Fainting Question?

[bellajulz]

I wanted to see if anyone had similar fainting episodes as I do... or if those of you who are fainters could describe what happens to you when you faint. (as best you recall, of course).

During a normal episode for me I can usually feel it coming on, my arms and legs get tingley, my heartrate goes up I have an upside down feeling as if I'm being flipped upside down on a rollacoaster. I then usually drop and then began crying which I do not know why. Then I have to lay flat for about an hour in order for it to pass. Though I usually now can just lay down before actually fainting.

This is what happens on rare occasions, such as last nite! I was feeling the lite headedness and upside down feeling over and over, naseaus. I was laying flat waiting for it to pass, which it didn't. I got up to use bathroom (which for some reason everytime I faint or feel faint have to do) and on the way back to my bed I fainted and began crying uncontrolably , though I was not in pain or even scared. I continued to faint for the next 20 minutes or so even while laying flat, I then had the sensation that I couldn't breathe and began gasping for air and was still fainting over and over. I was transported to hospital and was eventually back to normal. Though my question is does anyone else cry when they faint or near fainting? Does anyone ever stop breathing for any amount of time? Does oxygen seem to relieve any symptoms?

Thanks for any input!

[potsgirl]

I'm a fainter, too, but wow...my episodes aren't nearly as scary as yours sound. I tend to feel it coming, just for a split second, and then I'm down. I'm only usually out for a minute or two, and then can slowly get myself up in stages. Then I need to sit and rest for awhile. I don't cry, and I never pass out again when I'm on the floor - what did the hospital say about that?! Is that even a faint? It sounds like you just keep losing consciousness, which seems worrisome to me. I also have 'falls' where sometimes I feel it coming, but other times I don't, and I just end up on the floor.

All of these things are scary, and I worry about passing out in public - which I've already done. What do you do about that problem? Wishing you well...

Cheers,

Jana

[maggie]

Although I am not a fainter with pots I have had boughts of crying spells. While doing my ttt when my heart rate went over 150 I started crying although not in pain or scared. I looked at the tech and ask what's this all about. The tech informed me that when the heart rate rises over a certain rate crying is a normal reaction for some. I felt kind of foolish strapped to that ttt table sobbing like a baby! As long as they kept me up the tears were falling. Not untill they lowered the table and my heart rate went down did the tears stop. Hope this helps.

Maggie

[tinkerbella]

the last time i fainted was years ago, i woke up on the floor and wondered why the water was running and why i was looking at my cannisters from the floor. i was crying and hurt myself. this was way before i ever was dx with pots but i know i have always had pots.

now my hr gets so fast,i start sweating, i need to drink or sit really quick which i usually do. recently i'm starting to see gray and stars the black. this has made me tell the doc more is going on, which has been confirmed with a 24 hour BP monitor along with my on BP monitor computer program that i can take whenever i have these feelings.

i my i just got sooooooooooooooo sick.

[masumeh]

my spells also last about an hour, and can recurr back-to-back while I'm down. but recently, I was informed that I actually have epilepsy as well as POTS, so now I call them seizures. still now sure though.

The classic thing for me is: my calves feel heavy, can't use my fingers, head pain (in front, above the eyes), tightness in my chest (feeling like I can't breath or more specifically cannot control my breathing and breath very shallow), black-out, fall down, convulse (especially left arm), cannot move, feel, speak, and my jaw clenches, if somebody opens my eyelids they will see my eyes rolling back, I CAN hear the whole time, but cannot properly think and probably wouldn't feel it if I were in pain or even stabbed or shot... I might come out, go back in, come back out, back and forth until I fall asleep...

Funny thing is that my POTS might be causing my epilepsy through blood flow deficit to the brain and because tachy and blood flow deficit stimulate some kind of vagal nerve reaction that provokes a seizure. Some people with seizures cry or have fight or flight symptoms, which they cannot necessarily recall afterwards. Parts of the brain can be triggered, while others are left normal...creating individual idiosynchracies in seizure presentations. Partial seizures can be especially tricky.

Have you had an EEG? In particular, have you had an EEG with a day or few days of a full-blown fainting spell?

My first EEG was negative, but seven years later a second EEG proved classic, generalized epilepsy. Since then, I learned it's easy to have a false negative.

Anyway, POTS is such a difficult to understand disease. I think the best course is always to get to know YOUR pots, YOUR symptoms, YOUR triggers and manifestations. Then you become the expert and can help your doctors choose the right treatment path.

[bellajulz]

Thank you for your responses... I have had an EEG a 2 hour one and then a 24 hr. when I was in the hospital before I was dx with pots in Nov. 08' and I acutally had a full blown "episode" while the EEG was hooked up just as I explained in my first post. Both came out negative on the siezures. As for the crying, I do this with every fainting bout' and when I'm close to fainting and feel so silly but no doc. has been able to explain why this happens to me. My cardio does not seem at all concern for the loss of breathing and continous fainting while laying down, though this happens about once every 2-3 months or so.

[masumeh]

What are your triggers? If it happens once every 2-3 months, is it like when you push yourself, or when you eat too much sugar, or what? Sugar and sleep cycle upset cause seizures. But then, they can be POTS antagonists as well. Maybe your crying is a shock reaction? My POTS doc used to tell me that my convulsions were shock reactions (to the high tachy). Adrenaline related.

[masumeh]

OK, tried to edit last post but something erased it.

Tingly, cold hands are a sign of hyperventilation. Have you considered panic attacks? If you have hyperadregenic POTS, this is a high possibility I think.

In any case, I hope you are able to determine the antecedents and work on avoiding them. Good luck figuring it all out...I know it's really an ongoing process.

[potsgirl]

Hi Viviana,

I'm sorry that you're having these nasty episodes, and that your doctor doesn't seem concerned with your having 2-3 spells when you're still laying on the floor! In one of my posts, I write about low respiration rates, and I think there are several of us who have problems with that (dyspnea). In fact, my sleep is so fractured and my boyfriend always tells me it seems like I stop breathing at night that I'm going to have a sleep apnea study done. Have you tried looking at the problem partially through breathing difficulties? They can do a blood test to check for oxygenation, pH levels, etc, in your body. Regular respiration is 10-20 breaths / minute. Mine is 5 or 6.

I also think that masumeh's entry is interesting - your spells almost do sound like a seizure...I hope you figure this out and have more peace.

Ciao~

Jana