Vasovagal syncope (vay-zoh-VAY-gul SING-kuh-pee) is one of the most common causes of fainting. Vasovagal syncope occurs when your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress. The vasovagal syncope trigger causes a sudden drop in your heart rate and blood pressure. Okay... I need help people! Does anyone else have this or have dealt with it? I have just self diagnosed myself with this thanks to Dr. Google Seriously though, I have always gotten faint around needles (actually ever since having pneumonia as a kid). No matter what I tell myself, I always get faint when getting a shot and/or having blood drawn. I know I do this and totally plan on it when I go to the doctor (I tell them up front, ask to be allowed to hang out in the chair a little bit afterward and bring a small snack and juice... high maintenance I know, but it's better than hitting the floor). But now it's spreading to my kids' doctor visits and isn't limiting itself to just needles. I used to do fine, unless things got too involved (like when they have a hard time finding my daughter's veins). But in the past year, I've had the same feeling faint response to any curve ball thrown at me at their doctor's visits. In the whole scheme of thing, everything has been very minor with them, so there's no real reason for this serious of a response. The first non-needle one was in February when I took Clara in to the pediatrician with a stomach bug and was sent straight to the ER. Again when she injured her knee... went in thinking it was no big deal and instead was rushed in to see a specialist. And then today, when Alex was diagnosed with suspected Whooping Cough (waiting for lab results) at his school physical appointment (and then both kids got shots on top of that). From my brief research online, this condition is two fold, 1. a genetic predisposition for it (my mom does the same thing) and 2. a traumatic event (for me, pneumonia as a kid and for my kids, our recent string of curveballs - so I start to have the response just being at the doctor with them). So... has anyone else dealt with this? Any tricks for not making a fool out of myself at the doctor? My poor daughter has learned to read the signs and gets me a wet paper towel whenever she sees me start to react (even when we're there for her appointment!). The cool cloth helps, but it sometimes a bit obvious. I'm wondering if carrying a water bottle of super cold water would help... I get really hot as I get faint. And then there's always therapy. It was never bad enough to even consider before, but now that it's effecting me taking care of my kids, I'm open to it.
my father has it ... anytime he is the patient and really anything medically disturbing is explained to him (that physically involves him) -he is down for the count. the first time it happened in a Dr's office, they admitted him to the hospital and did a full work up! he passed out so bad, they had a hard time reviving him. and my daughter gets it too. for my daughter, needles/shots are the trigger. (reading your story - i hope things dont progress for her, but will keep an eye out!) i can actually see the blood leaving her face - she gets pale and pasty. it must have skipped a generation, bc i love to watch them stick me with the needle (or anyone else). most medical procedures interest me rather than make me feel weak or uneasy. but we tell the Dr in advance. i make sure my daughter is sitting in a chair with arms. i do not let her get up suddenly and am always nearby for support, even when she is sitting in the chair. the nurse always has her stay in the room after getting a shot for 5 - 10 minutes, and they offer her some juice. trust me they do not want a patient falling! so you are not being high maintenance at all. i'm not sure how to make her 'not have that feeling' - i just try to manage it by being safe. i think you should be upfront with the Dr's - if you can step out of the room, when your kids are getting vaccines or shots, maybe? i know your kids are older so that might be an option for you? obviously you have to be there for the Dr visit and listening to the issues - so i'd try to have a cool cloth with you ahead of time, sip cool water, try relaxing breathing, maybe download some relaxing soothing sounds on your iPhone and put one ear bud in while at the Dr visit (that nervous time waiting before the Dr comes in) ... it's so hard for you bc like you said you have to be there for your kids. i sympathize with you because i know how real and concerning this issue really is! it's like your flight or fight response is on over drive.
I was thisclose to fainting when I got my tongue pierced years and years ago. it didn't help seeing the size of the needle, keeping my eyes open during the piercing and not having anything in my stomach when I got up, I got really hot and sweaty, started seeing spots and swaying. I made it to the restroom before all of that happened, but once inside, I had to grab hold of the sink so I wouldn't fall, splashed cold water on my face and concentrated on my breathing before I was well enough to leave the restroom. I had never had anything like that happen to me before, but since then, I've not been able to watch doctors prepare needles or use them, whether on me or anyone else, without getting lightheaded. I NEED a pillow under my arm for blood draws and for them to tell me when they will be sticking me BEFORE they actually do it. when my kids needed shots, I had to leave the room. I'm always upfront and honest and the doctors and nurses never judge or make fun. I've always been told that my honesty is appreciated and am always offered juice or a snack afterward lol like Jenn said, you aren't being high maintenance in bringing water or snack or fan or whatever. if it is going to help you, it's a necessity! do what you have to do, mama!
oh, a story that still makes me laugh to this day: I was pregnant with my youngest and had to get blood drawn at one of my appointments. I had to take my oldest, who was about 4 at the time, into the room with me. I had just told the nurse about my need to avoid seeing the needle and she offered to let me lie down while she did the draw. while I was lying down, I was looking away from her and focusing on my son to keep my mind off of what she was doing. well, my son was standing next to me, watching the nurse and he proceeded to give me a play by play of what she was doing! "what's that? oh that's a needle! mom, she's got a needle! oh man, that's a big sharp needle! oh my goodness, she's getting ready to stick that needle in you, mom! will it hurt? it looks like it will. does it hurt, mom? oh man! is that your blood? that's a lot of blood, mom! why is she taking so much blood? are you okay, mom? oh good, she's all done now. whew!" thanks a lot, ya little jerk lol
Thanks so much for the responses @jenn mccabe and @y_baros! Jenn... what your dad does, is what I'm beginning to do with the kids! I'm all fine until they start explaining something other than what I planned for or in more detail than I really need. I haven't passed out yet, but I've had some awkward exits. Today I had both kids in for their physicals and they were in separate rooms... my son (16) got his shots while I was in the room with his sister (14). When I went to check on him, he decided to describe in great detail all about his one particularly painful shot (sounds a little like what your son did to you, Yolanda!), that nearly sent me over the edge! So, for his "punishment", he got to be in charge of Clara while she got her shot and me and my damp paper towel went to the lobby! I'm really good about explaining and handling my situation when I'm the one getting shots (I'm finding just feeling prepared can be enough at times to avoid a major reaction). But I have got to find a way to better deal with it all when I'm at the kids' appointments. I like your suggestions, Jenn, and I've been reading about some muscle tensing exercises that are supposed to help as well (apparently when your blood pressure drops, your blood pools in your lower extremities, and these exercises get things moving again.... if nothing else, focusing on them might be enough distraction to keep me upright).
I'm pretty sure this is what I do... my daughter has learned to spot it and react to help. I also get really fidgety. This is so my daughter! When she was the ER with the stomach bug, it took five tries to get an IV started... she watched the whole thing. Me... I couldn't watch, I ended up with one of her nurses putting a cold pack on the back of my neck, giving me juice!! That is exactly what I do! I can feel the progression and if I can head it off in the hot and sweaty stage, I can keep it together.
It isn't a weakness or something you can will power away. It is how your body is wired. That said, I have it and also have several anxiety disorders (ptsd etc). If both are acting up, I pass all the way out. Here is how I handle em, hope something is useful for you. The vasovagal only happens when a needle hits my blood vessel wall. Boom, my blood pressure goes nearly to zero and unless i'm getting stuck regularly (diabetes), I will pass out - even if lying down. I tell all new docs and every blood drawer. Most don't believe me. Somehow one blood draw convinces them - they can see me go pale, eyes roll and muscles go lax. Also, if they hit the vein on first stick, the squirt of blood slows drastically as my BP plummets. My BP always starts right back up the scale but if I'm at all anxious (or in a full blow anxiety attack), it might take 10 mins to fully recover. They tend to have better luck using a butterfly needle and syringe (not the vacu sealed tubes = collapsed vein). OH and I keep something moving before, during and for a bit after the stick. I bounce one foot or bend other arm repeatedly, etc. That also gives me something to focus on mentally (helps some). The anxiety? Forcing myself to breathe regular and slow, only going in on days I'm up to it (ie cancel on days I'm anxious already about something else, etc). And realizing that I was born this way. I cannot will it away, sigh. The getting stuck on some kind of regular basis seems to help me - I guess it almost becomes routine. If I manage to miss over 3 months - I have to lay down on the next stick, grrr. Good Luck and sorry you didn't know sooner. I was a RN and didn't know it even existed as a diagnosis way back when I was young and healthy, lol.
All the men in my husbands family faint dead away at the site of blood. Especially their own. I never knew until right now that it is an actual condition. My youngest son also faints at the site of needles...
I don't have any advice to offer, just some virtual hugs! I'm more like Jenn, with an actual interest, and was thinking of becoming a nurse! @y_baros That is so funny.... sorry. Ha. I think I would have been giving my son the death glare, Though... if that happened to me, I would probably deserve it. I always thought it was hilarious to watch their faces all happy and then wham-o, needle in, and instant tears. The "what the heck just happened," stunned look on their face always gave me the giggles. (of course, I loved them up and soothed them, but giggling the whole time!)
Oh man. This sounds really rough... especially as a Mom trying to take care of your kids. I hope some of these suggestions help Tracie... and man as I was reading this thread, I was wondering if it was making you faint. Yikes!
Oddly enough... reading about/seeing other people doesn't really bother me, it's just when it comes to me and my kids. For me, it's just something I know I do, plan for it and get through it (and so far, for me, it only has to do with needles... my doctor visits don't bother me). But for my kids, it's developed into something else entirely. I figure it's partially anxiety. Like when Clara had the knee injury and the doctor started listing out what she thought it was... my mind was racing with what if's... what if this means surgery, what if she can't dance anymore, what if she can't get up the three flights of stairs at school, etc. I couldn't even focus on what the doctor was saying. Maybe it has something to do with, as the kids have gotten older, things have gotten more complicated with their school and activities, there are more consequences to their injuries and illnesses. Or maybe it has more to do with the fact that they rarely go to the doctor anymore, but when they do, it's usually a little more serious. Who knows. I know it's something in the way I'm wired, just hoping to find some ways to cope better.
I think the ice cold bottle of water sounds like a good idea. I know that it helps me when my blood pressure goes haywire. So sorry to hear of all of you suffering like this.
I didn't realize that this was so widespread. Hugs Tracie, it must be so hard especially when taking care of your own kids.
I also didn't realize it was so wide spread! When I get blood drawn I often feel a little bit icky, and I never watch. My husband did pass out once while getting his blood drawn a couple years ago. And a friend of mine has said that her husband faints at the sight of blood.
wow that is a mouth full, but after a stressful situation...my skin goes clammy into sweat and I pass out..and usually urinate too..oh it is a lovely sight! bhwhahhaaa my hubby knows it is coming, and he has in the past yelled at me right in my face and it stops it...crazy but true...I will go a bit weak kneed but don't bounce off the pavement. it has to be emotionally charged stress son hit by truck on bike son disappears from school son gets hit on motorcycle yada yada clammy sweat weak knees hello pavement oh please say I had a depends on! bhahahh
I have this to a degree. I've never actually fainted, but have come close on several occasions where they end up nursing me instead of the person who is actually supposed to be the patient. It happened with my ex when he had oral surgery. I vomited and fell to the ground, so I had to rest in another room. The look on his face was priceless when they wheeled him out of recovery and into *my* room. LOL. Same thing happened before Tim had his cancer surgery. And when Kennedy had his tonsils out and wasn't coming out of the anesthesia well. It is embarrassing. I turn white as a sheet and wobbly-kneed and clammy, my blood pressure drops and I want to vomit. And when my grandma was getting the stitches out of her face last week... ewwww. I am glad to know I'm in such good company.
This is me too. It started way back when I was transferring colleges and they needed bloodworm (along with tuition...). I passed out cold. Anything to do with my children & needles I was fine. We had a lot of shots for years going back and forth around the world. Some vaccines you'll probably never get in the US too, including a series of non-stomach rabies shots. Blood work again didn't bother me. It actually never happened again until 20+ years later when I was a full adult. Now I always warn the tech that I'm prone to fainting after having an episode in a chair (almost like a school desk) and I apparently just slid right out then she was done. I came too on the floor with Doctor asking me if I wanted to get up. LOL I said no, I liked it there! groggily. I've been pretty good for about the past 10 years and NEVER look. I also find that the needles are much much better as the years have gone by. I almost...ALMOST...don't even feel the little prick.
My story...After I left one job and planned to temp for about 6 months to check the local job market...I signed up for a long range study at Georgetown University Hospital. It would give me free health exams for a year and I felt I was young enough and healthy enough to get by with that. I told the staff that I fainted when blood was drawn and they put me on a table so I was totally flat and hopefully safe from fainting I never looked but fainted anyway. They were quite annoyed with me but brought me orange juice and crackers. I never did get into that study!
