Anyone Ever Heard of the Vasovagal Reaction?

Yep. I started doing it when I was 2 after a vaccination. I am now 39 and had an episode at the beginning of this month! I was getting allergy testing (38 shots actually) and I passed out... the vagal nerve controls your respiration and your heart rate. When there is not enough blood pumping up to your brain you pass out. So here is my advice... get her a medic bracelette so that no one overreacts to an episode. (My last one landed me in the ER because 911 was called before I came to... it was very frustrating.) She probably can tell that she is going to pass out. You get this dimming sensation and there are still a few seconds before you actually go unconsious. When that feeling hits her she needs to either put her head between her knees or lay on her back with her feet elevated. I have found that the second method works better to avoid complete fainting. If you are with her blow in her face so that she has to breathe... what we do it we let a breath out and then dont take the next one causing the trigger of the vagal nerve. I am sorry that you are going through this. she probably will grow out of it, but even if she doesnt she will be just fine as long as they are provoked episodes and dont just happen out of the blue... if that happens take her for more testing. The last episode I had prior to this last one was 9 years ago.

I have not heard of a vasovagal reaction but my daughter has breath holding spells which hers are triggered by pain. On some occasions, ususally when she is tired as well, when she feels pain she lets out one cry and continues to make the crying face but then no sound comes out. Her face quickly becomes red, then blue, and she passes out. She stays out for about 3 seconds and then wakes up crying and acts completely normal after that. She has been tested in the emergency room and it was confirmed as breath holding spells. Not sure if this is the type of reaction you are referring to but if it is, feel free to email me and I will tell you more about my experience and what the doctors have said.

I have heard of it and while I dont have a child that does that a friend of mine does... site of blood or dr trauma she is out like a light...
I have read that it is just how some peoples brains deal with it.

Hi K.:
My daughter, when she was younger, would have a vasovagal reaction (passing out) when she dehydrated. It scared me to death too but I later found out that vasovagal is a fancy name for fainting. Fainting sounds better than vasovagal reaction. She eventually outgrew it.

I have a daughter who is now 18 and we've went through this many times. Basically, this is simply a 'fainter'. Some just faint more easily than others. Usually it's girls and I was told that it can sometimes run in families. My youngest (11) has also had a couple of spells. The triggers for my girls have been getting a shot, having any kind of pain, becoming overheated in a large crowd of people....anything that taxes the nervous system. My 18 year old does it less and less now that she's mature enough to control herself and not become overexcited. I would also add that she had one episode of vasovagal that was alarming to me. It actually appeared as if she were having a seizure. It wasn't until after a trip to ER and doing research that I learned that some faintings can be quite dramatic in appearance. I had no idea that someone fainting could include what appears to be convulsions, but it can. It is always important that others be forewarned of a history of fainting. (medical personnel, teachers, caregivers, etc.)

Obviously it is important to rule out any other possible causes.

Hi K.,

Yes...I have the same thing. If I'm experiencing pain from an accident or something happens to my daughter I will almost pass out. Fortunately, I can feel when it's about to happen and I lie down with my legs raised above my head. This will bring blood back to your brain and keep from passing out. I work in the medical field and when some patients have an IV put in they will have a vasovagal response, turn white, get sweaty, and pass out. Hope this helps.
L.

I never knew it had a name to it, but I have experienced the urge to pass out after hurting myself and have had to lay down to avoid it when I am nauseous. Seems normal for your body to do so when feeling pain.

I started having that same problem as I got older (I'm 27 now) while they take my blood. So, now I lay down before I have it drawn and I do not pass out. You can also pass out from going to the bathroom, by baring down too long; this causes your blood pressure to drop. It is more common than you think...it's similar to people passing out at the sight of blood.

My daughter has had the same reaction to pain several times. Very frightening. I am now prepared to catch her when she is in pain. We are hoping to eventually get her to recognize the signs of passing out. Of course, she's 11 so that's realistic. With your little one, not so much! Our pediatrician recommended adding a little more salt to her diet. I tend to not put salt in anything so I have done started adding a little. No incidents since then, but she's not had a really bad injury either. Wish I had something more concrete for you but all I can offer is sympathy and tell you I've been there.

One of my identical twin daughters has this...it is not as bad since she had gotten older (now 13), but there for a while she would drop on you quite easily.I was fortunate because her pediatrician has a daughter with it and explained it in easy terms...it's just one of those things...she gave me a letter for the elementary school explaining to just call me (she had a couple of spells at school...usually when nervous or stressed and sometimes when she didn't feel well)and I would come get her. She would always seem pretty drained by the ordeal and I would just go and pick her up and let her rest the remainder of the day. It does freak the teachers out, but once they understand they adjust easily. Our twins are adopted so and we didn't meet them until a little before their 6th birthday so I don't have the early experience, but I found by paying attention I could sort of predict when it might happen. When she starts school or preschool I would ask the doctor for a note for the school nurse so they are aware she does this so they don't freak out and call an abulance or anything like that. If you talk to her...even at this age she might call tell you how she feels when it is starting and then you can be prepared if something happens that might trigger it.

My, now 14 yo daughter used to do that. She outgrew whatever the problem was by the time she turned 5. She would hold her breathe when she got hurt until she passed out. Not out of being mad, but just not able to "catch her breathe." She was about 6mths old the first time it happened. Because it happened so often, (about 1 time a month) About the time she turned 3 the Dr. thought we should do some tests, just to rule any heart problems or seizure problems. They found nothing, and over the course of a couple of years they slowed to a stop. My advice is to do whatever the doc says, but in the mean time...try not to let your daughter see you make a big deal over it when it happens. I think part of my daughters deal in it happening so often was her big sisters would make a big ordeal out of it and my youngest got a lot of attention. She then learned it would get me to come running. Then it got to be a nice attention getting behavior that we had to break. With 4 others in the house, that was hard to do.

About me: I'm a 44yo mother of 5. My hubby and I have been married for 23 years.

I bumped my funny bone a couple of years ago and passed out cold on the kitchen floor for a couple of minutes. It took me another minute to figure out who my husband was (as he hovered anxiously over me) and where I was. I was very concerned that something similar would happen while I was holding my son. My only advice is to sit down immediately and get my head on my knees if possible whenever I do something that causes a sharp pain. Also, it seems to be worse if I'm dehydrated.

Hugs to your daughter. It's bad enough to experience the pain, but then to have such a reaction to it can be quite terrifying.

Yes, that actually happened to me once. I stumbled on our staircase and twisted my knee badly (with my baby girl in my arms!). While my husband ran to get me some ice to put on it, I passed out on the staircase and they said in the emergency room that it was from the vasovagal response. My husband said I was stiff as a board while I was passed out. I have since tried to stay calm if I stub my toe or any kind of sudden pain like that because I know I have a tendency to have this reaction. The doctors may have talked to you about this, and I know she may be too young to understand fully, but you might encourage her to take deep breaths if she hurts herself to try to avoid this happening. Hope that helped a little ;)

my son who is 17 has them with needles. Wether it is drawing blood or getting a shot. He actually hasa seizure with it.It is very scarey. I don't know what kind of mom to mom advice you would like but I am here and would be willing to talk.
B.

My 15yo daughter was taken by ambulance from High school for passing out, though they (the school) had initially told me it was a seizure. When Paramedics got there, they tested her sugars and BP and all and she was fine but she could not stand without feeling like she was going to pass out (that is why they took her in). After SEVERAL tests and such I was told the same thing by ER doctors. Then we went and saw her Pediatrician and he said for her to drink lots of Gatorade and eat salty food for a couple of days. Hope this helps you!

K., I am responding because last summer my husband had this happen to him and it scared us to death! He had a small lesion removed off of his stomach and it was only about 1-1/2 inches in length, it was healing nicely and then one morning he woke up and it was bleeding. I didn't know it, he never said anything to me. He went out a few minutes later to smoke and came back to the door and said honey I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I put our baby in his exersaucer and walked outside. He was sitting in a chair in the garage, pale as a ghost and sweating. Thank God he was sitting b/c I don't know if I could have caught him falling. I called 911 b/c I knew he still had stitches and I could not get him to respond to me. At the ER we too found out about that vagus nerve. I don't have this problem but some people pass out easily if they see blood, or have a trauma. Some people's are much more sensitive than others. He felt better after having lots of fluids!!!!!! Not sure if you can actually do anything about it but just wanted you to know I've been there! Good luck!
Johna

hey K.,

i don't have any experience with a vasovagal reaction, but my dad did have one while he was visiting me about 4 years ago. after he went to the emergency room and was fine, he decided to go to an atlas-orthagonal chiropractor and get adjusted and he hasn't had another reaction since. i guess their theory is that if you are out of adjustment, some nerves can be pinched and trigger that reaction. i don't really know all the specifics, but you might want to look into it a little more. good luck.

J.