Is it O.K. to wear a fitbit when you have a pacemaker in? I know that you have to keep anything electrical about 12 inches away and I worry when I sleep that I will put my arm up under my pillow and it will be too close. To be honest I don't know what a fitbit exactly measures but I thought it would be better than nothing.
I also wonder if there is another gadget better than even a fitbit that can monitor the BP, pulse and oxygen levels.
Ironically the pacemaker is in to stop my heart from stopping and this was caused by sleep apnoea. Now I am having issues with waking up with headaches and it kind of feels like my heart is stopping for short periods too in the middle of the night, so I don't know if I have developed central sleep apnoea or always had it and it wasn't diagnosed. I usually take an Aspirin, have a hot drink like coffee, put a cold pack on my forehead and then settle back to bed. I need to be able to monitor my BP, and pulse but because I use the public system I could be waiting months to get this sorted. The issue too with the public system is you don't always get the experts in the area, but Dr's training in the area who may be too scared to speak with a consultant when they don't know things. I am already disappointed in our public system because of another situation.
Written by
Marie1212
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
My husband has an ICD and he wears a fitbit, he's never had any problems, but they're not always very accurate at reading your heart rate. If you decide to get one, take your pulse manually & see how that compares with the fitbit reading but I personally wouldn't rely on it.
I got a 56 page booklet, when I had my pacemaker put in, of a number of things that you couldn't have within 12 inches of your pacemaker. Ironically I was given the wrong book - it was for a different pacemaker, so then they gave me the correct book of 12 pages. So glad though I got the 56 page booklet. I worry about putting the fitbit on my arm under my pillow near my heart. I was talking with my CPAP rep today and she said people have no idea what positions they twist and turn in, in the middle of the night so she said she personally would be wary. I am too, because it is electrical stuff too that can affect your pacemaker if it is too close. Before surgery too, it is a really good idea to show all the doctors involved the list of contraindications so that they don't use a wrong procedure on you when you have a pacemaker in. I get mine off the Medtronic site but I have noticed that they have altered it in the past.
Hi Marie. A Fitbit is a passive device. All it does is shine a light on your skin, use a mirror to magnify and measure the expansion and contraction of your capillaries and uses that to work out your heart rate. It’s like when we were kids and shined a torch on our fingers so we could see through them (amazing what used to pass as entertainment in the sixties). So it’s fine. I’m sure other hearties will have good recommendations for a BP monitor etc. as they keep records because of their conditions.
Hi Marie. I have an ICD (pacemaker & defibrillator) and use a Polar A370 (similar to a fitbit), which I often wear at night. I was basically only told not to use an arc welder, loiter in shop doorways where they have a security system, go through an airport scanner, or put my phone in a left breast pocket (although ajaxer above appears to be fine doing that).
Hi Marie1212, Spirit & Steve are both correct, you really only need to be concerned about anything with a magnet & even then you only need to be about 12 inches away from them. If you do get too close to a magnet normally you only need to move away and your ICD will be fine. My husband has been wearing his fitbit in bed for a couple of years and it's not been a problem.
The thing to remember with an ICD is, its there but don't let it control your life. My husband is always setting off the alarms in M&S we used to get embarrassed about it, now we just laugh.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
should a pacemaker be a visible lump under my collar bone?
Living with a Pacemaker 
Pacemaker for persistent AF?has anyone had a pacemaker for AF
Can You Have Both Procedures ?
Low heart rate 
