Pacemaker Pulse Setting - Pulses/ Min.

My normal pulse rate with out pacemaker is 54  ppm. My dual lead pacemaker is set at 70 ppm, some people with pacemakers have the pacemaker rate set below their normal heart Resting rate Ex. normal rate 50 ppm
Pacemaker set at 45 ppm. What determines the optimun pulse rate for the pacemaker?

My Doctor is willing to set it at any rrrrrrrrrrate I choose.
I am 86 years old in good physical shape,play tennis do nautilis and swim  several times a week. Do get puffin when extended on tennis, or on a tread mill at higher than 3.5 miles per hour.

A retired Electro cardio surgeon I met Has a resting rate of 50 ppm and has his pacemaker set at 45 ppm
He points out this is a 12% duty cycle oh his pace maker and mine is over 75%. This save on the battery life and delays pacemaker replacement.

He has installed over 2000 pacemakers in his career.

Does having a high pulse rate on your pacemaker  make you feel like you have more pep?


This discussion is related to Pulse rate increase after pacemaker implant.

[samir242]

Thanks for the valuable information. Similar is the case with my mother. She is feeling pain and reeling head after pace maker installed. Now only 1 month old. Doctor who has implanted not telling real thing.Do not know what 2 do. Even BP is fluctuating. Earlier prior to implantation was better. can anyone advise in my mail ***@****

[Mom2four85]

I have a Boston Scientific Teligen 100 Pacemaker/ICD combo for both bradycardia and tachycardia issues.  

They've tweaked my settings from 50bpm to 60bpm to stop fainting spells and low hr's - but I can't tell a difference and it hasn't made me have more "pep" or energy, I wish it had =)

I have 8.5 years left on my battery life, but that's because I'm not pacemaker dependent and have the DDR setting for my heart to take over when I exert myself or exercise; the only time it works alot is sleeping or when my hr's are high because of Non Sustained VT runs then it does double duty.