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Very rare periods of syncopy

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rogeroger38060
rogeroger38060

Forgive the long post but I am a fit 70 male, every year or two I suddenly faint and am a bit flaky for a few days and then I'm back to normal for another year or more. This has been going on for 5 or 6 years and I've had lots and lots of tests. This morning I sat down and blacked out for a second or two, I awoke to hear my wife calling my name. I checked bp and glucose both normal. I will feel well for a few hours and get a recurrence, these sessions will last a few days and then I'll be back to normal. I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts they could share please ?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • PeterAK
    PeterAK rogeroger38060

    Posted

    I’ve had autonomic dysfunction for years apparently related to my Myasthenia Gravis. Typically, it’s a fast variable heartbeat, varying blood pressure and SPO2. This typically occurs when my MG flares. My worse problem occurred last year during exposure to forest fire smoke. Very fast wide swings in heartbeat, bp and SPO2 and one period of severe familial tremor that lasted for 10 minutes occurred when exposed to the smoke. I couldn’t hold things steady or sign my name. It’s the only time this tremor has ever happened. I spent two months, stuck in my house, waiting for the fires to go out.

    I read about the dysfunction being caused by underlying disease and medicines. But one of the things they don’t mention is environmental or food triggers. Another thing you need to keep in mind is that the trigger might occur hours or even days before the blackouts start. You don’t say what specialties you have consulted but it sounds like you might be having some sort of seizure. I’m assuming they’ve checked you for strokes. There are also some rare narcolepsy type sleep issues that might cause your symptoms.

    • rogeroger38060
      rogeroger38060 PeterAK

      Posted

      Thanks PeterAK ... interesting, I did have had various check ups, ecgs etc I can monitor my own BP, temperature, heart rate, blood sugar (my wife's diabetic) and nothings been found, there are suggestions that it could simply be severe dehydration and certainly if I get some water down me the symptoms tend to ease and then I'm fine again for another 12 months or so until the next incident. We may never know 😃

      I hope you're issues are resolved satisfactorily.

  • PeterAK
    PeterAK rogeroger38060

    Posted

    You're not drinking coffee are you? Lately I've started falling to sleep every time I sit down with a cup of coffee in my hand, and the next thing I know I wake up with the coffee spilled on me.

    I recall back 8 or 9 years ago coming home, sitting down, starting to read the newspaper, etc. and then I would be waking up. There was no memory of being tired or falling asleep. My wife told me that when I was asleep she would have trouble waking me up. When I did wake up I felt like I was a the bottom of a well but I could hear people around me. It would take me 20 minutes to fully wake up. These naps lasted 20-30 minutes. My sleep doctor said I was in a deep (Stage 4 sleep) but he didn't know what was happening. I was apparently having some trouble with REM sleep on my sleep tests back then but the doctors didn't seem to know what that meant. Anyway the "naps" went on sporadically for a year or two and then stopped.

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