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Dizzy and Passing out

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Erzulie, Apr 23, 2017.

  1. Erzulie

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    This might be more of a mental health thing, but can you pass out from anxiety? I passed out in January for no reason that I can think of and my doctor said it was vasovagal syncope. I was out for a good minute but all the things you can pass out from that they told me were not my case. I was hydrated, I had just eaten lunch, I had been standing for over 2 minutes, and it was winter so I was not overheated. Now I get dizzy more often. Sometimes it'll be out of the blue, and sometimes it'll be when I think about something that stresses me out. What do I do? Should I be in therapy or something?
     
  2. readingpast12

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    If you were hyperventilating then yes, you could. If your doctor said it was vasovagal syncope then he's probably right.
     
  3. SomeUsername

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    It is possible to pass out from anxiety. If your anxiety is significant enough to cause physical health problems, then I would personally recommend therapy. But the fact that you get dizzy out of the blue seems worrying. Have you talked to a doctor about your dizziness since you passed out? If it's not anxiety it could be a sign of iron deficiency, an autoimmune condition, or something else.
     
  4. Erzulie

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    I was not hyperventilating; I was just casually talking to someone. I'm just trying to figure out why it happened. My doctor did a blood test to be sure, and said everything seems fine. They even sent me to the cardiologist because I was having palpitations. Those have gradually have gone away though. Luckily my insurance from work covers all of this for the most part, but it only covers 3 sessions with a therapist so I'm just worried about how expensive therapy will be. How do I find a good one in my area?
     
    #4 Erzulie, Apr 23, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2017
  5. TraceElement

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    For a therapist, check psychologytoday.com. they have a find a therapist function. Does your work have EAP? Employee assistance program... They may be able to help provide resources for lower cost therapy.
    Did your doctor give you any guidance for the syncope?
     
  6. Erzulie

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    Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure if we have EAP, I'll have to check the book they gave me with all my insurance info. And no, they just told me to keep hydrated which I am doing.
     
  7. TraceElement

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    Maybe a small bottle of Gatorade will help.
     
  8. wickedwitch

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    Hi Erzulie:

    I agree with SomeUsername that the "out of the blue" events are concerning, as you said there is usually some sort of trigger associated with vasovagal syncope. You might want to keep a journal of these events noting when, where etc. just in case there is a pattern that no one has discerned yet.

    Best of luck.

    (*hug*)
     
  9. robclem21

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    Vasovagal syncope is the most common type to occur among people your age. It can happen out of the blue, or even with some minor stimulation. This is most likely if you felt really crappy (nauseated, pale, fatigue) right before fainting and if it occurred alongside physical or emotional stress, dehydration, during a meal, or when urinating at night. Even if it happens many times, this type of condition is pretty harmless and will go away once you deal with the underlying emotional/physical stress. The major concern is falling in an area where it could be dangerous to hit your head.

    When you feel these episodes come on, the best thing to do is lay flat, and elevate your legs to get as much blood flow to your head as possible. Stay hydrated with water and maybe some sugar (juice). It is also likely to feel like crap for up to a few hours after you faint so just take it easy until you feel recovered.

    If your doctor was responsible and did some blood work AND you've even seen a cardiologist I wouldn't worry. Just try to keep track of triggers and the details around when it happens in case anything changes.

    Hope you feel better.
     
  10. shopaholic

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    Your doctor could be right - this could very well be vasovagal syncope. But I constantly felt dizzy and nearly passed out a few times starting around the age of 16 and actually had another autonomic nervous system disorder called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It's worth it to get the POTS diagnosis if you have POTS, because it's often way more debilitating than vasovagal syncope. Having the POTS label will therefore help you to get the accommodations you may need in the workplace or school. Physiologically, it's almost like the opposite of vasovagal syncope; if I pass out, it's not because my heart rate drops, but because it increases too much. This happens every time a person with POTS moves from a seated position to standing for many complicated medical reasons I won't go into here :lol:. It just basically means I'm dizzy a lot just like you are. Tired too. Do you get a lot of tachycardia (rapid heart rate), especially upon standing? Do you have any other symptoms, like fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, nausea, weight loss, temperature regulation problems, feet and legs turning red/blue/purple?

    I think it's worth monitoring your heart rate as you move through your day. You could do that with a FitBit pretty easily. If your heart rate is jumping by 20+ bpm when you stand up or going over 120 bpm, then I would strongly suggest you go see a cardiologist or neurologist about potentially having POTS. It's also possible that you have another form of dysautonomia... my general advice for you is to research dysautonomia/POTS online and see if any of it resonates with you basically. Too many doctors don't know enough about POTS and other forms of dysautonomia to properly diagnose it... it often gets diagnosed as vasovagal syncope or anxiety, and can be misdiagnosed for years (I waited two years for my diagnosis, which is actually a short wait time, and that's only because I ignored the doctors who said I was fine and figured out that I had POTS on my own; I had to suggest that my doctor test me for it to get the diagnosis :lol:. I think the average wait time for a diagnosis is 7 years).

    So, it's quite possible that don't have it (although it disproportionately affects young females and it's estimated to affect 1 million Americans in total), but I had to let you know about it just in case! Cause if somebody had told me "maybe you have POTS" I woulda wasted a lot less time and energy obsessively researching my symptoms - time better spent on recovery and self-care!

    Hang in there, dealing with the type of health problems you're dealing with... it's not easy (*hug*)
     
    #10 shopaholic, May 5, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2017