Fainting Sitting Down?

[Christy_D]

Has anyone fainted while sitting down? While all of my prior posts have been about my son since his symptoms are so debilitating, this one is about my daughter. She has had POTS symptoms for a couple of years as well, but hers aren't severe. She had only fainted a couple of times prior to us knowing what was going on and has since learned to prevent them by sitting back down or squatting immediately. She fainted a couple of weeks ago and again two nights ago but this time she was sitting down.

When she was sitting she said she got tunnel vision and then lost hearing before passing out. She didn't know how to stop it since she was already sitting down, she didn't expect it. Has this happened to anyone else? My son is not a fainter, so I don't know as much about this symptom. Her other symptoms are: pupils will regularly fully dialate, palpatations, weight loss that she is finally being able to put back on after 3 years, joint and muscle pain. She is also hypermobile and suffers from headaches and migraines.

I have made her an appointment with my son's neurologist but it isn't until October. She is still able to function and attend college and work part time. She is a real fighter.

Any input?

Christy

[arizona girl]

Hi Christy, So sorry this is happening to your children. That has got to be hard. This actually happened to me once while I was lying down during a medical treatment. The treatment triggered a sudden drop in pressure. So, yes it can happen. I know there are several members on here who faint or bp drops when ever they attempt to be upright. Does her bp/hr go up or down when she is up right? Pots is really only the rise in hr. If her bp drops that is hypotension. If bp goes up it is hyper pots. If I get too high I then get the bp drop triggering the presyncope symptoms you described.

When I've had a presyncope when sitting, it has involved eating and heat, eating and a glass of wine, and flying. Some thing happens that drops the bp. Laying flat with my feet/legs up helps it pass. Next time she feels that way, get flat as quick as she can.

Had she just had a meal, meds or was it warm? From her symptoms it sounds like she may have some kind of neuropathy or autoimmune disease starting. This how I was at her age. I didn't tell anyone. Has small fiber neuropathy been ruled in or out with either of your kids? I have autoimmunity, neuropathy and immune deficiency and just found out I have a genetic mutation on the mthfr gene that is probably contributing to it all. With two kids being symptomatic there may be a genetic component. If I could have found out these things when I was younger, I don't think I would have gotten as sick as I did, as everything I have is treatable and treatment would have curbed the progression. If you can get this figured out while they are still young, can't help but think they will do better then I did. I am improving now that I'm getting the right treatment.

[Guest Alex]

Christy,

I'm so sorry to hear that both your kids are going though this.

To answer your question - about 10 years ago - way before being diagnosed with POTS I did faint once while sitting down. It happened because I jumped out of the bed to answer the phone, and I guess my brain did not have time to get all the oxygen it needed. I remember finishing the phone conversation fast (telemarketers!) then I felt a bit dizzy, so I decided to sit down. Next thing I remember I was on the floor and my cat was licking my face. I don't even know how long I had been out for.

Now I have POTS but I am not a fainter - I did faint during my tilt table test (possibly because I had spent the 4 previous months in bed and my dr made me stop my beta-blocker cold turkey 3 days before the test?!??). Earlier today for ex my standing bp was 80/60 and I haven't even felt dizzy from it.

Just a thought - maybe you should suggest to your daughter that she lays down whenever she feels like she might be fainting rather than sit down.

Sorry I can't be of much help here.

Best,

Alex

[CharmedLinz]

Oh no Christy I'm sorry.... it's tough enough with 1 sick kid let alone 2.

Up until February I had never actually passed out.

Now I've lost consciousness 3 times in the shower, while sitting on my stool. I don't think I "fainted" as I didn't have the feelings of getting faint. Just found myself keeled to the side and the water cold and not remembering what happened.

Since then now I'm not allowed to shower alone, my Mother sits in the room.

During my ER visit in May what was very scary that prompted the 911 call was that I was passing out while lying down. I knew to get down on the floor the minute my hands feet went totally tingly numb and my vision went dark.

But being flat made really no difference only that it kept me from passing out more, but in the brief times I tried to crawl to the bathroom or door I passed out 3 times and then once when the paramedics got me up to get on the gurney.

What was strange is that laying flat out when they got here my pulse was 117 and thready. I don't remember what they said my BP was, I was very disoriented.

With all the joint pain you are talking about have either of them or you been tested for the HLA-B27 gene?? Has your son been looked at for ankylosing spondylitis???

It's something some of us seem to have in common as well, it's just another link into connective tissue problems.

My shower things seem to be from water temperature, but I'm not sure.

My cousin with this fell through a shower door before she was diagnosed at age 14.

Has she just eaten when this happened??? THere was a very interesting mystery diagnosis once about a lady who had Food Syncope or East Syncope, can't remember exactly, try googling it.

Hugs to all.......

[rach73]

Hi,

Sorry that you have both kids sick with this. My mum has the same issue both my sister and I have it but we are considerably older.

Ive fainted twice sitting down. Once was at school during a biology lesson and we were cutting up a pigs head (Ive been a life long vegetarian so I think that explains it!) was sat on a stool at the bench woke up on my back on the floor. The second occasion was last year I was actually lying on my bed propped up by pillows I had recently eaten my dinner, felt my bp dropping as I get post prandial hypotension and the next thing I knew 20 mins had gone by (knew this as I was watching a dvd!). With this one I woke up extremely confused and around 5 mins later took my bp and it was 75/42. That one scared me as I had been out cold for so long.

My only advice would be if she feels faint sitting down, lie down as quickly as possible and elevate her legs. Im really sorry I cant help anymore. It must be terrifying for you.

Rach

[sue1234]

Sometimes we get tunnel vision about POTS---there is a chance the fainting may not be related to POTS at all. Of course, POTS is the obvious, "jump out at you" issue, but other things could be going on, too. The one thing I thought of was low blood sugar, which if it gets too low, it doesn't matter what position you are in, you will pass out. Just a thought.

[gertie]

I have fainted while sitting down from vasovagal syncope, hypoglycemia & drug allergies. I always put my head down

on my knees or slump over a table if possible. Sorry that your children are sick. I know it is scarey.

[kayjay]

I have completely lost my vision from low blood pressure ( not sure if I passed out ) while laying in bed reading.

[Christy_D]

My son does have small fiber neuropathy but I don't know if my daughter does. She hasn't been tested for anything since her symptoms have been much less severe than my sons. She had been out at the zoo that day and was sitting outside with friends and said she was very warm.

Also, she had her wisdom teeth pulled 2 weeks ago, so maybe it triggered symptoms.

Unfortunately, she fainted Thursday evening and we had to leave on Saturday to take my son to see Dr Afrin in SC. I was uneasy going out of town and leaving her home, but my mother in law does live really close to us. She can call her or stay with her if she needs to.

Thanks for the replies

Christy

[julieph85]

The two times in my life that I have come the closest to fainting, I was sitting down. Actually I was driving on 1-95! Both times were because I had skipped my coffee. They hit me suddenly and intensely. If I had not freaked out and had such an intense adrenaline response I know I would have fainted. Fainting while sitting is definitely possible. I also have way more pre syncope laying down then anything else because my Bp drops so low

[Alex's mumma]

So sorry your going through this with both kids... I can't even imagine!

My daughter has POTS and one of her majorly out of control symptoms is syncope. She faints all of the time while sitting down. As a matter of fact... On bad days she sometimes faints just rolling over in bed and sometimes faints while laying completely still. Most of the time she now knows when she's going to fai t and quickly sits or lays down wherever she's at (even in the middle of the mall or a Resturant) which is not an easy thing for a 15 year old to do without being emberassed. But preventing a brain injury is something we have really stressed with her so she's gotten used to having to deal with it pretty quickly!

My daughter also gets tunnel vision, sometimes black spots I her vision and has a few episodes where she has lost her vision all together for a few minutes at a time. Her pupils also often complete dialate, and this past few weeks has been complaining a LOT about joint pain. She has piles of other symptoms as well, but those that you have explained about your daughter are ones that we experience daily.

[peregrine]

I haven't passed out while sitting, but I've come very close - all three times from stimulus-triggered situations (twice from repeated needle sticks, once from hearing about how they do cardiac ablations and won't sedate you for them! freaked the cardiologist out a lot). In one of the two needle stick situations I did lose my vision, but fortunately they followed my (and my partner's) instructions and lowered the chair back immediately (nowadays I just get everything done lying down except shots). In the other double stick situation I actually was reclining on an exam bed. So it definitely can happen while not standing. Elevating the legs is definitely a good call if she can do it - for example I can elevate mine on my backpack when I'm out and about.

[anaphylaxing]

I've had a few mini faints while sitting. I think I was dehydrated.

[peregrine]

Spoke too soon! Last night I was very, very nauseous - got out of bed and lay down on the bathroom floor, then sat up next to the toilet because I felt I was about to vomit. Got a sudden *very* cold sweat, felt the blood drain out of my face, vision went dark, immediately lay down and was dizzy for a while. I got up and walked quickly around the house to get a pillow and blanket, but was very lightheaded the entire time. No needles this time, and I didn't vomit (so it wasn't just quasi-shock from the vomiting itself)! Hmph.

[ramakentesh]

sitting without moving around (sitting prone) in POTS is just like a tilt table in many ways,.

[mully2014]

SItting, laying, standing, exercising I can pass out at any time!

[Lemons2lemonade]

Christy do you have eds? Hypermobile joints are consistent with collagen problems that can be caused by syndromes such as eds, marfans etc.

[anna]

One of my boys blacks out many times when sat on the bus to college, other son tends to be more postural near blackouts but has had some drop attack like episodes, gets up too fast and blacks out and falls, he had clearly noted postural hypotention on his TTT. My daughter blacks out not quite full drop faints, sitting down, lying down, standing up, her TTT showed massive BP drops I think the Dr. doing my daughters last TTT was a little puzzled and wandered about his machines when daughters BP's came out at 22/7 and she was still conscious, ok very groggy but still open eyed.

It seems my children have issues when they are still too long, they all have EDS so that seems to factor in due to more stretchy blood vessels.

Had your daughter been still for a while could that be the problem?!

[Alan-pots-IST]

i get dizzy seting up more so driveing and laying back in my bed I have a hard time brathing and i come close to passing out. im laying back now and im a little dizzy my bp is 124/79 hr 40 when i stand it shots up and i get a drop in bp. when i drive my heart rates in the 70s 80s 90s bp can be 100/80 124/79 lately im realy comeing close to passing out driveing. i have a hard time brathing and i just to black out. i have to walk around to get blood back to my brain.

[Christy_D]

Lemons,

My daughter is hypermobile, but I don't know if she has EDS. She also has low bp/hr. At her last neuro. appt her bp was 90/56 and hr was 56. But she is also very physically fit, so the doctor attibuted the low numbers to being in good shape.

Since passing out last week she has been exhausted/fatigued.

Christy