pacemaker

[dmscsms]

I am 72 years old and for 8 years have suffered from my heart rate going out of sinus rhythm . I have had many cardiac versions and 4 ablations, none of which worked. In August this year I had a pacemaker implanted (3 lead MEDTRONIC C2TRO1) The rate was set at 90 and although relieved that I would not go out of sinus I did not feel well,suffering insomnia, short of breath with almost any sort of exercise. I went last week for my 6 weeks check up and the rate was set at 75. This has improved my awareness of the heart beating but I do not sleep much better, am very tired and a small flight of stairs means that I an beating around 87. Can the rate be lowered? I would also add that my blood pressure is often much higher than it used to be ? I have always been very active and this means that I cannot resume my normal lifestyle.

[ksig]

I am 10 years younger than you and have suffered from AFib for about as long.  I, too, had a pacer implanted; in fact I am on my second pacer.  I have had 4 ablations and the last one ablated the AV node.  My pacer is set at 60 - 140.  I really like the lower rate and it has worked for me.  I still go into AFib several times a month but the rate is below 90 so I do not feel it much and the mode switches back and forth.  If you are not comfortable operating at ta higher rate, I'd call the pacer clinic and have it set to a lower rate.  I have found that in the upper rates, I too, had SOB (shortness of breath).  So it is worth a try to have your pacer tinkered with by a pacer technician.

[itdood]

I'm not paced, it what I would consider good health.  When I stand up, my pulse can go from 60 to about 90, then settle back down to high 70s-80s when I walk around.  Doing a full flight of stairs my pulse can hit 90ish.  Sometimes it will go to 120 or so on rare occasions.  I never thought anything about it.

So you can't really go by the rate to tell what's wrong.

I'm thinking you are prbably still in a-fib and are medicated for it?  If you are, the meds could be making you tired.  Being in a-fib menas your heart is not as efficient and that could be the cause too.  I'm assuming the docs ablated your AV node to make you pace dpendant to eliminate the erratic and high pulse rate of a-fib.