Pacemaker tomorrow! Advice Please.

[MinusNothing]

I’m having a pacemaker fitted here in Portugal tomorrow.

I fainted while cycling and while on treadmill test.

I’ve had 24hr ecg and echo and have been told I have AV block.

What questions should I be asking regarding the setup of the pacemaker if I want to be able to exercise at a fairly high level going forward?

Are there settings that will allow me to still push myself etc?

Any other tips are appreciated.

[Balu19]

Good luck tomorrow. I had my pacemaker implanted 11 days ago and it appears to have been set to a minimum of 50 bpm (no upper limit). My HR was previously in the low 40s, sometimes falling below 40 and I also had delayed heartblock due to a conduction problem. I'm a regular runner and cyclist and hope I will be able to get back to it once I'm given the ok after the 4 week follow up. I certainly feel I've got energy to spare and am consequentially a little frustrated by only being allowed to go for long walks at the moment. I'm sure it makes sense to be patient and build up again slowly.

[Piggy2]

Hi I had my pacemaker fitted in 2014 and had to have it re sited due to it moving up towards my collar bone and got told I was too active and pushed myself to quick to do things. I've complete heart block where my heart rate dropped to 30/35 BPM but due to me being so active my pacemaker is set to 60bmp. All the best for your procedure

[CallumLenn]

I hope the insertion went ok! I am 28 and had my pacemaker fit 2 years ago, if anything it made my running better as beforehand your node wouldn't have been sending the signal from the top to the bottom of the heart regularly. Stay away from exercise for at least 4 weeks and then introduce exercise back slowly. I know people that have ran marathons with a pacemaker. As a cyclist you probably won't be doing many weights for the top half of your body so I shouldn't worry. However, you should stay away from isometric exercises and other exercise that make your blood pressure shoot up. Otherwise, you'll back to cycling in no time properly and better than ever! Please though, check with your cardiologist and GP before you take my word for it as I don't know the full extent of what you have. This is just what I have been told by my cardiologist.

[Bigdan]

What great replies! I'm lying in hospital waiting to get mine fitted. How are you feeling now a few weeks in?