cardiologist is sending him for a sleep apnea test this Wednesday.  Has anyone got results from that and it actually made a difference with the pacemaker?  There are times that he says he felt much better before this was implanted.  I know that he did,, but when they tell me it is being used 97 percent of the time I am just wondering if we were just fortunate with our timing.

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heart rate adjustment

I recenly had my first pacemaker check-up. The technician said she was going to adjust the rate. Did not tell me what the re-action would be. I felt immediately, desperately ill - like I was going to drop dead there and then. She saw my re-action and presumably just dialled it up again. Is this normal. I felt fortunate that I was in the rooms of my cardiologist but I don't want to go through this again. I mentioned my re-action to the cardiologist but he didn't make much comment.

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What are the various settings and what do they mean

Hi

I received my PM in December 2018 due to a rapid onset Left Bundle Branch block. I was previously running or hiking every day. I have gone back to those activities but still think I am not back to my previous performance levels. I have had three adjustments so far and the last was the best. However neither the Clinic Nurse nor my Dr. has been willing to give me an explanation of the adjustments they made or what effect they have.

 

Heart rate. Initially it was set at...

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Presyncope due to low settings?

2 questions for you guys:

Have had my PM (dual lead PM) for 3 weeks. 32 years old. Bradycardia and syncope were why I got it. 

My settings were 50 bpm (low) 130 high, with rate response turned off. 

Over the last week I had 3 presyncope episodes (more than just feeling weird), thought I was experiencing syncope and at the last moment my PM would kick in and bring me back (pretty scary stuff!!). First one I thought "Oh well, that was weird, but everything is we...

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You know you're wired when...

You have rhythm.

Member Quotes

I, too, am feeling tons better since my implant.