Two years ago while out for an early morning ride and making for home, I woke up, on the grass verge, confused and dizzy and wondering what had happened. Long story cut very short, my heart had missed a beat, probably several. From my Wahoo readings I was out for around 4 mins or so. But wouldn't you know the battery in my chest strap was dead so I have no recordings of my pulse at all.
I went through A&E and had every scan known to man, Cat Scan, MRI, another one I can't recall the name of, echocardiogram, umpteen ECG readings, but no real evidence of much amiss. I went home the folowing day with a 7 day HRM fitted.
So after the results were in It was suggested I may need a pacemaker fitted. I do have raised BP. The suggestion was that the signal from the top of the heart was not being sent effectively to the bottom chamber. As a consequence the bottom chamber wasn't beating in co-ordination with the top one.
The solution I was told was a .... pacemaker!
I was reluctant tbh. I spoke to the consultant and he was understanding and wasn't at all pushy about me accepting I needed one. However I had another spell of dizziness while at home and realised it clearly wasn't a one off event. It also, I realised, had an effect on my mental state in that I was riding far less often and was prone to finding excuses not to ride.
Anyway last November I had a pacemaker fitted. No issues with the surgery at all and after I had healed I was given the all clear to carry on as usual, including cycling if I so wanted.
In the New Year I was back out and it was all ok. No worries about keeling over and even though I had lost a good bit of fitness I was set fair.
Up until April that is.
I was out and climbing through a village up a short sharp climb and seemed to be like bloody hard work, I mean like it was 25% rather than the 9% that it was. I glanced down and saw my HR was in the mid 60s. Pulling over it felt like the end of a long days hard cycling. I was whacked out. I made for home.
I was given an appt. at the pacemaker clinic first thing the following morning, where the settings on the device were altered. Twice more I have been back so the settings can be adjusted to try to stop this happening. Then last week, after the third visit, I was given a 24 hour hrm to give them a better idea of whats going on. I was asked to go on a typical ride and make a note if anything similar happened again. (i'm not sure it did). I'm awaiting the results now.
What it seems to me, to be happening (as it did yesteday morning), is that when my body is calling for a greater heart rate the pacemaker is keeping it artificially low, or letting it climb and then suddenly restricting it. Plodding along on the flat I'm fine, but sometimes, not always, when it comes to a climb maybe even a gentle rise I begin to struggle.
To say its disconcerting is putting it mildly.
If any one here has had a similar experience I would be please to hear what your solution was. If any.
Edit: On my last visit there were two medicos, the pacemaker guy and I think a cardiac surgeon. He said that pacemakers in general are made for 'the average person'. Runners, cyclists and people who are active in later life are not 'average'. There are pacemakers that have in inbuilt motion sensor which can tell if a body is jogging etc, but cyclists pose a problem there too because the motion sensor won't pick up the motion because cycling is a smooth activity.
I guess it pays to be 'average'.
I went through A&E and had every scan known to man, Cat Scan, MRI, another one I can't recall the name of, echocardiogram, umpteen ECG readings, but no real evidence of much amiss. I went home the folowing day with a 7 day HRM fitted.
So after the results were in It was suggested I may need a pacemaker fitted. I do have raised BP. The suggestion was that the signal from the top of the heart was not being sent effectively to the bottom chamber. As a consequence the bottom chamber wasn't beating in co-ordination with the top one.
The solution I was told was a .... pacemaker!
I was reluctant tbh. I spoke to the consultant and he was understanding and wasn't at all pushy about me accepting I needed one. However I had another spell of dizziness while at home and realised it clearly wasn't a one off event. It also, I realised, had an effect on my mental state in that I was riding far less often and was prone to finding excuses not to ride.
Anyway last November I had a pacemaker fitted. No issues with the surgery at all and after I had healed I was given the all clear to carry on as usual, including cycling if I so wanted.
In the New Year I was back out and it was all ok. No worries about keeling over and even though I had lost a good bit of fitness I was set fair.
Up until April that is.
I was out and climbing through a village up a short sharp climb and seemed to be like bloody hard work, I mean like it was 25% rather than the 9% that it was. I glanced down and saw my HR was in the mid 60s. Pulling over it felt like the end of a long days hard cycling. I was whacked out. I made for home.
I was given an appt. at the pacemaker clinic first thing the following morning, where the settings on the device were altered. Twice more I have been back so the settings can be adjusted to try to stop this happening. Then last week, after the third visit, I was given a 24 hour hrm to give them a better idea of whats going on. I was asked to go on a typical ride and make a note if anything similar happened again. (i'm not sure it did). I'm awaiting the results now.
What it seems to me, to be happening (as it did yesteday morning), is that when my body is calling for a greater heart rate the pacemaker is keeping it artificially low, or letting it climb and then suddenly restricting it. Plodding along on the flat I'm fine, but sometimes, not always, when it comes to a climb maybe even a gentle rise I begin to struggle.
To say its disconcerting is putting it mildly.
If any one here has had a similar experience I would be please to hear what your solution was. If any.
Edit: On my last visit there were two medicos, the pacemaker guy and I think a cardiac surgeon. He said that pacemakers in general are made for 'the average person'. Runners, cyclists and people who are active in later life are not 'average'. There are pacemakers that have in inbuilt motion sensor which can tell if a body is jogging etc, but cyclists pose a problem there too because the motion sensor won't pick up the motion because cycling is a smooth activity.
I guess it pays to be 'average'.
Last edited:
