Concerned about mum

Posted , 5 users are following.

My mum is 43 and has recently in the passed few months randomly fainting. The first time it happened she was out shopping and had been on a 2k run and also been to the gym that morning and had only eaten a banana, so the hospital put it down to over exertion. It then happened a few months after when she was in work and now again tonight was the first time I had seen it happen for myself. She's seen a private Dr and had tests done, scans everything and they are saying it's just syncope attacks. When it happens she says she gets a funny feeling in her tummy and she knows it's going to happen but before she can tell us she's fainted and will be out for around 5 seconds, when she comes round she's sweating and confused and can't remember a thing that has happened around 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the attack there is a very vague memory. She seems to think it's her hormones as this mostly occurs when she is due on her period. I'm just worried as it's not nice seeing this happening to my mum and wondering if it is something more than syncope. She has major struggles with eating and probably has done for the past 6 years since her mum passed away. I think she has some sort of eating disorder as she will have a bowl of porridge for her tea most days and just a piece of fruit and pot of jelly for her dinner at work, she attends the gym a lot and is always worried about her weight I have tried talking to her many of times but she just says she struggles to eat some foods as she suffers from a hiatal hernia so gets bad heart burn. I know she won't seek help and I can't do it for her, any idea what I can do to help with the eating and syncope?!?

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    I know it is very upsetting to see your mom pass out. Do you think it could be heart related or more in the eating disorder range? I have had episodes of "near syncope where I would feel like I was about to faint and I have had a couple of events of complete syncope where I lost consciousness for just a few seconds. I was referred to an "Electrophysiologist" which is a cardiologist with training in the "Electrical System of the Heart." A "loop recorder" (you can google that)  was implanted in my chest which allows the doctor (his nurse / staff)  to see my heart rhythm on their computer every 24 hours. The readings showed them that when I would have an episode of syncope or near syncope my heart rate would get up to around 115 and above. Then, heart rate would go back to normal. I have been on meds for arrythmia for about four years but  the dosage had to be increased about once a year because the med would help for a while then become less effective and I would have to take a stronger dose. Most recently (Aug. 2016) I had a surgical procedure (Cardiac Ablation) to possibly correct the problem. It does seem to be successful, the doc says I am still healing and will not know until three months after surgery just how effective the procedure was. Maybe your mom or someone with her could take her pulse and see if it is irratic or fast during or immediately after a syncope episode. If she has not seen a cardiologist that might be the next step she would want to consider. Hoping for the best. I know how frustrating and scary the episodes of fainting can be.

     

    • Posted

      Yes part of my test are ekg and echo and MRI, cat scan blood work etc. chest X-ray. Sugar. And if she is excercising a lot and not eating enough not good. Is her weight good?
  • Posted

    Read about it Holly. Have they checked her sugar? I also am going thru testing now for fainting, except I fainted and hit head on cement and cut my head open. I was taken to trauma center. This is common and can run in Families.. Hope she is eating enough to keep her sugar up. I have a few more tests and I hope I will be done! I have anxiety disorder and health phobia , so this has been hard on me! Always overthinking! Hope you Mom doesn't do that?! She is right it can be hormonal too. Just educate yourself on it honey. I think it's sweet you are looking out for your Mom💜🌹

  • Posted

    Read about POTS, do labs for potassium, iron, and B12, and have her wear a 24 hour heart rate and BP monitor.

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