Chronic fainting, sleep fainting, vasovagal syncope?

Posted by cherawgirl @cherawgirl, Aug 22, 2023

I started having fainting spells in 2018. Had heart workup, holter monitor, all negative for bradycardia. It starts during sleep. Fainting wakes me from 4-7 am, then I may faint 0-20 times the following day. This happens about once a month, may last 3 days. Was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope but symptoms don’t fit the disorder since I faint so many times for no known reason. I have Hashimoto’s disease but can’t find a connection, and I have Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency but can’t find a connection.

I posted this here because I couldn’t find another group that might be close. I mean fainting means the heart isn’t pumping blood to the brain but something has to trigger it!

Fainting causes bowel movements, to the point of diarrhea so bad I went into hyponatremia and ended up in the ER twice.

Why can’t I find help for this? If anyone knows ANYTHING, any lead could be the clue.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

@cherawgirl

UPDATE to my original post. Finally got in to see electrophysiologist (heart electricity Dr.). So far only seen his PA but OK with that now. They put me on a heart monitor. FIRST DAY had it on fainting started! on Friday night, continued to Monday morning. The Dr. office called me because they saw the monitor alerts. The monitor did not show anything out of the ordinary, hence they still think vasovagal syncope. I guess I should be glad I don't have a heart problem but I still have no clue what triggers the VVS. Dr. office mentioned there are medicines for it and she(the PA) is going to talk to the Dr. (who was in surgery all day yesterday) to see what he says. So I go back and forth between gastro and cardio 🙁 and 5 years later still no help. Bad fainting leaves you with a terrible head ache that nothing eases, feeling sick, and creates mental deficits with memory and thoughts. Please someone eventually find help for this.

Jump to this post

Have to check your iron level.or your are your vitamin d sometimes if you're low on vitamin d that can cause bad headaches too or be if you're low and b12 that can give you bfrain fog lower ferrous sulfate. You might want to go to eating softer foods and smoothies for a while I know it's a pain but that might help. 🙏🙏😇😇😇

REPLY
@cherawgirl

UPDATE to my original post. Finally got in to see electrophysiologist (heart electricity Dr.). So far only seen his PA but OK with that now. They put me on a heart monitor. FIRST DAY had it on fainting started! on Friday night, continued to Monday morning. The Dr. office called me because they saw the monitor alerts. The monitor did not show anything out of the ordinary, hence they still think vasovagal syncope. I guess I should be glad I don't have a heart problem but I still have no clue what triggers the VVS. Dr. office mentioned there are medicines for it and she(the PA) is going to talk to the Dr. (who was in surgery all day yesterday) to see what he says. So I go back and forth between gastro and cardio 🙁 and 5 years later still no help. Bad fainting leaves you with a terrible head ache that nothing eases, feeling sick, and creates mental deficits with memory and thoughts. Please someone eventually find help for this.

Jump to this post

Hi @cherawgirl, so sorry to hear of your problems with fainting going on for so long.
For nine months, in the throes of an autoimmune disorder, I had gagging attacks without nausea. They did go away before I started on steroids, but they were debilitating. At the time, I researched a lot of exercises online and ways to reset the vagus nerve. Have you ever looked into those? Maybe they could help you.
There's also work by Dr. Stephen Porges, "The Polyvagal Theory". In Dr. Porges words, "the perspective placed an emphasis between psychological experiences and physical manifestations in the body." It might be worth looking into Dr. Porges work, as he is compassionate and insightful, and who knows, maybe it could help.

REPLY
@tsc

Hi @cherawgirl, so sorry to hear of your problems with fainting going on for so long.
For nine months, in the throes of an autoimmune disorder, I had gagging attacks without nausea. They did go away before I started on steroids, but they were debilitating. At the time, I researched a lot of exercises online and ways to reset the vagus nerve. Have you ever looked into those? Maybe they could help you.
There's also work by Dr. Stephen Porges, "The Polyvagal Theory". In Dr. Porges words, "the perspective placed an emphasis between psychological experiences and physical manifestations in the body." It might be worth looking into Dr. Porges work, as he is compassionate and insightful, and who knows, maybe it could help.

Jump to this post

Wow, thank you! Help like this makes this forum so great. I will certainly look into this. Today Dr. prescribed fludrocortisone and yoga.

REPLY
@crazykbl

Have to check your iron level.or your are your vitamin d sometimes if you're low on vitamin d that can cause bad headaches too or be if you're low and b12 that can give you bfrain fog lower ferrous sulfate. You might want to go to eating softer foods and smoothies for a while I know it's a pain but that might help. 🙏🙏😇😇😇

Jump to this post

Great advice!

REPLY
@crazykbl

Have to check your iron level.or your are your vitamin d sometimes if you're low on vitamin d that can cause bad headaches too or be if you're low and b12 that can give you bfrain fog lower ferrous sulfate. You might want to go to eating softer foods and smoothies for a while I know it's a pain but that might help. 🙏🙏😇😇😇

Jump to this post

I am so sorry you're going through this it is so stressful and you've been going through a 9 months is I hope and they can check you for gluten sensitivity or gluten issues but if not you might be lose sensitivity you might want to cut gluten out of your diet too. Cuz I know if you have gluten issues it causes diarrhea. And gluten and like starchy food like pastas potatoes bread so try to go gluten free can cause you to faint to and have stomach problems. It's so sad that traditional doctors don't check vitamin d and b12 and iron levels. 👋🙏🙏🙏. Have they checked you for gastroparesis 2 that can cause a lot of nausea too. Hang in there there's light at the tunnel prayers for you and best wishes.

REPLY
@tsc

Hi @cherawgirl, so sorry to hear of your problems with fainting going on for so long.
For nine months, in the throes of an autoimmune disorder, I had gagging attacks without nausea. They did go away before I started on steroids, but they were debilitating. At the time, I researched a lot of exercises online and ways to reset the vagus nerve. Have you ever looked into those? Maybe they could help you.
There's also work by Dr. Stephen Porges, "The Polyvagal Theory". In Dr. Porges words, "the perspective placed an emphasis between psychological experiences and physical manifestations in the body." It might be worth looking into Dr. Porges work, as he is compassionate and insightful, and who knows, maybe it could help.

Jump to this post

I need to check out that website and that doctor too thank you so much for letting us all know that 😁

REPLY
@cherawgirl

Wow, thank you! Help like this makes this forum so great. I will certainly look into this. Today Dr. prescribed fludrocortisone and yoga.

Jump to this post

Fludrrortisone .some tmi that m that medicine for me made my headaches 10 times worse or it gave me migraines where I threw up in vomit. Be careful if your headaches get worse tell your doctor right away. There is another medicine out there called midodrine and you take it at half an hour before you get up and you can take it up to four times a day but you do got to drink lots of water with it and lots of salt so that might help that might be another option for you and that one does not cause headaches. I hope you don't have a bad time with this medicine best of luck.

REPLY
@crazykbl

Fludrrortisone .some tmi that m that medicine for me made my headaches 10 times worse or it gave me migraines where I threw up in vomit. Be careful if your headaches get worse tell your doctor right away. There is another medicine out there called midodrine and you take it at half an hour before you get up and you can take it up to four times a day but you do got to drink lots of water with it and lots of salt so that might help that might be another option for you and that one does not cause headaches. I hope you don't have a bad time with this medicine best of luck.

Jump to this post

Thanks for the heads up on the headaches. I do get migraines so we’ll see. I read about that other med you mentioned midodrine. I hate adding medicine to my life ☹️. Why can’t we just find root cause and treat that?

REPLY

Your welcome 🤗. Have you thought about to go to your neurologist to get. Have you ever thought about getting Botox Botox injections. They work for several months. Might help with your migraines too.. I don't know if you talked with your primary doctor or if you have a neurologist if you don't try to get in with a neurologist and talk about my Botox injections. 🙏😇😇🙏🙏🙏. Miracle still happen God can still build your body miracle still .happen,

REPLY
@cherawgirl

UPDATE: Mayo tests show nothing wrong with my pancreas, so I do NOT have EPI and stopped taking digestive enzymes. Had a little SIBO that's been treated. I had not had a fainting event since Aug. but now had another bad 4 days of fainting over New Years. BP was mostly fine, a little low over a couple days (98/50). Heart rate is normal. I have made an appointment with my Primary Care physician to get help in what to do next. May have to do so exploratory treatments or med, even pacemaker. I have to do something, now I have extreme anxiety worrying when it is going to happen next. I am going to talk to her about starting I guess with cardiology. How can no one find out why a person is fainting 10 times a day for 4 days?! Even in my sleep.

Jump to this post

Sorry from to bug 🪲 you again but there was a book that I bought on Amazon a doctor told me about 8 years ago told me about this 📖. It is called. The fainting phenomenon.by Blair p Grubb

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.