Anyone who has a pacemaker and wears a Fitbit and sees no deep sleep?

Posted by brightwood @brightwood, Mar 21, 2023

I got my Fitbit Inspire 2 a couple of years ago to track for restorative sleep, and it worked well for me until it didn’t because it couldn’t classify my sleeping rhythm any more last Fall. It was one of my clues to intermittent short electrical blockages/ lightheadedness, but I didn’t recognize it because my only real heart concern was lots of pvc’s. Long story short, I got hooked up to a 30-day event monitor in mid-December that alerted to a 4.5 second blockage on New Year’s Day and by January 5th had a two-lead PM implanted. Prior to this issue my heart rate in deep sleep was 45-54-ish. My implant is set for 60-130 Bpm, and has been a 62-beat straight line on the Fitbit graph since the surgery. But the readings for REM and Deep sleep are consistently negligible. And this weekend the resting sleep rate dropped to 58, which I wouldn’t have thought possible with my new bionic safety net. It doesn’t seem important enough to bother my new cardiologist about, but I hope someone out there might have experience or info to share. Thanks.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

I also have a 2 lead PM and wear an Inspire 3 Fitbit. My pacemaker was implanted last February. I too have noticed my resting heart rate has dipped below the 60 BPM in the past month. My 30 day average for deep sleep is 16 minutes. I feel fine and am able to carry out daily activities and exercise at least 2 times a week. I rely on my Medtronic pacemaker for information. My pacemaker is programmed to send nightly reports. If there is a problem I will be notified. I assume yours does the same. The Fitbit is not as precise a medical device as the pacemaker. I would contact your cardiologist if you are feeling off. I hope this helps. Feel well!

REPLY

Great discussion, I am scheduled for 2 lead pacemaker on December 4, (Boston Scientific make) so am always looking at posts on pacemakers.
Hope I am making right decision.-others have said go for it on this site.
My reason for pacemaker is Bradcardia and sick sinus syndrome- per electrocardiologist.

REPLY
@gram0322

I also have a 2 lead PM and wear an Inspire 3 Fitbit. My pacemaker was implanted last February. I too have noticed my resting heart rate has dipped below the 60 BPM in the past month. My 30 day average for deep sleep is 16 minutes. I feel fine and am able to carry out daily activities and exercise at least 2 times a week. I rely on my Medtronic pacemaker for information. My pacemaker is programmed to send nightly reports. If there is a problem I will be notified. I assume yours does the same. The Fitbit is not as precise a medical device as the pacemaker. I would contact your cardiologist if you are feeling off. I hope this helps. Feel well!

Jump to this post

I had Medtronic pacemaker installed in August and wonder how much I should rely on its reports. I had a very brief fallout in night one or two weeks after surgery but interrogation group told me monitor didn’t catch the incident. When I mentioned this to my cardiologist in a visit and asked why it’s not shown in report, he didn’t answer. My first Medtronic report shows that I have about 9% AFib and cardiologist suggested me to have an ablation. I’m taking Sotalol now and waiting my second pacemaker report due in mid of next month. I will consider ablation if medication doesn’t work for me and I can fully trust numbers in the report. Does anyone have good experience with pacemaker reports? Thank you!

REPLY
@wyu8882

I had Medtronic pacemaker installed in August and wonder how much I should rely on its reports. I had a very brief fallout in night one or two weeks after surgery but interrogation group told me monitor didn’t catch the incident. When I mentioned this to my cardiologist in a visit and asked why it’s not shown in report, he didn’t answer. My first Medtronic report shows that I have about 9% AFib and cardiologist suggested me to have an ablation. I’m taking Sotalol now and waiting my second pacemaker report due in mid of next month. I will consider ablation if medication doesn’t work for me and I can fully trust numbers in the report. Does anyone have good experience with pacemaker reports? Thank you!

Jump to this post

I have Medtronic Loop recorder implanted (it only monitors and doesn’t pace). I get monthly reports and they always show normal results but I do not believe them. I have 3 other devices such as Apple Watch that show a variety of heart rate and rhythm aberrations but my cardiologist just blows them off. I’ve asked to see some of the raw data or EKG graphs instead of the summary reports from my Medtronic monitor but he refuses. Anyone else distrust their Medtronic device?

REPLY

I also had AICD placement 3 years ago. I have cardiomyopathy and have frequent ( non sustained V-tach. ) I have been multiple meds which do little to control HR. I was referred for sleep study and guess what!?! I needed a c-pap. Most of my episodes are evening and nighttime. I average 1 hr of deep sleep and maybe 45 min of REM according to my fit bit. I am paced at 60 , otherwise the beta blocker or calcium channel blocker knock me into the 40’s. I also have caught readings on my fit bit that have been 40’s , and 50’s. When I inquired about it, was told fit bit had to be inaccurate or could have bigiminy. I have seen electrophysiologist in addition to cardiologist, I still have SOB, swelling, PVC’s and near-syncope. I recently sought a second opinion. His first question was why was ablation never done. I am awaiting to have cardiac MRI and hope to have more answers. My answer to your question is I DO NOT trust the data obtained from my pacer.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.