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From: John L
Date: 6/30/00
Time: 11:41:07 AM
Remote Name: 207.5.1.222
My specialist asked me if there was any history in the family. Unforunately both my parents died before VV became a problem for me. I do know my father had low blood pressure. Some female cousins also have low blood pressure to the extent that they sometimes feel dizzy if they stand up quickly, as do I, but this seems to me to be different to what we are having during a VV episode. If it is hereditary, maybe I'm the start in our gene line! All the best Mary, Hope your episodes are few and far between, and controlable Kind regards John L (Leonardj@ihug.co.nz)
From: Bev
Two of my children have vaso vagal. My son who is now 21 had his first episode at 20 months old. It took until he was 7 years old to have anyone believe what I knew as a nurse and a mom what I was seeing! We owe it all to a female neurology resident who was done rounding and was sitting at the nurses station reading charts on her OFF time. (he was hospitalized because they thought it was low blood sugar). She called her attending and we had a diagnosis after some blood work, urine tests, the tilt table, and occular compression EKG. We were told he would probably outgrow it. We (parents) thought he had. Actually, he had just gotten to be an expert at "aborting" the episode when he felt it coming on. (sitting or laying down, changing position, going outside for air - he's really creative). So when he went away to college 2 years ago I was shocked when his roommate called to say he had found him several times passed out. More tests just last summer revealed a very "malignant" form of vaso vagal. He has chosen to only add salt and greatly increase his water intake. His cardiologist suggested drinking alot of Gatorade.(doctors suggested a pacemaker and lots of different meds - he wanted as natural as possible solution) PS. He's still an expert at aborting the episodes when they come on.
Our daughter was just diagnosed today. She leaves for college in one week. We have chosen to use beta-blockers to manage her episodes. This is a new illness for her. She had her spleen removed in December of 1999 and has had episodes since. They have been misdiagnosed as flu, anxiety, no sleep, stress, all in your head, sound familiar???? Fighting an auto-immune disease (why we took her spleen out) and now this vaso vagal - I'm glad she is one tough cookie. I am also glad that her brother has recently been very supportive in offering her suggestions.
Glad also that this forum exists. I have given her the site and hope that once she settles in at college she will post something as well. Good luck to all of you from a mom who has dealt with this for a long time with two really super kids.