Pacemaker and exercise

[Treeline]

Since having a pacemaker fitted in July 2001 I have had problems with exercising. The pacemaker has a lower limit of 50bpm and an upper setting of 185bpm. I monitor my heart rate whilst exercising with a polar hrm. What happens is that unless i exercise very very slightly my heart rate jumps almost immediately up to 160-170 bpm and soon hits its maximum of 185 bpm.It then is unable to pace with the normal heart beats and starts missing beats. This results in my heart rate dropping sharply to 50-80 bpm and I feel in oxygen debt,heavy legged and general light headed and have to stop exercising.After a short while my heart begins to pace normally but when I begin exercising again it does the same thing.My specialist says its due to deconditioning but I run 10-20 miles a week and cycle 40miles per week and lead a healthy life style.Have you any advice as to what can be done to get me back to normal.

[anacyde]

Adjusting to a pacemaker can be challenging.  Exercise is important, so if your doctor thinks this is a deconditioning problem, ease very slowly into it.  You'll probably notice it takes more and more to get your heart rate up, and the problem should resolve.

When I started exercising again after a break, I had similar issues (heart rate went up high very fast) and I got tired quickly.  Finally I gave in and paced myself (hard to do) and now I rarely see 180 when exercising.  Time and patience!  Hang in there.

[PikaPika88]

Mine base rate set to 70 bpm and the maximum rate is 120 bpm.  The shopping walk is enough to kill me.  The chairs at the shopping mall are all my best fans.  My chest like battelfield, gun fires everywhere!  Would he expect me to lay down on the bed whole life or what?  How do or can I tell him, his setting is very very very wrong?  60 - 180 is the best, I think.  I would like to have a trial.  The holter monitor said my highest SV Run: 256bpm.  Pause: 3.2sec.  Does it make sense to you all?

Pika