Questions about vasovagal syncope?

Hi everyone,

You may all remember me or may not, anyway I have tried to post more often, but a lot of the time my depression and medical issues get the best of me and I just cannot seem to do much more than read messages on this particular board as most of my issues at the moment seem to be with and centered around chronic pain.

I used to go to a specialist for treatment of my vasovagal syncope. He was a heart doctor. Anyway, his office kept moving and it drove me nuts so I just quit seeing him. He never really explained to me what happens with your body when you have an "episode" of this.

No doctor, through any kind of testing has ever been able to re-create what happens to me. My husband and I have been talking about my health issues lately as I just had yet another visit to the ER. Anyway, my husband has explained to me what happens to my body when I have an episode and I would like input from other members here that I have seen they have been diagnosed with this from their signatures.

I usually have a little bit of warning, but sometimes none at all. Anyway, when I get the warning signs, I have a problem initially with dizziness. Sometimes I can manage to fight the dizziness off by sheer willpower (it seems). But others I cannot and I end up with my arms starting to shake uncontrollably and if I cannot fight off the dizziness, the uncontrollable shaking will go to my legs also. When this happens I also lose control of the ability to talk and I end up trying to lean on something to support myself, but I end up going totally down and out of it. According to my husband, I become total deadweight even though my arms and legs are still shaking uncontrollably and I quit breathing and my eyes go into the back of my head and he said it feels to him like it lasts forever, but I usually come out of it within a minute and resume breathing and sort of wake up.

Afterward, I am still very dizzy when trying to get up and have to just lay wherever I have fallen for awhile. I am always incredibly weak afterward, but the time it takes me to recover does vary. Sometimes I can recover within about 45 minutes or so with just feeling a little weak. Sometimes the dizziness and weakness can last for hours and the only thing I can do is stay laying down.

Is this what everyone with vasovagal syncope goes through? OR, is it possible that I have been misdiagnosed and that these episodes are actually me seizing? My husband is beginning to think it is me seizing and I do not have any answers for him.

I will not take anyones advice here as a doctors care. I have an appointment with my PM doc in the next week, and I have an appointment with a "new to me" PCP in the first week of July (the soonest I could get in). I have not called my current cardiologist regarding this issue as of yet. And just to let you know, I just saw my pulmonologist less than 2 months ago and have another appointment with her in 4 months. I am trying to have all of my doctors and specialist be women as that is what I am most comfortable with. My cardiologist is my only male at the moment.

Thanks for any help or advice,
Trudy

Hi Trudy, you may want to go to the Mayo Clinic's website & read what they have to say about this. From reading your post many of your symptoms seem to match what they have to say. From what I read the biggest concern is a person getting injured if they happen to fall when passing out.

What type of dr dx'd you with this condition? I hope you can get some answers.

The doctor that diagnosed me was a cardiologist. I have read the mayo clinic site info and that has what started my questions.

I have had all of the testing listed on the mayo site, but that was years ago. I do have low blood pressure and hypothyroidism. My body has lost about 30 more pounds in the last 3 to 4 months. It seems the lower my weight, the more health problems I encounter.

I see my pain doc on Friday and I am sure she would refer me to a neurologist, all I have to do is ask. She will probably also get my blood retested that day as I found out from the er that my counts are off again.

I have already beat off one type of cancer 10 years ago, and I am just starting to get really scared again. Things are wrong and not making sense at the moment and I am sure many of you know what that feels like.

Thanks for your help so far! If anyone has any more input, I am reading.
Trudy

Trudy, if you have a cardiologist on board why not get an appt with him & also ask to be referred to a neurologist. Since it sounds like its been awhile since you saw the cardiologist maybe its time to be rechecked again.

Let us know what you decide.