Black out

sml · Post by **sml** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:24 pm

Hi - Just wondering if you have had a checkup lately...may be a good idea just to rule out that it is only anxiety. I have MVP (mitral valve prolapse) and have blacked out because of it.

Want2FeelGoodAgain · Post by **Want2FeelGoodAgain** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:27 pm

Lazzzycat, look up the vagal response, google it. This is actualy what is happening to you. I am a nurse, I see it happen every day, sometimes with a trigger, sometimes without one. There are ways to quickly correct it, read up on it. The better we know our bodies, the more we are able to convince ourselves that we will not die from what we are feeling. Adrenaline surges, cortisol surges can be extremely scary and some people actually CRAVE this response. NOT ME!!!! I am definitely not an adrenaline junkie. Also, sometimes if your blood sugar gets too low, your body thinks your brain is starving and will surge as well. Look into it. Best of luck.

FrancesL · Post by **FrancesL** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:32 pm

Lazzzycat,

If you don't have the medical related phobias, then it probably won't help you much to read up on that particularly. Basically, people who get panic attacks in those situations have a different physical response. It starts out the same when faced with a phobia/anxious event, increased heart rate, all those symptoms, but then the heart rate and blood pressure DROPS quickly, causing the person to pass out. This is a survival mechanism as well. If someone really did have a serious injury or was bleeding badly, the survival mechanism would be to SLOW everything down to save the persons life. This "fight/flight" response can actually cause the person to pass out if they "over-react" to simple procedures like having blood drawn, etc. Usually this is the only situation where someones panic attacks have the opposite physical response.

If you just pass out out of the blue and don't have this issue, then possibly you aren't breathing right. Remember, you don't have to be anxious to hyperventilate or under breath. Some people just breath wrong or can be tense and not realize and be holding their breath and then the dizziness comes on you pretty quickly. This as happened to me before as well.

If not that, I would have a medical check up to rule out anemia and other possibilities....dehydration, blood sugar issues, etc.

Best of luck...I know it is really a yucky feeling.

SAGE19 · Post by **SAGE19** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:47 pm

This has happened to me twice already to the point were it feels like I'm going to die or something. Its happened to me at two concerts that I recently attended at one I was just fine walking around it was hot but I made sure that I drank plenty of water I started hearing noise like people talking and could make some of it out and it was scary what they were saying. I was near the front of the stage at the other one so it was really crowded, I was breathing fine and feeling okay then I started to black out in and out so I quickly left and made my way to open ground. I've been to the doctor for blood work to make sure it had nothing to do with my health and they didn't find anything. Its scares me every time it happens cause it makes me think i'll go permanently blind. I tell myself im going to be okay and it eventually goes away.

Lazzzycat · Post by **Lazzzycat** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:43 am

I have read several responses and the one that makes perfect sense is the vagus nerve stimulation. I now understand that the blacking out is part of an extreme emotional response which causes my heart rate and/or blood pressure to suddenly drop causing me to black out. Then my body responds with negative feedback...and that is when my heart rate goes up to about 120 beats per minute, not sure what my blood pressure is doing at the time, and my chest hurts, and I get a head ache after a few minutes...because of too much blood in my head. (and that is the part that seems to go on forever.) This makes perfect sense.

I am not sure what I can do to correct it since the black outs don't last more than a few seconds (lying down to get the blood flowing back into your brain is how to correct it is what I have read) because my body acts so quickly to correct itself.

I just want to know how to stop the reactions all together.

I also want to know why I have these reactions only in certain instances that realistically are completely harmless. What is the deal with it all anyway. Maybe now that my eyes are beginning to open to the reality of my foolishness, I will be able to start the healing process and get over this and get on with my life.