Anonymous wrote:Could be POTS.

+1

Anonymous wrote:My sister had regular fainting spells in her late teens. They finally decided that her very healthy diet (no junk food, lots of salads and fruits, plain lean proteins) was exacerbating her naturally low blood pressure because she wasn't getting enough salt. They told her to eat pretzels. I was like "That's what you get for not eating junk food!"

I had the same experience as a late teen! I was given a whole list of salty foods to add and prescribed salt tablets. And I really thought that I was eating so healthy.

My sister had regular fainting spells in her late teens. They finally decided that her very healthy diet (no junk food, lots of salads and fruits, plain lean proteins) was exacerbating her naturally low blood pressure because she wasn't getting enough salt. They told her to eat pretzels. I was like "That's what you get for not eating junk food!"

A fib patient here: during acute episodes, I was hospitalized and given IVs and medicine for cardioversion. Luckily I never had to undergo electrical cardioversion. Following my hospital stays and before I had better control of my triggers, I was on blood thinners for 1-6 months at a time, and beta blockers. Beta blockers pushed my heart rate too low so I control my arrhythmia through diet/hydration/hormones instead.

Anonymous wrote:PP above: forgot to mention that the vasovagal response in my case triggers the arrhythmia because of a slight anatomical irregularity. Sometimes people get caught up in the idea that a vasovagal response is purely psychological and that anxiety management (for example) can fix fainting. That’s why I recommended a cardiologist so that you can be sure it’s not an anatomical issue.

Was there treatment for your atrial fibrilation?

PP above: forgot to mention that the vasovagal response in my case triggers the arrhythmia because of a slight anatomical irregularity. Sometimes people get caught up in the idea that a vasovagal response is purely psychological and that anxiety management (for example) can fix fainting. That’s why I recommended a cardiologist so that you can be sure it’s not an anatomical issue.

I have atrial fibrillation with a vasovagal link and was just like your daughter at that age. My arrhythmia is triggered by hormone spikes, thyroid imbalances, dehydration, and high altitude. It’s controlled by keeping my thyroid levels just right, continuous birth control pills, and increased salt intake during exertion or travel.

It took 20 years for doctors to diagnose me even though they tried to catch it in EKGs and 30 day monitoring multiple times. Although the situations in which it happened were often different, after the fainting episodes, the common element was a wildly pounding heart. If I were advising my mom 30 years ago, I wish she would have done a complete blood panel to check thyroid levels, iron levels, etc and also made sure I had a cardio referral.

Wishing your daughter well; fainting, especially in h.s., made me feel so vulnerable. Good luck!

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.

Op said she ate.

I’m the poster with the heart murmur. The only time I ever truly fainted was right after giving birth. The only thing that prevented me from smacking the floor was the nurses. Op’s kid thankfully was seated at her desk.

Anonymous wrote:This reminds me of one of the Times‘ “Diagnosis” columns.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/04/magazine/netflix-diagnosis-series-matts-fainting-spells.html

That was over a year ago -- where's the update? Did he ever get a diagnosis?

PO they checked blood sugar, EKG etc too of course

My 13 yr old almost fainted to where she was falling but caught herself. Our pediatrician said it is not an uncommon occurrence in teens, I googled it and says same thing. Encouraged hydration. It did not happen again (2 months ago?)

This reminds me of one of the Times‘ “Diagnosis” columns.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/04/magazine/netflix-diagnosis-series-matts-fainting-spells.html

But it could be soooo many things. Hormonal, neurological, cardiovascular, even psychosomatic. Unless it starts interfering with her overall health or quality of life, I’d just chalk it up to the human body being an unbelievably complex system... when there are that many things going on, a few mistakes will happen now and then, but the system as a whole will remain optimally functional. Missing school for a bunch of invasive tests could be more detrimental than just riding this out.

Anonymous wrote:Vaso Vagel response. Any chance she could be pregnant?

Unlikely to be pregnant (I mean anything is possible but I really doubt it)

Vasovagal response -- but a response to what?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. She was just sitting there.

Hormone surge seems to make the most sense. I didn't know that could happen.

I fainted quite a bit as a teen. No idea why. It was definitely often associated my period but not always. I fainted about 4 times in college and haven't fainted since (now mid 40s).

I am sure it was hormonal - all my fainting was between 11 and 21.

Anonymous wrote: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.

Meant - I called the ped and they recommended the ER, just to be safe. It was summer and at an hour the ER wasn’t busy so we were seen quickly. They gave her IV fluids, did bloodwork and EKG. This was the pediatric ER at Shady Grove and they were excellent.