15 yr old son with Vasovagal Syncope after exercise now worse episodes

[cfusse]

Hello,
I have become very concerned about my son.  He is 15 and was diagnosed with vasovagal sycope 7 yrs ago.  He had a few episodes over the years that didn't last very long and he came right back around afterwards.  His fainting episodes resemble seizures as he does do posturing and even wet his pants one time.  I was told that they werent seizures but I am still wondering what they really are.  Over the past month he has had two episodes.  One happened in his choir class.  He even fell and hit his head.  He didnt feel good for that whole day.  I took him to the doctor and they looked at his head and said he was ok.  Today, he went to play tennis.  He said he started feeling that way while he was playing tennis.  This time he didnt pass out but he felt very nauseated.  He was pale, dizzy and clammy.  This lasted about 1 hour.  He never passed out but came close.  He said his throat felt like it was closing and he was having a hard time breathing.  I am just very concerned!  It seems to happen after exertion. I have an atrial septal aneurysm and I have no clue if this is related. Help please.  Thanks in advance.

[crystalhanzelka]

Where in Texas are you at?  You could check to see if your city has a county program.  Like I live in Fort Worth and we have JPS and Dallas has Parkland.  No matter what an ER can not turn him away.  You do NOT have to pay when you go.  They will try to get you to, but you just tell them you cant.  Then you can set up a payment plan when the bill comes or let it go on your credit.  I think Long QT is something you need  to have checked.  Dont wait until it is too late.  It may be just vasovagal, but you need to be sure it is not a fatal arrythmia.  VTach can turn into VFib and unless someone is there with a defib then death is the only option.  Long QT can cause someone to go into cardiac arrest out of the blue.  I think mainly after exercise or waking up.  I pray your son has none of these serious aarythmias, but if you catch them before something bad happens, it can be treated.  Good Luck to you and make sure you check to see if your county has a program such as a county hospital.  

[Aventurine]

I have had Vasovagal Syncope all my life. When I was a baby I had convolutuions and doctors said I would grow out of it but I never did. I have had a similar experience to your son I have had episodes that have resembled seizures and wet myself. At one point they got so bad for 5 days after an episode I constantly slept and felt exhusted. I decided enough was enough and got admited to hospital and refused to leave until they discovered what it was. I was majorly worried it may be something to do with my heart or I had epilepsy. After having every test going the doctors said I was 100% fit and healthy and I finally had the tilt table test which diagnosed me as having Vasovagal Syncope. The doctor said that the fact that I did not know what was causing the fainting caused me to have panic attacks and unnecessary stress which inturn made my fainting worse. Since being diagnosed I eat small meals often, ensure I drink plenty of water and dont dehydrate, wear layers of clothing so I can control my body temperature and in stressful times ensure I take time out. These simple things have helped me aviod fainting and recover quickly afterwards.
I hope this is reasuring for you.

[MILTJ]

I SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN THERE IS EXERTION OR LAUGHTER, IF I  TALK TOO LONG, RAISE MY VOICE TOO HIGH, AMONG OTHER THINGS.THAT'S WHEN MY BLOOD PRESSURE DROPS AND THE SYNCOPE EPISODES HAPPEN. I'VE HAD THIS PROMLEM SINCE I WAS 8 YEARS OLD.AT THE AGE OF 34 I HAD A HEART ATTACK AND IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE SINCE THEN,I'M NOW 40. I'M NOT SAYING OR EVEN HOPE YOUR SON WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH.JUST STAY STRONG AND PRAY,GOD WILL BRING YOU AND YOUR SON THROUGH THIS.MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I HAD (IOCM) OR (IHSS) Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis.ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT TESTING YOUR SON FOR THIS. I HOPE THIS HELPS.
                                                                                   GOD BLESS

[cfusse]

Hello,

I still am having problems with my son.  I will tell you though, he is on the Varsity team for Tennis and is doing well.  He has not had an episode for about 3 months but we still watch him.  I am still always worried.  He keeps himself hydrated and knows to sitdown or lay down when he is going into an episode.  I think this has helped him not get to the passing out point.  Can you tell us a little more about your son's episodes.

[2222752]

please can I talk to some one about this. I feel like I am going out of my mind not knowing what to do about this no doctor will lisin to me or my 8year old son who suffers so bad.. Any one please My email is ***@**** Thank you with all my heart and soul.

[cfusse]

One minuite I think it is just the vasovagal syncope then the next I dont.  When it happened other times and the just recent episode he was just exercising.  There was no reason for him to be embarrassed, scared or hurt.  He had just been running and when his body caught up with itself(kinda) he started feeling dizzy.  It's like after he is running usually.  I don't know what to think or do.  Thanks again

[cfusse]

I so appreciate all your responses.  I unfortunately, am looking for work and a common thing here in Texas is no health insurance.  I did take him to the doctor just recently after he had his fall.  They didn't feel that there was any need to do any further testing.  I had similiar episodes when I was in my adolescence, but I never had them to the extent that my son has.  I do have an atrial septal aneurysm and I am only 37.  I heard that it is not that big of a deal but what do I know?  Anyway,  I thought maybe it was a hereditary condition myself but I am not so sure now.  He has had an EEG and had seen a cardiologist.  That was a few years back, and that is when they diagnosed him with vasovagal syncope.  His episode yesterday was different than most.  He seems to be taking longer to get to feeling normal again.  He is aware of his surroundings and knows what happened, but he feels ill.  Pallor, weakness and nausea lasts awhile.  He also said that he felt like his throat was closing and he couldnt breath.  I was very worried!  He told me today that it usually happens in the choir class.  That it seems to happen always in there.  He eats lunch the period before choir.  I wonder if it is some metabolism disorder or heart.  I just am so concerned, but don't know what to do now, with no health insurance.  I know that they will need to do many tests.  I know it will cost a whole heck of a lot.  I am medically trained but I am not going to deny him of emergency care if I feel he needs it.  I really do appreciate yall.

[stevie_wonder]

Is there any history of sudden deaths or fainting/seizures in your family? Our family has just been diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome. This is a treatable electrical heart rhtyhm disorder. Just google Long QT Syndrome/Seizures and you will find alot of useful information. Or you can visit the SADS website. www.sads.com or www.sads.ca (in Canada). My 19 year old son has had fainting spells while exercising and while just resting. He also had seizures during the faining spells that the doctors told me weren't seizures. Seizures (a different type) are very common in Long QT Syndrome and many people are misdiagnosed as having epilepsy. But your son could also in fact, have Epilepsy so this should be checked out as well with a neuorologist. I would go to a special cardiologist called an Elecrophysiologist and mention Long QT Syndrome to him. Contrary to popular belief, Long QT Syndrome is not always visible on a regular resting ECG, but many times it is. So I would recommend that you have an ECG done on your son soon and mention the Long QT Syndrome and ask if the doctor will at least have it sent to an electrophysiologist that is a specialist in Long QT Syndrome. The US has many. Just google it. While Long QT Syndrome is very treatable, it can result in cardiac arrest in some cases so it is best to rule it out.

[Al Dente]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this.  This must be very tough.  I do think there is more of an issue going on here than meets the eye with your son.  I don't think this is a simple diagnosis--something that a single or multiple EKGs can solve without catching the event.  The event needs to be caught on a monitor.

With his symptoms, he's losing bodily control--I do not think this is an anxiety issue.   I do wonder about choir--if during practice he is over-stimulating the vagus nerve triggering a faint.  With how far the faints go--that is a concern.

[tickertock]

Just want to say I agree with all the above posters, if I were you I would get my son checked out as soon as possible, while it might not be anything life threatening or serious, it is very wise to get it checked out!!

[Al Dente]

Thanks hbp702,

I've been checked, normal EEG (haven't had an EEG during an event).  I need to catch one of these events on a monitor during an event.

We've ruled out neurocardiogenic syncope.   I think there's a rogue arrythymia that's causing the problem.  The last event I had was very bad.  I'm concerned for our poster and their son as I know of difficult and stressful this is.

[hbp702]

You need to get treated for your seizures too.

[hbp702]

Fainting won't cause posturing or wetting one's pants. Those don't sound LIKE something along the lines of seizures, they sound like they ARE seizures!

Either he isn't just fainting, but he's going into V-Tach and his brain is without any blood so long he is seizing, or he is an epileptic.

Epilepsy is a FAR FAR more common disease than people thing, many many people have seizures, and it can and must be treated.

Seizures can make you suffocate to death or cause fatal cardiac arrest. (it is called SUDEP).

Also vasovagal shouldn't make him feel awful during exercise when the sympathetic NS overrides the parasympathetic (vagal) system.

[Al Dente]

Get your son in to see a cardiologist.  They should do an extensive work up on your son.  I would suggest seeing a neurologist as well.

If they have diagnosed vasovagal syncope, has he had a tilt-table test?

At some stages of syncope, there are seizures (the brain gets starved of oxygen in some cases).  This is not a good situation and is not normal.

I would think they'd do:
EEG (check for obvious seizure issues)
EKG
Echocardiogram (to check for structural problems with heart & valves)
Cardiac Stress Test
Tilt Table Test
Lab work

I'm not a doc, but have suffered from fainting during and after exercise since I was in junior high, about age 14 (now 30).  I do have alot of heart problems and we haven't quite nailed down the fainting.  I was out for a minute in December after jogging and went into convulsions.

I wish you good luck, and hope your son is ok.  Get some experts involved in the case, or 2nd opinions.  Any time a syncopatic episode results in something like a fall, it is dangerous.

[Momto3]

Sorry to hear your son is dealing with syncope.  It is surely a very frustrating problem for both of you.  Is there any chance he could be referred to a good cardiologist just to be sure there is no underlying cardiac explanation for his episodes?  I don't know a lot about syncope, but EVERY TIME I go to my electrophysiologist she asks if I've had any fainting, dizziness, etc....Since it's been 7 years, a cardio/EP workup might find the cause of his syncope.  If not, it may provide some much need peace of mind for you.