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From: Tom R
Date: 12/2/99
Time: 3:54:19 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.195.202
I am a 47 year old male in excellent physical shape. I had fainted 10 years ago during minor cosmetic surgery, and 10 years before that during a bicycle accident.I have been on the Atkins diet for 4 months. While driving a month ago I fainted, as I felt myself fading I pulled over and lighly hit a no parking sign. My wife thoufgt I had a heart attack and called an ambulance. In the ambulance, my heart stopped for 10 seconds. at the hospital my potassium was measured at 2.9, a critically low level. An electrocardiologist gave ma an electrocardiogram, nothing was found. 45 minutes on the tilt table could not induce fainting. Nonetheless, I was diagnosed as Vasl-vagle syncope and told that I must have a pacemaker put in. And further told that unless I did, I would be turned into the DMV and loose my license. I declined the pacemaker and now am running around to find a doctor who will refute my original diagnosis.Already several doctors said that my potassium was certainly a factor in my event. As you may have guessed, an electrophysologist's main work is putting in pacemakers. By the way, I am feeling fine and will stay off extreme diets in the future.
From: Tiffany morticia79_97@yahoo.com
I'm so happy to have found this forum. I've been passing out since I was a child. We never knew what it was. My mother passed out as a child as well. In junior high things started going terribley wrong. I was sick all the time and didn't know why. I was told by teachers, administrators, doctors, and even some family members that it was in my head. That is so horrible to hear when you know something's wrong and you just dont have the means to prove it. You're all alone and no one believes how bad you are really suffering. I was shoved from cardiologist to cardiologist. On so many different meds I couldn't begin to name them all. Finally after the tilt table test that I had around my 16 birthday did they finally say..this is what you have, we know for sure. I was so glad to finally have a name for what was wrong with me. Schooling was very hard since I was sick all the time. But I graduated and here I am at 23 still trying to make it in the real world. It's hard because I sleep a lot. If something is going around, I'll catch it. I'm dizzy a lot, nauseated, and soemtimes I dont have any warning at all before passing out. Along with all of this of course comes fear and panic attacks. I'm trying to overcome these things, but somtimes its hard to tell the difference between a panic attack and a warning before a fainting spell. The list of symptoms goes on and on. It's just comforting to see that I'm not battling this alone. Good luck to us all! And please feel free to contact me with questions or advice.
From: Lisa M
YES YES YES- It happened agin today, and like it had before, it put me into this beautiful dreamlike state. I heard music and experienced conversations with people. I dont remember any more details. But when I came to, my legs were in the doctors arms, up in the air and I remember thinking- I dont want to come back!! I have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and my Rheum. suggested I get a tilt test, but I KNOW it'll make me faint and throw up, so I dont want to do it, besides it's not too frequent. Despite the euphoric state I've entered, after I come to, I'm sick as a dog ALL day and throw up. No fun. But the faint itself has been an enigmatic experience- I have often mused upon awakening "So that's what it's like when you die".