Vasovagal and anxiety.

[Jess]

I have been told by my doctor that I faint because of my anxiety but after reading the thread on anxiety and fainting I am very confused. I have fainted numerous times and have had a million tests done and everything is normal... So can you faint from anxiety?

Does any one else have trouble with Vasovagal syncope or fainting and suspect it may be due to anxiety?

Any opinions or info would be much appreciated :)

[Charmbracelet81]

Fainting, along with heart and lung troubles (all the usual anxiety thoughts) is something I fear. My therapist reaussred me that anxiety and panic cannot make you faint unless you have an anxiety to seeing something like blood. She said the sympathetic nervous system is up with anxiety and/or panic, and fainting occurs with low blood pressure, but during anxiety/panic blood pressure and everything else is hightened. We have even done exposures where I check my blood pressure during and attack and it was high (she did this to show me I cannot faint during an attack.)

[Jess]

Thanks for your reply...

I find it interesting because the last time i fainted i was at the hospital visiting my sister in law and her baby... So I was able to get checked by the nurse straight away, and my blood pressure was up. Im not sure if your blood pressure goes up after you pass out or not?

I have noticed that anxiety causes me to have dizziness also, as well as many other symptoms but I just dont understand how the doctor can say I faint because I have anxiety?
There was not a trigger this last recent time, previously I had thought the trigger of my fainting was pain, but I was in absolutely no pain this time.

[Itzomi]

I've heard also that you can't faint due to anxiety, but I'm not sure I agree with that. People faint from fear or being overwhelmed, so why not anxiety?

That reminds me of antique "fainting chairs"... Fainting seemed to be common enough years ago - I would suspect it was not considered too out of the ordinary.

[manda266]

Well, from my experiences, I have fainted or blacked out rather for about 20 seconds during a horrible panic attack. This was the one and only time that had happened, I don't want to scare anyone because it is very rare to actually pass out since vitals tend to increase during an attack. I think that it was perhaps a vasovagal response or have toyed with the idea that it was just a fainting spell, my bp was 80/60, and the terror that I was going through simply got the best of me and my body readjusted itself.

[forwells]

Howdy all

I am pretty sure that you cannot faint from anxiety as fainting is the bodies way of placing the body on the same level .

Example when you faint you fall to the floor in order for the whole body to be at the level of the heart and the heart not having to work so hard .

Maybe you feel faint and it is more a dizzy feeling from the nerves being effected in your ears from anxiety .

cheers kev :D

[Jess]

Thanks every one :)


This is what has confused me! I have fainted many times! and luckily there has always been someone around me...
This is what Im putting to the doctor... Why am I fainting, and how can you say I faint from anxiety?
I do not understand, and as many of you probably know, I HATE not fully understanding especially when it comes to my health... I have to know.
Anyway, I have had probably close to 15 different lots of blood tests (each testing 3-6 different things) 3 EKGs, A holter monitor, CT-Scan, Echocardiogram NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME...

So, Why do I faint if its not from anxiety?
The doctor is treating it as more of a vasogagal response (like when people see blood) But I know that I was not seeing anything that made me uncomfortable, was not feeling any uncomfortable sensations, nothing!
Doctors really frusturate me, if you couldnt tell!

[forwells]

Howdy

I think if i was you i would be finding another doctor and see what they say it could be .

I don't normally say this but have you done much research into things that make people faint .

cheers kev

Dont worry to much about doctors frustrating you i think they do us all that . :D

[Jess]

Thanks alot... I have been to 5 different GPs and then the ED 3 times after fainting (when what my mum thought was a fit, when I was actually doing the convolsing thing some do when they pass out.. When your muscles just contract)

I am just about over going to the doctors to be honest!

Its just like they all say I just had a vasovagal episode and to pretty much get over it, its just me...
This makes my anxiety 100 times worse! "Its just something you do" makes me so uncomfortable, it is not normal, even just for me...

I have researched a bit into vasovagal syncope, I understand that it is just a fancy word for fainting, and that people have certain triggers, the doctor has said that one of my triggers is anxiety.

This last time I passed out 2 weeks ago I was on the 3rd week of starting Paxil, trying these did not go well for me personally and I am off them now. One of the things I wondered was could the Paxil have numbed me that much that I did not realise that I was feeling uncomfortable, there was quite a few people in the room, and this causes me anxiety, but I was happy and comfortable with most people, I was happy with where I was standing, and did not feel any sort of panic at the time, but could my body have been feeling it but I just hadnt realised it because of the medication?

[forwells]

Howdy


This last time I passed out 2 weeks ago I was on the 3rd week of starting Paxil, trying these did not go well for me personally and I am off them now. One of the things I wondered was could the Paxil have numbed me that much that I did not realise that I was feeling uncomfortable, there was quite a few people in the room, and this causes me anxiety, but I was happy and comfortable with most people, I was happy with where I was standing, and did not feel any sort of panic at the time, but could my body have been feeling it but I just hadnt realised it because of the medication?

I am not sure about that . Panic is something the body learns .

I have to ask are you fully fainting or is it just that you feel that you are going to faint . Like very light headed and maybe even a falling feeling .

How many times has it happened and also can you pick anything that might be wrong before hand . I guess they checked your iron levels . My wife gets low iron and has fainted a few times .

cheers kev

:D

[Jess]

Thanks Kev, I really appreciate this..

Yes, I am fully fainting, falling and all... Even wet my pants in the middle of the shopping centre once. Charming, I know.
I have fully passed out probably 10-12 times over the last 3 years.
I feel faint alot more than that, probably once a week i get over-whelmingly weak, shaky extremely dizzy but do not actually lose conciousness.
I would say that pain in my tummy (cramps) cause me severe discomfort and that this does make me feel faint and weak. Stuffy/crowded rooms, things like that make me feel faint but theres nothing consistant happening each time before I pass out.

Yep, I have had my iron checked, all fine :)

[forwells]

Howdy Jess

Happy to try and help .


I would say that pain in my tummy (cramps) cause me severe discomfort and that this does make me feel faint and weak. Stuffy/crowded rooms, things like that make me feel faint but theres nothing consistant happening each time before I pass out.

Interesting . You learn something every day .

I found this .

Most fainting is triggered by the vagus nerve. It connects the digestive system to the brain, and it's job is to manage blood flow to the gut. When food enters the system, the vagus nerve directs blood to the stomach and intestines, pulling it from other body tissues, including the brain. Unfortunately, the vagus nerve can get a little too excited and pull too much blood from the brain. Some things make it work harder, such as bearing down to have a bowel movement, or vomiting. Conditions that drop blood pressure amplify the effects of the vagus nerve.

Folks who are prone to this commonly begin fainting . Fainting usually follows a pattern. The victim will feel flush (warm or hot are also common feelings) followed by sudden weakness and loss of consciousness. They'll go limp and often break out in a sweat. Victims who are standing when they faint, or "pass out," will collapse to the ground. In some folks with a hyper vagus nerve, stimulating it causes the heart to slow drastically. However, once the victim actually passes out, the vagus nerve stops doing its thing, and the victim's heart begins to speed up in order to fix the low blood pressure.

Sort of sounds like maybe this nerve is your nerve that is upset when you get stressed and it causes you to faint . Mine is the nerve on the left of my face and the one on my big toe .

I would say that it looks to be related to your anxiety and it just seems to go one step further every once and a while and makes you black out . Sort of like when i was really bad the left side of my face would twitch really bad .

So therefore i guess you need to work on the anxiety and hope that is the case . I guess with all the test you have had it nothing nasty just ruddy annoying.

Hope that helps you a little

cheers kev :D

[jj1983]

Although I have never actually fainted, I feel this way frequently. Shaky and feel faint from my anxiety issue. I will not say you CAN'T faint, because I have been really close to doing so many times. I hope you find out if this is the actual cause. Going to doctor's suck, but you keep getting several opinions untill you feel coomfortable. The next one who tells you "your fainting due to anxiety", just ask them "what make you do so". Have them explain their point to you. TYPICALLY you BP, heart rate etc rises when you panic, but this may not be true for everyone..I am no dr.by any means, but keep fighting for YOU untill you get an answer to your satisfaction!

[Jess]

Hmmm very interesting thanks Kev!

I will ask the doctor about that for sure! It is quite low down in my belly, and mainly from menstral cramps but I do get it from wind like pain.. So dont know if that nerve would be affected by those type of cramps? I have no idea how it all works! :unsure:

But the part that says "Folks who are prone to this commonly begin fainting . Fainting usually follows a pattern. The victim will feel flush (warm or hot are also common feelings) followed by sudden weakness and loss of consciousness. They'll go limp and often break out in a sweat. Victims who are standing when they faint, or "pass out," will collapse to the ground" sounds like it exactly!

I dont feel comfortable with this doctor at all so after this next appointment next week I will not be going back to him.
My mum (being quite concerned) said what happens if she passes out while driving? His reply was simply, she will not pass out while driving, it is not possible. He just seems to be a tosspot and just doesnt want to listen!

THANKYOU SO MUCH ALL FOR YOUR HELP!
After 3 years of constant worrying and unanswered questions it feels great for somebody to actually listen and actually try to help.

[forwells]

Howdy again
Glad it helped

I think its the biggest nerve that runs down the spine and controls the gut , heart lungs and such

Yes i think another doctor might be the shot . You should always be happy with your doctor and they should always listen and explain things and not dismiss you .

Dont worry to much about fainting while driving . I have done it and believe it or not i pulled over to the side of the road and still don't remember doing it .

cheers kev :D

[Itzomi]

Wow, Kev, I love that little gem you found. Very interesting!!!

You are always so helpful to everyone. :)

[Britanica]

oh wow someone has vasovagal syncope! i never heard of it till i was diagnoised when i was 17... which after that day... i've had anxiety since. my mom rushed me to the doctor because my hands went numb... and i couldnt talk. it was like my tounge was swollen. i was so scared that when the doctor sent me to the hospital i began having my first severe pannic attack, which turned into anxiety. I actually heard myself in my head... its hard to explain but its scary and unreal.

i found that salt, gatorade, and knee high socks help with vasovagal syncope. i havent completely blacked out ever but ive come close. its funny how they say black out...when everything goes white.

i still have cold hands and feet, heart palpatations and sometimes my heart rate feels to high... but that could be my anxiety.

also try ice. if you put ice in your neck or fourhead it will draw blood to your head which may help from passing out. and dont drink to much caffine... for some reason it makes everything worse!

[Jess]

I was also 17 when I got told I had this!

Ive ALWAYS loved salt, drowned everything in salt!
But yeah Ive found the same thing with powerade (same sorta thing as gatorade) helps to some extent... it stops me getting the funny sounds/heart beat in my ears, dizzy spells and the weakness...

I had anxiety before I was told I had vasovagal syncope... but I would say that I have anxiety twice as much because of it!

Oh! wow! I have cold hands and feet also but it doesnt bother me, i hate having hot feet! Is the cold hands and feet related to vasovagal?

I dont drink ANY caffine at all! and when Im about to pass out it is sometimes hard to get to ice! LOL

Can I ask what was with the swollen tongue thing? and the numb hands? I thought vasovagal was passing out/fainting, have you passed out from vasovagal syncope or just had these symptoms...
Do you find that when/if you have to go to doctors and you mention Vasovagal syncope that they automatically write anything off and say that its that!?
I was not told when the diagnosed me in hospital, they sent me home saying we do not know what it is, the only other thing it could be is a brain tumour but we dont thing its that(the didnt do a CTscan or anything!) but I had to find out from my GP when I went back for tests!