Injuring Yourself When Passing Out?

[ode_to_fantasy]

I have this "sara-proof" exercise bike that I use (it's really close to the floor, so I can't fall out when I pass out), but the other day I passed out, and slammed my back against the arm. I seriously don't think I've ever had such excruciating pain in my back... And this was with my husband holding my arm! He kept me from hitting my head on anything (I think it caught him off guard). I'm going to the doctor on Monday, hopefully he'll give me something to help with the pain, and make sure I didn't REALLY hurt anything.

I've definitely hurt myself before (I pass out like 5-10 times a day, so I always have someone holding my arm or walking next to me),

but I don't think I've ever hurt myself this bad before.

How do you keep from injuring yourself in your home?? I have a wheelchair to use out in public, but I have a one bedroom apartment, there's no way I can use the chair in there...

[Ernie]

Hi,

Know your environment and plan where the tree will fall.

[persephone]

Seconded, Ernie- I'd say make sure you know where there are risky things like sharp objects etc that you can hurt yourself on. could you make some sharp edges softer by covering them- eg- on table edges, work top edges?

Make sure you have a rug that is quite thick- I do, and it saves me from getting carpet burns on my face if I fall on to that.

Also, I am very tuned in to what my body tells me now, so I am more often able to tell if an attack is coming, and I can move out of the way of dangerous or potentially dangerous things.

In the UK we have occupational therapists who can advise on this sort of thing- might you have the same in the US, or wherever you are?

Good luck!

[morgan617]

I find I typically get worse injuries when someone is trying to prevent them...ie, my doctor grabbed me by the arm and I landed on his garbage can fracturing a couple of ribs. OY did that hurt! I would have been better had he just let me slither to the floor.

I'm not really sure how to prevent injuries, except as stated above, sometimes it just can't be helped. I did have hard wood floors, but covered them, because that was really painful hitting.

No glass top tables, or sharp edges....

[flop]

Do you get any warning at all before you pass out?

I found that tilt training at home taught me to recognise the symptoms of an impending faint. I would only get a second or twos notice but I would try to sit as fast as possible - sort of letting my legs buckle under me so I was in a heap on the floor.

At different stages of my POTS I have had different symptoms. Last year I would feel really dizzy but I could prevent the actual faint by crossing my legs, clenching the muscles in my legs and buttocks and linking my fingers together and pulling my arms appart really hard. This seemed to raise my BP enough to get my vision back and let me get to somewhere safe to sit down.

I realise that everyones symptoms are different and you might have already tried those methods but if not they are worth a go.

Most of my injuries following blackouts have been caused by hitting my head on things (don't know if you read the post where I described fainting in the bathroom at work, falling backwards into a cubicle and hitting the toilet bowl so hard I cracked it right through?).

At home I try to have as little furniture as possible. I have found that table edges/corners are awful. I found one trick though - using the foam insulation / lagging that you can get for water pipes and slotting it onto the deges of the table for a bit of padding.

Hope your back gets better soon,

Flop