could it be stokes adams syndrome?

[debbymm]

I had 2 major incidents,one minor, over a 4 year period.
#1 4/2004-sitting at work-not sick,tired,thirsty,or hungry,no prodrome. Body suddenly felt"still" as if heart and all organs had stopped. then felt as if a faucet had been turned off at top of head. slow draining sensation through skull.everything started to turn gray.(NOT LIKE FEELING LIGHTHEADED<FEELING LIKE YOR LIFE IS DRAINING AWAY) Fell forward against table. as i hit table felt like someone hit me in chest as heart gave HUGE shudder and started again. Immediate heat/hot flash in head. horrible feeling of impendig doom.thought it was bizarre reaction to high bp meds,weaned myself off,didn.t seek help.
#2 1/05/08 NOT ON BP MEDS. Same circumstances ,but walking from kitchen to laundry room. this time fell on washing machine. Only difference afterwards felt weak for 3 days and like weights on arms and legs.
#3 11/08- walking at school,same symptoms but not as pronounced,leaned against wall till subsided.
  had ep study yesterday and normal ,3 yr medtronics heart monitor implanted.
1) Dr. says could be adams stokes do you agree?
2) Are there any other conditions like adams stokesthat can cause these symptoms?
3)If you have adams stokes is there usually some electrical or anatomical anomaly pesent?
4)Is this the usual protocol before implanting a pacemaker,or is it just because my incident were 4 years and the 11 months apart?
5)iwas taking hyzaar when i had #1 but when i had the minor one #3 i was taking toprol could this have had any affect on making the incident less severe?
6) could the asystole just happen to someone with nothing specifically wrong?7
7)with 4 years and the 11 months between does this indicate they might be more freQuent?
8) Since my Dr. agrees they could be adams stokes,isn.t it dangerous to try to capture another event rather than implanting a pacemaker?(As i told him i'll be the lucky person to record my own death).

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

1.  Based on probability, It sounds like it could be neurocardiogenic syncope. I agree that an implantable monitor should answer the question.

2. Neurocardiogenic syncope, vasovagal syncope.
3. By definition there there would be something wrong with the electrical system.  There is usually not a gross anatomical problem.
4. Agree with your doctor.  I would want to prove that it is heart block or another cause amendable to a pacemaker before implanting it.
5. It is hard to say.  It really depends on what the mechanism is.
6. It is rare but yes.
7. I am not sure what you mean.  There is typically no good way to predict the frequency of syncopal events.
8. I can't really assess the decision over the internet.  What i can say is that if your doctor thought your life was in danger, they would implant the device.  They want to do the implantable loop because they are not sure what the mechanism is.  This is exactly why the implantable loop recorder was designed.

I hope this helps.

[debbymm]

thank you for your response.what i meant by #7 was that since the first 2 were 4 years aparta nd then the last one (minor)was less than a year after the 2nd,did this shorter time frame possibly indicate that the frequency might become shorter.
For #2 When it is vasovagal in orign wouldn't there be prodrome,not occur when sitting, and no flushing hot flash afterwards?
sorry i'm not trying to get a free answer,just commenting on your response.