Vagovasal Syncope

I've never heard of this before, but I could identify with what you described. I've just always described myself as a "fainter." Bump the elbow or knee, pass out; see my own blood, pass out; on stage, pass out; get overheated, pass out; hear about some gory disease, pass out.

As I've gotten older, not so much. Partly because I learned to recognize the triggers and sit down, or change focus, or control breathing, or all of the above. Now, if I get light-headed, I can usually prevent myself from fainting. So, I don't know how you would coach her, but I think over time she will learn how to recognize what's happening to her and either lie down (which is how I managed early on) when she feels it coming on (so at least if I fainted, I wouldn't hit the ground since I was already lying on it), and eventually slow the reaction so that sitting with head between her legs will stop her from fainting. Now, I usually concentrate on regulating my breath if I know I will be in a compromising situation, or as soon as I realize that I am, and I can stop the fainting.

Hope this helps!

I have this but I have never heard of the technical term. I started passing out at the sight of blood when I was in grade school. It got progressively worse the older I got. I would pass out at the sight of blood or even someone talking about blood or any sort of medical procedure. I have passed out multiple times at work, out with friends at a dance club, etc... due to this issue. I finally got tired of it and went to a doctor. The only thing the doctor would tell me is that it is all in my head and I need to see a psychiatrist. This made me mad so I decided to treat myself. I went to the first few semesters of nursing school and was able to deal with discussions of the body and medical procedures. Then I got pregnant and at first I was getting very dizzy and having issues with drawing blood and other medical discussions but the more I dealt with it the better it got. I have not fainted in a while although I still am not completely over it and I do have dizzy spells from time to time. I think that repeated exposure and dealing with the issue really helps. I just with I had started sooner.

My daughter has orthostatic intolerance and we see a neurologists and gastroenterologist. My daughter has always had low blood pressure as I have and my mother but when she was 13 she started having other symptoms: hard time getting up in the morning, dizziness, nausea. She has never passed out. They put her on a tilt table and she started to get dizzy and almost passed out after 15 minutes. They put her on salt tabs to help with the blood pressure. It does involve the nervous system but also the autonomic system which controls blood pressure. You do need the doctor to rule out all causes. They may do blood tests or a tilt test. They may also believe it is tied to anxiety and put her on some meds. You don't want her passing out where she could get badly hurt.

The only way to diagnose vasovagal syndrome is through a tilt table test and blood pressure monitoring. From what you described, I'm not sure that your daughter has it. Most syncopal events that are related to vasovagal syndrome do not have any correlation to a visual stimulus (ex: blood). It sounds more like she is sensitive to the sight of blood, gets anxious, and then faints. I was diagnosed at the age of 25 and have to take medication to keep my blood pressure high enough and steady. I have also learned to know when I'm going to faint so I can sit down, get water, or whatever I need to do. It can be managed, but can be a bit frustrating sometimes. I would have her evaluated and see what the doctors recommend. Good luck with everything!

I have the syncope issue an was finally diagnosed with it when I was 40. For all my life my family just put it off to being my nerves or that is just her. I do faint at blood - because it makes me anxious which is one of my triggers while visual itself is not necessarily a trigger the way you react is. HOwever, to find out for sure a tilt table test needs to be done. I will say when I was young it was a bigger issue then when I was 12 or 13 to around my 30's I was invencible to I didn't see the issue much. But then it reared it's head again. Pain is a huge trigger for me. I was diagnosed by a cardiologist. I would talk to your regular doctor and find out which doc for sure - however your doctor can send your for the test. I also learned the signs of UH OH I may passout and I taught myself to get out of it by now don't laugh but doing lamaz breathing - it really helps - and if you can lay down and put your feet up. And then a nurse taught me to breath in to the count of 8 telling myself all was fine and to go in my mind to somewhere I like - and to breath out to the count of 8. Your daughter will have to figure out what works for her and how to learn to control it. Good luck. I hate the feelings it gives me.

I am the same way! I never heard of vagovasal syncope, but I pass out very easily....at the site of blood (there has to be a lot), a really bad bruise even stories make me feel ill. I am 38 and have been this way my whole life. It first started when I was in 2nd grade - something happened to my finger nail and it was really bleeding and I passed out. An ER doctor told me his wife is the same way.

I can say that it is more controlled the older I got. I have 3 children and I was very worried with my first that I would pass out giving birth, but I didn't! Good luck with your daughter.....there were several doctors that told me this isn't normal, but for me it is!

I would bet it has something to do with her heart rate....and her blood sugar.

I would work on ways to control blood sugar and keep her well hydrated.
My daughter passes out and i find it is mostly when she is dehydrated.

ps...try magnesium supps too.

My ONLY experience is that I had a good friend who trained herself out of it by being part of a 3 month blood study (I was in it too). She fainted 4 times a day, 7 days a week for the first 2 months solid. Then one day, it took her longer than usual to faint. By the end of it she was only fainting about 1/2 the time, and only if it was her OWN blood. (By the end of the first month other people's blood merely had her dizzy). When the study was over she kept it up by buying a diabetic testing kit and "testing" herself multiple times per day, and donating blood as often as they'd let her.

Of course, she was 18, and set out to do this deliberately (figuing it would be a bad idea to faint on the battlefield). I don't know if there are degrees of this disorder, or not, but I have to suspect that her methodology is a) not common and b) not anything that would help a little one, although something to keep in mind for the future.

r

Hi H.,

I have not dealt with this myself but I do know that it deals with a particular nerve, which is neurological. I suggest two paths before you delve into the intense medicating that the medical community goes to first.

Chiropractic care by a principled upper cervical chiropractor will help. When you interview them, ask them how chiropractic care can help with neurological issues and even boost the immune system. If they don't know what you're talking about, then you're in the wrong place. If you need help finding one, go to upcspine.com and see if you can find one in your area.

The other thing is remove triggers, not just the trigger to that makes her faint. Removing neurological toxins can get the system back to where it needs to be to function properly. I suggest a total detox of your home and her little body. This will at least get you to a baseline for a proper diagnosis. If you want to know how to proceed in that direction, feel free to get back to me.

I know you are looking for a lot more but I have seen a detox of a home change lives. God bless,

M.