Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Family Medicine (Expert Forum)
Help with daughter's symptoms - dizzy, faint
Answered by
Kevin Pho, MD - Internal Medicine
Kevin Pho, MD
Boston - MA
Questions in the Family Medicine forum are answered by Dr. J.M. Keyes. Topics covered include general health issues, adolescence, babies, child health, eating disorders, fitness, immunizations and vaccines, infectious diseases, medical tests and procedures, and senior health.
Help with daughter's symptoms - dizzy, faint
by sunny_one, Sep 21, 2003 12:00AM
Thank you for providing this service. It's very important and helpful.
My almost 8-year-old daughter has been having 'hot flashes' for approximately the past nine months. During these episodes, she gets dizzy, feels faint, appears pale, feels very tired like she can barely keep her eyes open, clammy hands and feet, her stomach begins to hurt, she feels slightly nauseous, gets a headache, has a hot feeling in her head, and feels the blood pulsating in her forehead. It can take up to 1 1/2 hours for her to recover from this. Sometimes it takes only 5-10 minutes to recover. She is normally very active and boisterous, but she becomes very quiet and must lie down during these episodes. She has fainted once while in a shopping mall, but hadn't eaten much during the day and told me she needed to eat or drink right away before she fainted - we were standing in line to get food when it happened.
I have tested her blood sugar during one episode, but it was not low - my husband is diabetic, so we have experience with glucose levels. She had an MRI in April because of the fainting incident, but it was normal. The episodes can occur without, during, or after activity. Sometimes she gets them when she lays down to go to sleep, sometimes while she's playing sports, sometimes while she is just sitting.
We are now scheduled to see a pediatric cardiologist, as I have had symptoms of MVP Syndrome for the past 13 months - I have a bowed valve with no leakage. Seemed like the next step to find out what's going on.
Two years ago she had a lot of gastrointestinal problems - x-ray showed her bowels were backed up - she also had an endoscopy which was totally normal. Her stomachaches have mostly disappeared and we always attributed it to growing pains - she has always been tall for her age. At about the same time as the gastro problems, she began getting itchy hives on her hands, feet, thighs, buttocks and torso. An allergist tested her, but we never were able to determine what they were caused by. He had prescribed Zantac to control the hives, and while she was taking the Zantac is when she first experienced a 'hot flash'. Her allergist changed the medication to Clarinex, but it didn't make any difference. She also has just begun growing pubic hair - two weeks shy of her 8th birthday, which seems a bit young.
Wow, that looks like a lot when it's written down, she's such a great kid and loves to be active, this is really causing us concern. We’ve always been lucky with health and happiness, but we’re being tested these days.
Can you give me any ideas of what direction to go in to find a diagnosis for her 'hot flash' episodes? What tests we should ask for or specialists we should see? Could Zantac have caused this?
Should we be concerned about her developing pubic hair at this age? Could this be related?
My almost 8-year-old daughter has been having 'hot flashes' for approximately the past nine months. During these episodes, she gets dizzy, feels faint, appears pale, feels very tired like she can barely keep her eyes open, clammy hands and feet, her stomach begins to hurt, she feels slightly nauseous, gets a headache, has a hot feeling in her head, and feels the blood pulsating in her forehead. It can take up to 1 1/2 hours for her to recover from this. Sometimes it takes only 5-10 minutes to recover. She is normally very active and boisterous, but she becomes very quiet and must lie down during these episodes. She has fainted once while in a shopping mall, but hadn't eaten much during the day and told me she needed to eat or drink right away before she fainted - we were standing in line to get food when it happened.
I have tested her blood sugar during one episode, but it was not low - my husband is diabetic, so we have experience with glucose levels. She had an MRI in April because of the fainting incident, but it was normal. The episodes can occur without, during, or after activity. Sometimes she gets them when she lays down to go to sleep, sometimes while she's playing sports, sometimes while she is just sitting.
We are now scheduled to see a pediatric cardiologist, as I have had symptoms of MVP Syndrome for the past 13 months - I have a bowed valve with no leakage. Seemed like the next step to find out what's going on.
Two years ago she had a lot of gastrointestinal problems - x-ray showed her bowels were backed up - she also had an endoscopy which was totally normal. Her stomachaches have mostly disappeared and we always attributed it to growing pains - she has always been tall for her age. At about the same time as the gastro problems, she began getting itchy hives on her hands, feet, thighs, buttocks and torso. An allergist tested her, but we never were able to determine what they were caused by. He had prescribed Zantac to control the hives, and while she was taking the Zantac is when she first experienced a 'hot flash'. Her allergist changed the medication to Clarinex, but it didn't make any difference. She also has just begun growing pubic hair - two weeks shy of her 8th birthday, which seems a bit young.
Wow, that looks like a lot when it's written down, she's such a great kid and loves to be active, this is really causing us concern. We’ve always been lucky with health and happiness, but we’re being tested these days.
Can you give me any ideas of what direction to go in to find a diagnosis for her 'hot flash' episodes? What tests we should ask for or specialists we should see? Could Zantac have caused this?
Should we be concerned about her developing pubic hair at this age? Could this be related?
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Pho, MD, Sep 22, 2003 12:00AM
, Sep 22, 2003 12:00AM
It is unlikely that the Zantac could cause this.
Regarding the hot flashes - there are no obvious reasons that come to mind right now. I would test for the basic endocrinologic diseases including prolactin, thyroid, LH/FSH, estrogen and testosterone.
Regarding the fainting spells - it is reassuring that the MRI was normal. Another possibility would be seizures - and this can be evaluated by a neurologist. Tests such as an EEG can be considered to evaluate for the presence of any seizures.
Typically the start of pubic hair occurs after breast development - around age 11.
For further evaluation I would suggest a referral to an pediatric endocrinologist and neurologist.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Regarding the hot flashes - there are no obvious reasons that come to mind right now. I would test for the basic endocrinologic diseases including prolactin, thyroid, LH/FSH, estrogen and testosterone.
Regarding the fainting spells - it is reassuring that the MRI was normal. Another possibility would be seizures - and this can be evaluated by a neurologist. Tests such as an EEG can be considered to evaluate for the presence of any seizures.
Typically the start of pubic hair occurs after breast development - around age 11.
For further evaluation I would suggest a referral to an pediatric endocrinologist and neurologist.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Impression: There is a cystic density located on the floor of the left temporal fossa. The appearance favors arachnoid or leptomenigeal cyst. However MRI with an associated diffusion study would be beneficial for evaluation and/or confirmation.
When I called for test results in January I was told that the MRI was normal. Now that I have this report, I questioned the office receptionist, who told me that the doctor had ordered the films and read them himself which is why he said it was normal.
I have scheduled another visit with the neurologist in two days to hopefully find answers.
What does the impression mean? What questions can I ask?
x x