Syncope/pre-Syncope

[misstraci]

I want to know what feelings and sensations that others feel before the pass out or have a near pass out episode?

Do you tend to feel a feeling in your head or chest or both?

I get a weird sensation in my chest and sometimes in my head as well. I wanted to compare to others.

THanks

[enko]

Well, I didn't have syncope yet, "just" presyncope because I manage to sit (preferably on a cold spot) before I lose it totally.

In worst cases, here is what I feel:

- weird sensation on back of my neck and back of the head (like tingles)

- nausea

- general weakness

- like that my legs will cut off and I will fall down any moment

- starting to lose or totally losing vision

- breathing shallowly

- can't speak or keep my head up

- I'm totally slowed down

I hope that I didn't forget anything...

[janiedelite]

I've never actually fainted, but I've had issues with low BP while standing (systolic under 60). Losing my vision is the biggest cue that I need to sit ASAP. I was doing poor man's tilt testing and forced myself to stand through the vision loss and heard an increasing roar in my head, like standing next to an airplane. Other sensations include feeling cold, nausea, head and chest pressure, pressure in ears, and having an intense desire to lie down.

Thankfully, I respond well to volume expansion and midodrine so I've never passed out. At worst, I just avoid standing until the meds kick in.

[lmt033167]

I've fainted since age 9, I've fainted everywhere imaginable. Sometimes I know well before hand; other times it's lights out and I'm on the floor in a blink...times of being out vary and there is no rhyme or reason.

Sometimes I get a pressure in my head, vision changes, nausea, weakness, I feel hot and cold all at the same time and then the room starts spinning and I may have time to quickly stop whatever I'm doing and squat, sit, lay down, other times I have no warning (like in my TTT) I just completely faint.

Recently I've had the worst bouts of vertigo I've ever had along with my pre-syncope; but I don't fully faint since I have a pacemaker/icd. 2 weeks ago I fell into the side of the tiled bath tub getting dressed and my BP dropped too quickly and now I have a severely sprained neck and sore head.

The only thing that has changed is about 3 months ago I went off Midodrine because my new insurance went up on the pricing and I can't afford it...my bp sky rocketed - 150/120 - 189/140 and they can't find out why.

Nothing I've tried has helped with the symtpoms I have, luckily my PM catches my bp/hr drops, just sometimes a bit too late like 2 weeks ago.

[misstraci]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences!!!

Imt033167.....I'm sorry you got injured recently. I hope you feel better and that your BP goes back down from the high numbers you mentioned. I bet it was from the change in meds maybe. Is your pace maker put in for dysautonomia or another reason?

I just have a hard time trying to put into words how I feel and especially right before I feel like I'm going to pass out. A weird rush sensation enthrals my whole body and then it feels like my heart is sinking away and has no blood and is going to stop. My head feels awful like it's a balloon and it's going to float away. I really can't put it into words, it's the worst feelings

[enko]

You've just described it pretty vividly

[lmt033167]

I had the pacemaker put in for profound bradycardia during my TTT since I was in the hospital already and having an ICD implanted for my VT episodes. It helps my heart rate when it gets really low, but it doesn't quite help with the quick extreme blood pressure drops I have; sometimes 50 - 100 pt drops at a time.

Good thing you do have a bit of a warning signal; make sure you keep with you what's wrong and what to do in case of emergency if you're out some where.

I got business cards that said my name, emergency contact , medical condition and what meds I'm on, on the other side I put NOTE: I suffer from (NCS) fainting episodes, if I appear sick I may need to sit down, lay down or have my feet propped in a chair to help if i don't respond.

[RockiesGirl]

When I faint usually, I have some notice. I have only fainted once that I didn't have any notice at all and that was while taking my dogs for a walk. I also did not have the weird, uncontrolable shaking I ussually do after I come to.

But usually, My body starts to feel really weak, heavy and it is hard to put one foot in front of the other. My hands and feet start to tingle and then my vision narrows, the world tilts.... Then I'm out. I wake up to people looking at me and shaking uncontolably.

Like a few others have said, it is really hard to put into words.

[Libby]

Just happened, so I thought I'd reply to this while it was still fresh in my mind. I got careless. Stood too still for too long, I guess, but it's kind of irritating that 5 minutes is now my 'too long' Hopefully it was just an off night.

Anyway, my stomach starts to cramp and I feel way too hot. I start dripping sweat, which is attractive. And I get really cranky, lol. That goes on for between 1 and 10 minutes, depending. I usually sit down before I start sweating and that's all I need at that point to stop it.

If I ignore the nausea and the sweating and keep standing, then my throat starts to tighten like I really, really am going to throw up. My vision gets brighter and I can't focus my eyes - the world kind of tilts. Around now is when my bp starts to drop by 20+ points at a time. I can feel it happening. Bursts of coldness, starting at the crown of my head and whooshing down my neck, and I can just feel the blood draining. Yuck. I can feel my hr slowing too, and I'm not going to lie, a part of me is freaking out that I'm dying. The adrenaline from my freak out is usually only enough to give me a jolt of pins and needles through my arms and chest, but not to speed up my heart.

If I stay on me feet after that, then my hearing starts to go - a high pitched hum/roar. My vision goes white, I lose muscle control and that's that.

[hholmes13]

My experience is similar to many of you. Whenever I faint, it's always the same thing. I start to feel really hot and uncomfortable. Then I get extremely nauseous and think I'm going to throw up. Then I break out into a cold sweat. When the tunnel vision starts....that's when I know it's going to be bad. My vision just starts to go dark and I can feel myself starting to slip away. The whole time I have this sort of "impending doom" feeling hanging over me. When I faint I'm never out for long, but whenever I come to I usually end up throwing up and feel extremely shaky for quite awhile afterward. Such a yucky feeling!!

[misstraci]

thank you all for the replies here. I enjoy reading them but I'm sorry you feel so cruddy, and me too. I wanted to hear what other go through and if it were similar to my own experiences.

[jknh9]

My fainting experience is very similar to hholmes13's, except I don't actually throw up. I also have this sensation like I can't get enough oxygen, like I've been holding my breath or something. Also, I sometimes have a seizure after I black out-- this happened once in March and I managed to beat myself up pretty good, and then again in May during my TTT. Afterwards I usually feel pretty woozy for quite some time.