So dazed n confused????!!!!????!!!

[ABarton72]

I have vasovagal syncope, orthostatic hypotension, NMS, cardiogenic syncope...  What in the world is the difference?  Every time I end up in a different hospital they call my fainting something else.  (Each time they get my records from each other).  As of yet there remains to be no ryhme or reason why I went from the occasional fainting to a wheel chair so that I could leave my bed and crawling to the bathroom behind!!!  Any thoughts???

[Heiferly]

Hi, welcome to the Dysautonomia Community!  I hope I can clear up some of your confusion about terminology.  The fact of the matter is that this terminology has not been standardized in this field of medicine yet, so you see several different terms being used interchangeably for the same thing!  This is just one example of where that occurs in this field, so let me know if you run into it anywhere else and I'll be happy to try to clarify again.

Vasovagal syncope (sometimes abbreviated VVS), neurally mediated syncope [NMS]—which is a term that is probably least frequently used of all of these, and neurocardiogenic syncope (often seen as NCS) are used pretty much interchangeably to mean syncope (fainting) that is not from a strictly cardiac origin.  Cardiac causes of syncope are a completely different class of health problems.  Neurcardiogenic syncope, on the other hand, is tied to dysfunction in the nervous system rather than having a purely cardiac origin.  Here's the full detail explanation if you're interested (from one of the top experts on syncope, Dr. Blair Grubb):

http://knol.google.com/k/syncope-fainting#


As for orthostatic hypotension [OH], that means that your blood pressure falls at least a specified amount when you stand, causing symptoms.  (It can be diagnosed based on too much of a fall in your systolic, your diastolic, or both.)  Mayo has an excellent section on OH if you want to click around there to get more in-depth information:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orthostatic-hypotension/DS00997


You can also find more on these topics here on MedHelp:

http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/512/Fainting

http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/609/Hypotension

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Further-Reading-on-Dysautonomia/show/696?cid=196

[beema36]

I think vasovagal syncope and neurocardiogenic syncope is the same thing. I dont what NMS is. Orthostatic hypotension seems to be a partner if neurocardiigenic syncope  I think.
It takes a lot if searching and tests to find a cause and often they don't. I wish I had answers for you as I know the frustration.
There are many experts on here that can give you way more information so I hope one of them sees your post soon. I am sorry you are having such a tough time.
Beema