Wellness

[Moonchilde]

If it was indeed (vaso)vagal, there is usually a stressor of some kind involved. Anxiety, "obvious" to the person or unaware - either one, excessive heat, dread, feeling overwhelmed and as previously said, lots of other things. It is often part of a panic attack - and contrary to what many people think, people often honestly don't have a clue they're having a panic attack, or feeling stress.

[Reba055]

I had a vaso vagal reaction once after a steroid injection in my neck. Not fun. It was scary and I felt weird for a few days but I guess part of that could have been the steroid. I'm glad all checked out ok. I have never fainted again but lately I have felt like I might. My acid reflux has been terrible and I wonder if all that pressure is causing something similar with the vaso vagal nerve. Ugh. Good luck. See what your primary doc has to say. 

[Ditzydori]

My daughter fainted in the shower when she was a teenager. I heard a loud thump and ran to the bathroom. She got immediately got up, but I took her to the doctor the very next day. Maybe the water was too hot, but who knows. She checked out ok, and the dr said it was probably the vasovague reaction (or however it's spelled lol) the same as your dr said. She hasn't fainted since. 

She she was only a teen so don't think you're the old lady. Fainting has no age. 

Stay well. 

[qbetzforreal]

Vagal reaction is caused by stressful triggers which causes the blood pressure to drop.  Maybe this new position is too much.

[ID2]

Me thinks the OP should realize this is the time to retire.

[golding76]

[This is a follow-up to my previous post on page 2 of this topic.]

Not having heard the term "vasovagal syncope" before, I decided to look into it online.  Well, among the triggers for this condition listed on a Mayo Clinic site, I must (indelicate as it might be) claim the last one on the list below.   This was during a very difficult period in my mid-20s, and the onset of the blacking out began as I was engaged in the last bulleted item.

Sometimes there is no classical vasovagal syncope trigger, but common triggers include:

• Standing for long periods of time
• Heat exposure
• Seeing blood
• Having blood drawn
• Fear of bodily injury
• Straining, such as to have a bowel movement

This post was an opportunity for me to learn about something that happened so many decades ago.  If the doctors in the ER used that term in the 1960s, I was so ill that I did not remember.  The only thing I knew was that they found nothing that had to be treated.

[tarsmom]

Thank you all for your thoughts and opinions.  I feel a bit better this week.  

I take antidepressants too and two months ago I increased (the dr did) the dose slightly.  I'm thinking when I see him in a couple of weeks, I may want to wean back down.  

Mentally, this has been an adjustment to go from management to a person only responsible for myself.  But today's world requires people to have boundless energy (and I actually do especially compared to others my age) but yes, it does make you think that 'everyone' is younger than me.  

I would love to reitre and spend time volunteering but I have 3 more years.  I took the pay cut to reduce stress.  

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and wishes - I really appreciate others' perspectives and experience!  

[hckynut]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

If it was indeed (vaso)vagal, there is usually a stressor of some kind involved. Anxiety, "obvious" to the person or unaware - either one, excessive heat, dread, feeling overwhelmed and as previously said, lots of other things. It is often part of a panic attack - and contrary to what many people think, people often honestly don't have a clue they're having a panic attack, or feeling stress.

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@Moonchilde

As one that spent 7+ days in a mental hospital, and diagnosed with Panic/Anxiety Disorder, I partially disagree. Unfortunately, unless a person has had a true panic attack, they have no idea what that entails 

It is not being afraid of public speaking/elevators, driving over bridges, or even close. To say they have "panic attacks when"? Those that have been in the pain of true panic attacks, know exactly what I am saying.

Stress is a part of everyone's life if they live long enough, and having stress is not always a bad thing. Hearing people site a panic attack every time they are "anxious, nervous, concerned" about something, is not a panic attack. If they only knew.

I've been as close to dying several times, but I would prefer facing those once again over still be suffering from Panic/Anxiety Disorder. That is what those that have truly suffered those attacks vividly understand.

I know little to nothing about "vagal" other than what I have read and heard. Considering suicide because of Panic/Anxiety Disorder? I know it better than I know my name. I would not wish this on anyone and I am not fond of those that say "I had a panic attack", in the same way as "I had a cold".

Nuff said

hckynut(john) 

[hckynut]

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@Reba055 wrote:

I had a vaso vagal reaction once after a steroid injection in my neck. Not fun. It was scary and I felt weird for a few days but I guess part of that could have been the steroid. I'm glad all checked out ok. I have never fainted again but lately I have felt like I might. My acid reflux has been terrible and I wonder if all that pressure is causing something similar with the vaso vagal nerve. Ugh. Good luck. See what your primary doc has to say. 

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@Reba055

Have you had an Endoscopy, and if so are you on any meds for your GERD? I have told my story many times here and I was completely asymptomatic.

hckynut(john)

[LilacTree]

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@hckynut wrote:

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@Moonchilde wrote:

If it was indeed (vaso)vagal, there is usually a stressor of some kind involved. Anxiety, "obvious" to the person or unaware - either one, excessive heat, dread, feeling overwhelmed and as previously said, lots of other things. It is often part of a panic attack - and contrary to what many people think, people often honestly don't have a clue they're having a panic attack, or feeling stress.

---

@Moonchilde

As one that spent 7+ days in a mental hospital, and diagnosed with Panic/Anxiety Disorder, I partially disagree. Unfortunately, unless a person has had a true panic attack, they have no idea what that entails 

It is not being afraid of public speaking/elevators, driving over bridges, or even close. To say they have "panic attacks when"? Those that have been in the pain of true panic attacks, know exactly what I am saying.

Stress is a part of everyone's life if they live long enough, and having stress is not always a bad thing. Hearing people site a panic attack every time they are "anxious, nervous, concerned" about something, is not a panic attack. If they only knew.

I've been as close to dying several times, but I would prefer facing those once again over still be suffering from Panic/Anxiety Disorder. That is what those that have truly suffered those attacks vividly understand.

I know little to nothing about "vagal" other than what I have read and heard. Considering suicide because of Panic/Anxiety Disorder? I know it better than I know my name. I would not wish this on anyone and I am not fond of those that say "I had a panic attack", in the same way as "I had a cold".

Nuff said

hckynut(john) 

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@hckynut

John, you couldn't be more "right on."  I started having panic attacks in my early teens at the onset of puberty.  I thought I was dying, the feeling of total doom was so intense, I almost fainted.  I would sometimes feel as though I was swallowing my tongue.  It's a PHYSICAL FEELING over one's entire body.  If it's allowed to say here, it is exactly like an orgasm, except instead of being pleasurable, it is dreadfully horrifying.  It comes on fairly quickly, although I have always felt it coming on . . . and lasts about 10 minutes from start to finish.  Often there is gross exhaustion after it's over. And sometimes one attack can lead to another in a short amount of time.

This is not anxiety, nor stress, nor nervousness.  One can be totally calm preceding it because it is not brought on by something that one is worried about.  I do have triggers (driving on open highways, heights), but more often it's just out of the blue and hits like a lightning bolt.

Because mine are linked hormonally, I had an awful time during menopause . . . like ten attacks a day.  I was finally put on Xanax, which for some reason I'll never know, works for me.  I have only had a few attacks since I have been on that med . . . and that is almost 30 years now.

And one thing I can say with 100% certainty, is that there is no way one can be having one without knowing it.  It is too all consuming. 

I hope you have found a "cure" (so to speak) as I have.  As you said, unless experienced, one can never know this feeling, so it's hard to explain other than as I did above, which I am hopeful will not offend anyone who reads this post.  ~Ford