Survey about Passing Out

 Lance recently passed out and broke his foot.  I once passed out pre-op when getting up to pee after taking a laxative. Lately, I've had mild Orthostatic Hypotension and an 83 year old neighbor keeps passing out repeatedly while his doc says, "Can't find anything" and sends him home.

My impression is of passing out is (and I do have a really creative imagination, so beware), that any electrolyte imbalance in the digestive tract greatly increases your chances of hitting the ground. This can be from dehydration or from things moving too quickly through the intestines, or water being pulled out of our bodies and swooshed through our intestines. Not sure if this is totally correct.

Another impression I have is that no matter how many times you pass out, unless the doc can find a cause, you'll be sent home untreated.

The survey question is, "Who has passed out and why, or under what conditions?"

Then, if you have time, what diagnosis and advice did you get from the doctor when this happened (if you happened to seek advice from the doctor).

In my case of passing out pre-op from a laxative, I did not seek advice, but went online and read about laxatives and found that a side effect of laxatives can be passing out - I suppose the risk may be greater for post-ops.

Best Wishes,

Dave

I haven't passed out yet, but I've had several episodes of extreme lightheadedness. To the point of almost feeling like I'm not inhabiting my own body. I'm pretty sure mine are diet, and therefore bloodsugar, related. I think it's my mild way of "dumping". My last episode was after eating a piece of key lime pie. The time before that was from eating a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. I haven't gone to a doc concerning it either. I'd probably have to get blood tested during the middle of an episode to know for sure, and by the time I got there and got checked in and got a sample taken, it would've passed.

 The morning I passed out (10 times or so) I had a little hypoglycemia (BS was about 60) and that previous evening (about 4 hours prior I'd say) I had taken Lyrica (nerve pain meds) and a Percocet. The only advice my doctor could offer after doing the orthostatic hypotension test, and labs was that I had a combination of standing too quickly, blood sugar issue, and medication combination. But this wasn't a definitive diagnosis because I've had even lower sugar than that before and been fine while on meds and also standing up. So I personally think not Dave has a good theory going because I had not been getting in enough fluids and that probably played a large part of the story. It hasn't happened since then, though and I'm pretty much on the same regimen minus the pain pills. So hopefully that won't happen again!

never passed out but the other day I did have a couple of episode of dizzyness and lightedness. I was working hard bending over and when I rose up oo fast I would get "loopy" for a 15-20 seconds. I assume it was a BP thing as I was working hard and hadn't eaten yet. Hasn't happen since

On November 26th I got out of bed to go to the kitchen to get a bottle of water the next thing I know I am face down on the floor in a pool of blood and my two front teeth are missing. My nose is bleeding and both of my lips are split open. I also bruised my ribs on the left side and broke my little finger on my left hand. My wife witnessed me passing out and she said I was out for about 15 or 20 seconds .The medication I was on to control my irregular heart beat was not doing its job anymore. So I spent 5 days in the hospital in ICU adjusting my medication doses and adding some different meds. So far the meds are working. I guess the moral of this story is I need to be checked more often by my doctor to make sure my meds are doing their job before I hit the floor again. This thing happened without warning and it scares me to think it could of happen when I was driving down the highway at 70 mph.

I haven't passed out but, like Fish, I have had a few incidents of dizziness and feeling light-headed.  I attribute it to possible dehydration and low blood sugar,   but have not sought medical treatment for it because it clears up quickly.

Interesting responses so far, thanks!  On a side note, someone told me that Diabetic sugar gauges are not accurate for testing low (below normal range) blood sugar, so could be that if your meter is showing 60, that it's actually a lot lower.

 while that 'can' be true I have a more accurate internal meter for what my blood sugar is than the meter. I'm usually only a few points off what the meter says when I check it just because I've been diabetic for so long so I know it wasn't very low that morning. It could have been low enough to cause the episodes but like I mentioned that was an isolated incident and hasn't happened again since or anytime before so it's very strange.

I have had several instances of getting up rapidly followed by dizziness.  On 2 of those occasions, I actually hit the ground and I think one of those two was a full blown syncopal episode.

The docs say its orthostatic, that I either don't have enough fluid in me, and I need to drink more.  That in conjunction with having all the extra venous capacity that we had as obese people, those veins still exist and blood pools in them.  So when you stand up that blood isn't available to support you, and the muscles or body functions aren't used to having to push the blood up to the needed parts of the body, or something like that.

Scott

hey D-

what a great question...

let me throw some info out there..I have not passed out..but I have lots of patients that do...and I have t help them keep from hurting themselves..

ok I guess the first thing to realize...and bare with me if I'm covering stuff again..

Blood pressure is lowest when you stand up...it has to do with gravity, having to pump up to the head and back up from the feet...it takes more effort

now the examples that I use for teaching...think that you got a garden hose..and it is pointing at a 45 degree angle...then you hold it up to a 90 degree...you notice that momentary lag in the water flow...the same thing happens when you stand...there is a momentary drop in you blood pressure while you body adjust to the new position...now this happens to everyone in varing degrees...

so the solution to this...stand up slow and give yourself just a sec for the pressure to regulate

now things can make this condition worse...dehydration...think of it like the oil light coming on the car...the light says, the oil pressure is low..you need to add oil...same thing...(If you think about it..in the old movies...if someone fainted...you would here someone say..get her a glass of water...so even in the movies they would first attack the hydration..)

now..glucose levels..they can make you do a face plant really fast..you can work you glucose to where you tolerate a lower level...when we were big..we got used to running at a high level..so even normal sugars made us feel shaky...this is something that can be done over time..letting you body get adjusted to the new lower levels...slowly...over months..

the heart not pumping efficiently...just like if the piston on the car, if they were out of sync, or not pushing properly..the car will sputter..

now a new variable that we have..is the extra venous capacity..this is a great new twist...I'm now close to a normal size...but I got the veins of a big guy...with less in them...(if someone has plastic surgery..that is why swelling is such an issue...the pipes are too big to get the pressure you need..)

y'all cover pretty much all of these..

on the diagnosing why..man that can be tricky...because the episodes come on so quick...and a drink of water, or sip of juice can change what the doc is seeing..and till the heart rhythm stuff is consistently messed up...like Al...the doc has nothing to look at...so we kinda have to do out own check list..

now sure if this helps, or just log it all in one spot..(don;t forget inner ear and allergies that will throw off balance...)

this is a good thread...Russ