I’m surprised the doc didn’t recommend bloodwork and EKG, just to be safe. My DD fainted after a hot shower when she was 11; it was at the end of her period. I called the pedagogy recommended we go to ER for a full work-up, just to be safe. Turns out it was a vasovagal (sp?) episode.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At that age, that was my fist sign that my period was starting. Like clockwork.

^^ and I mean this literally, I fainted in 4th period French class my sophomore year once a month. The whole class knew my cycles. And the process was just like OP described: creeping heat, cold sweat, vision fuzzed like an old TV screen between channels, black out. For me it was followed by numb arms and legs and about 6 hours of extreme cramps and vomiting: from age 12 until I had my first child.

No doctor ever gave a reason or prescribed anything other than Motrin. I figured out on my own that BC helped a little, but not consistently.

That's crazy!!

OP, that has happened to me, but I would say she did faint. When I faint, I black out "can't see" but I can still hear what is going on around me, it feels very surreal. Just the other day I felt very lightheaded and like I was going to faint, I lay down and it helped. The doctors have never figured out what it is, but thankfully it's nothing major. I hope it's a similar diagnosis for your DD.

POTS.

Was she sitting for a long period of time with her legs crossed or bent, constricting blood flow?

My SIL can't sit with her legs crossed for too long or she'll feel like this.

My son has Type I diabetes and he'll feel a rush of heat and get sweaty but have a dry mouth if his sugar is high.

Vaso Vagel response. Any chance she could be pregnant?

Anonymous wrote:Yep, agree with the people who say this is likely hormonal. For me, the fainting was correlated with a hormone surge but not at the start of my period.

Interesting. She says her periods not due for another 12 days or so but she had painful cramps in the morning earlier. She’s had cramps mid cycle several times this year.

There was nothing weir being discussed in class.

I am suspecting it is a combination of hormones and low iron maybe. She’s been craving ice (and carrots).

Thanks for the suggestions!

Definitely needs a full medical workup to include EKG for heart and EEG because it's possible it was a seizure.

I don't think it was POTS because that's usually when you stand up.

Was the teacher talking about anything vaguely gross, like dissecting a frog or first aid? At that age, and occasionally even now, just hearing people talk about medical procedures, etc. could make me faint. I would overthink, get really hot, and black out. I remember fainting in the lunch line in 6th grade when my friend talked about getting her tonsils out.

Weird, I know - and embarrassing- but it happened.

Yep, agree with the people who say this is likely hormonal. For me, the fainting was correlated with a hormone surge but not at the start of my period.

Anonymous wrote:At that age, that was my fist sign that my period was starting. Like clockwork.

^^ and I mean this literally, I fainted in 4th period French class my sophomore year once a month. The whole class knew my cycles. And the process was just like OP described: creeping heat, cold sweat, vision fuzzed like an old TV screen between channels, black out. For me it was followed by numb arms and legs and about 6 hours of extreme cramps and vomiting: from age 12 until I had my first child.

No doctor ever gave a reason or prescribed anything other than Motrin. I figured out on my own that BC helped a little, but not consistently.

At that age, that was my fist sign that my period was starting. Like clockwork.

I used to have syncope that started with the beginning of my period. I didn’t have especially heavy periods... it really just seemed to coincide with the start. It was never really explained, but something I became used to and learned to get my butt to the ground if I needed to.

Anonymous wrote:Could be POTS.

OP here -- thanks.... but I thought with POTS, people would feel faint when standing from a sitting position. This happened after she had been sitting for about 10 minutes and wasn't standing?

Anonymous wrote:She didn’t even faint. Why are y’all jumping to echocardiogram? She probably didn’t eat or drink enough and felt lightheaded.

She couldn’t SEE for a minute or two, if she had been standing up, she probably would have fainted. Have you ever fainted? I have and it’s a terrible feeling once you wake up. Thank goodness she wasn’t standing and fell and hit or head on a desk or passed out in the hallway.

I think higher protein and higher iron (with vitamin C to help with absorption) is a good place to start, but if it happens again take her for some medical testing. I have low blood pressure and have fainted in some situations (intense heat, blood draws, once when I had food poisoning). If she’s feeling faint while standing the best thing she can do is lie down flat as quickly as she can and tell someone she doesn’t feel good.

She didn’t even faint. Why are y’all jumping to echocardiogram? She probably didn’t eat or drink enough and felt lightheaded.