Rachel Cox Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Hi everyone, I'm new. I live in New Zealand. When I had my tilt table test, my heart stopped completely. I have fainted many many times in my life and the attending doctor said that when I had faints with rigidity (my words) it was likely an episode like the one on the tilt table ...catastrophic autonomic failure (docs words). It was extremely worrying for me to know that my heart could just stop like that. I have two little ones (4 and 2) and I was really afraid that I might faint upright when I'm with them, my heart would stop and that would be it. If I fall down, the blood return from my legs would usually start my heart up again, like it did on the tilt table. But what if I didn't fall into the horizontal position? I didn't want them to have to deal with that! I have recently had a pacemaker inserted which responds to a fast rate drop and fires up my heart to beat really quickly for five minutes. It has already done its job and I am glad it is in and reassured by its presence! I have also been diagnosed with POTS (which makes me faint in the first place) and I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience on the tilt table? if so, what did your doctors say of it?thanks,RachPS. I am glad to be here on the dinet forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vemee Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 I have read some articles on this a long time ago and if I remember right they say that those people whose heart stop on the tilt table are not at a greater risk of sudden death. However, I am glad you have the pacemaker since it is better to be safe and that it is a reassurance to you. I had a tilt table test when I turned blue and went into seizures after getting nitroglycerin. I don't know if my heart stopped for a few seconds but the nurses were looking at the cardiac monitor tape and going "is that asytole?" The doctor was too busy telling me there was nothing wrong with me to address the heart rhythm. He ignored that my heart rate rose over 40 points during the first part of the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 It isn't a classic POTS finding, but many people who faint on the tilt table have a period of asystole, where the heart temporarily stops. The TTT can trigger a strong vasovagal response which slows or pauses the heart for a short period. The usual treatment for this in adults is a pacemaker which will prevent the heart from going too slowly or pausing. These vagal reactions can be dramatic but are not life-threatening, in fact many children with RAS (reflex anoxic seizures or reflex asystolic syncope) have lots of these episodes with no long-term adverse effects.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Cox Posted November 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 It isn't a classic POTS finding, but many people who faint on the tilt table have a period of asystole, where the heart temporarily stops. The TTT can trigger a strong vasovagal response which slows or pauses the heart for a short period. The usual treatment for this in adults is a pacemaker which will prevent the heart from going too slowly or pausing. These vagal reactions can be dramatic but are not life-threatening, in fact many children with RAS (reflex anoxic seizures or reflex asystolic syncope) have lots of these episodes with no long-term adverse effects.Flopthank you. you guys know so much. it's like having a POTS encyclopedia on my desktop!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachy Phlegming Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I think you'll give the people on here a lot to think about. http://ep.physoc.org/content/94/1/11.full.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3203141 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 The morphological response, medial hypertrophy, that parallels the hydrostatic pressure gradients in the circulation combines with the thick skin and tight underlying fascia, the 'g-suit', and an exquisitely distributed sympathetic innervation pattern to provide an effective array of mechanisms for cardiovascular regulation in the adult giraffe.Whew... for a medical journal that almost reads like one of them steamy romance novels! You can tell the author digs their work. BTW, what is this 'g-suit' and where can I get me one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmt033167 Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 I have NCS and OI with heart things thrown in. I passed out, with no palpable pulse and no bp when I had my TTT done. It freaked out the dr doing the test and I had to be wheeled out and no longer allowed to walk; until later that week when I had a pacemaker/icd implanted; after I had an ablation and cardiac cath to make sure there wasn't anything else going on.I have polymorphic vt's that cause my heart to go into vfib and stop; making me pass out - then I get the *&%$# shocked outta me from my ICD but at least I'm alive...I haven't found anyone else that did the same thing as me until now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Hi Lisa, it is good to hear that the dogs got you sorted quickly with an ICD - V-fib is not a condition to ignore! From what Giraffe has posted it sounds like he/she has a much less serious problem of short pauses in the heartbeat. Some people have pacemakers for this but it doesn't need an ICD.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxine Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Wow, I'm glad your Ok now, and it's reassuring to hear you have the pacemaker now.I wonder if this is what happens to me when I get that sudden THUMP feeling like my heart is stopping----vasovagal response.I've only had this happen when I push way beyond my limits, otherwise I usually ge the usual tachycardia, lightheaded, OI----extreme body weakness ect.HUGS to you.Maxine :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmt033167 Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I've wondered how long I've had heart rhythm problems...my brain remembers some things, but not others. I remember fainting as young as 9 years old, and I don't think I had VT back then, but I may have and just not known it; but maybe other HR problems can be connected...they did test me for ARVD and said the results were inconclusive, but I had all the signs & symptoms.I don't remember major heart problems until I had a virus 13 years ago, so I'm trying to find that connection between fainting, pulse/bp, ANS & heart problems and viruses - I was having pvc's 24/7 [54,000 daily] and had no clue what they were, just thought I was overly stressed.I'm interested in seeing why others faint and have no pulse/bp also.Oh Btw Giraffe, I know what you mean about young children - last year while we were moving, I passed out, fell into the wall and hit the tile. My daughter was 5 at the time and she couldn't use my Nextel phone to call my husband - we didnt have the phone installed yet, and I was out about 15 min, which scared the daylights out of me when I came to. Then I was really mad because I hurt my knee and couldnt walk for a few days and had to hire people to move the rest of our stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliegee Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 The morphological response, medial hypertrophy, that parallels the hydrostatic pressure gradients in the circulation combines with the thick skin and tight underlying fascia, the 'g-suit', and an exquisitely distributed sympathetic innervation pattern to provide an effective array of mechanisms for cardiovascular regulation in the adult giraffe.Whew... for a medical journal that almost reads like one of them steamy romance novels! You can tell the author digs their work. BTW, what is this 'g-suit' and where can I get me one? Hee, hee, Erik. I'm waiting to see you in a g-suit while playing a hernia on TV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 The thought just makes my heart pound! Oh wait....I just stood up!A G-suit is what pilots like my husband wear when they are flying performance aircraft that "pull G's" (gravitational force.) It inflates automatically when it senses the onset of pressures so that the brain stays perfused with blood. I got to wear some "shock-boots" that inflated to do the same after my second was born. Loved every second of wearing them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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