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Fainting without warning
Hello:) Just wondering if anyone has any ideas or similar experiences to what is happening to me...
I am a 34 y.o. woman---a chronic pain patient due to a bad fall...with ongoing problems since my surgery over a year ago...I had half of my coccyx removed, and now I have severe inflammation of my sacroiliac joints as well as a complete pelvic floor prolapse.
I take the following medications: Paxil, Amitriptyline, dilaudid, and hydromorph contin. I've had no recent changes in those prescriptions.
The reason I am visiting this forum (I spend most of my time over in the Pain Management forum:), is that from last Sunday evening until the following Wednesday afternoon, I had 4 episodes where I fainted--with no warning--waking as I hit hard on the floor. The first one, I fell on my face and my knees; the 2nd on my hands and knees; the 3rd one on my bum:(; and the last one took me to the hospital by ambulance because I landed smack on the ceramic tile in my kitchen--having landed on my face, I had bit thru my lip to the outside of my chin, and broke my 2 front teeth.
In all of these instances, it's almost like I lost consciousness for only an instant--enough to fall, and hit the floor. I have no warning...no woozy, dizzy, tired, weird, strange anything feelings. The last one I was stirring soup on the stove, and then smack...my face on the ceramic, blood everywhere. Very terrifying.
The ER doc and the Neurologist who then took the case, have told me that they definitely believe that something is going on, but what, they do not know yet. The Neurologist said he believes it is originating from either my brain or my mid-spine....so not my neck or lumbar regions. I am scheduled for an EEG and an MRI for my brain...which will both be completed in August ( I live in Canada---we have a bit of a wait for these procedures)
For now, I am supposed to have someone with me at all times, in case it happens again, especially so they may be able to give some insight to what exactly happens....and I cannot drive indefinitely.
Nothing has happened for about a week...but I am still very wary...falling flat on your face breaking teeth, and making holes in your face....not something to take lightly! If I had had any warning, I would have reached out to brace myself or something...instead, I just drop like a rock.
If anyone has any insight to share, I'd love to hear it. If nothing happens until August, will these tests even show anything? I don't want anything to happen again, but I don't want to go without answers either, and have to live with the "possibility" of it happening again...and have no explanation why...if you know what I mean?
Thanks:)
Alison
I am a 34 y.o. woman---a chronic pain patient due to a bad fall...with ongoing problems since my surgery over a year ago...I had half of my coccyx removed, and now I have severe inflammation of my sacroiliac joints as well as a complete pelvic floor prolapse.
I take the following medications: Paxil, Amitriptyline, dilaudid, and hydromorph contin. I've had no recent changes in those prescriptions.
The reason I am visiting this forum (I spend most of my time over in the Pain Management forum:), is that from last Sunday evening until the following Wednesday afternoon, I had 4 episodes where I fainted--with no warning--waking as I hit hard on the floor. The first one, I fell on my face and my knees; the 2nd on my hands and knees; the 3rd one on my bum:(; and the last one took me to the hospital by ambulance because I landed smack on the ceramic tile in my kitchen--having landed on my face, I had bit thru my lip to the outside of my chin, and broke my 2 front teeth.
In all of these instances, it's almost like I lost consciousness for only an instant--enough to fall, and hit the floor. I have no warning...no woozy, dizzy, tired, weird, strange anything feelings. The last one I was stirring soup on the stove, and then smack...my face on the ceramic, blood everywhere. Very terrifying.
The ER doc and the Neurologist who then took the case, have told me that they definitely believe that something is going on, but what, they do not know yet. The Neurologist said he believes it is originating from either my brain or my mid-spine....so not my neck or lumbar regions. I am scheduled for an EEG and an MRI for my brain...which will both be completed in August ( I live in Canada---we have a bit of a wait for these procedures)
For now, I am supposed to have someone with me at all times, in case it happens again, especially so they may be able to give some insight to what exactly happens....and I cannot drive indefinitely.
Nothing has happened for about a week...but I am still very wary...falling flat on your face breaking teeth, and making holes in your face....not something to take lightly! If I had had any warning, I would have reached out to brace myself or something...instead, I just drop like a rock.
If anyone has any insight to share, I'd love to hear it. If nothing happens until August, will these tests even show anything? I don't want anything to happen again, but I don't want to go without answers either, and have to live with the "possibility" of it happening again...and have no explanation why...if you know what I mean?
Thanks:)
Alison
Wow! Thanks so much for all of the information! I really appreciate all of the time you took to write it all up for me! I really want an MRI of my entire spine, and the ways you suggest may be the only way to get it.
Thanks so much again...Alison
Thanks so much again...Alison
In New York City, the Bobby Murcer free MRI van is supervised by Dr. Patrick Kelly of New York University Hospital.
It provides free same-day MRI's and free written evaluations of conditions plus they mail you a disc of the results.
It provides free same-day MRI's and free written evaluations of conditions plus they mail you a disc of the results.
Hydromorph contin is a ketone of morphine and shares all the characteristics of opiods. It vasodilates blood vessels and can be a significant factor in precipitating a casovagal fainting episode.
There is no "Link" to the Scientific American articles, although you can order back issues through the mail. Within the last three years there has been a quantum breakthrough in treating chronic pain. Chronic pain has been found to often originate due to inflammation of glial cells, which do not respond to opiates.
It turns out that drugs that one never would have thought of can control chronic pain. Antibiotics such as monocycline, a semi-synthetic third-generation tetracycline, as well as a class of drugs called methylxanthines.
Do a goodle search on "pain" "antibiotics" or "pain" and "glia" cells.
The Scientific American article was very thorough in exploring this new frontier.
I'm glad you got the CT. In the evening, and on weekends, at American Hospitals the MRI's often are unavailable.
In New York City, for the last year they had a walk-in truck that went around the city offering not only free MRI's, but they mailed you a report along with a disc of the results.
I have no doubt you could get a free or inexpensive MRI by a little hunting around.
If you agree to pay cash, you can often bargain down prices.
In addition there are what are called Hill-Burton facilities. Do a google search. They must take patients who cannot pay. And you get top-shelf care. In a ward I visited about a month ago they had two illegal aliens who flew here, one from Somalia and the other from Columbia, who had amassed over $100,000 in hospital charges which they have no intention of paying. It seems everyone on the planet has the U.S. system down as to how to milk it. I encourage you to come down here and do so.
Sudden pain can cause vasodilation, and that can cause fainting.
There is no "Link" to the Scientific American articles, although you can order back issues through the mail. Within the last three years there has been a quantum breakthrough in treating chronic pain. Chronic pain has been found to often originate due to inflammation of glial cells, which do not respond to opiates.
It turns out that drugs that one never would have thought of can control chronic pain. Antibiotics such as monocycline, a semi-synthetic third-generation tetracycline, as well as a class of drugs called methylxanthines.
Do a goodle search on "pain" "antibiotics" or "pain" and "glia" cells.
The Scientific American article was very thorough in exploring this new frontier.
I'm glad you got the CT. In the evening, and on weekends, at American Hospitals the MRI's often are unavailable.
In New York City, for the last year they had a walk-in truck that went around the city offering not only free MRI's, but they mailed you a report along with a disc of the results.
I have no doubt you could get a free or inexpensive MRI by a little hunting around.
If you agree to pay cash, you can often bargain down prices.
In addition there are what are called Hill-Burton facilities. Do a google search. They must take patients who cannot pay. And you get top-shelf care. In a ward I visited about a month ago they had two illegal aliens who flew here, one from Somalia and the other from Columbia, who had amassed over $100,000 in hospital charges which they have no intention of paying. It seems everyone on the planet has the U.S. system down as to how to milk it. I encourage you to come down here and do so.
Sudden pain can cause vasodilation, and that can cause fainting.
I currently do not take oxycontin. I take hydromorph contin with dilaudid for breakthrough. I have been taking these meds for over a year--they replaced the percocet and oxycontin I was taking for 2 years prior (built a high tolerance). The fainting episodes are a very recent occurrence that have never happened to me before, so there was no reason for my doctor to be wary of the correlation.
I had a CT within 2 hours of reaching the ER by ambulance...as well as numerous x-rays. I do agree that a wait for MRI is ridiculous. I just finally had a post-surgery follow-up MRI for my coccyx and sacrum more than a year post-op...about 2 weeks prior to my fainting episodes....and only got that MRI by begging for it.
I will be calling the hospital on Monday, to see if my MRI is scheduled, and if not, I'll call the Neurologist...who was very aware of the urgency of this matter, and wanted both tests done within the week.
I agree that it would have been nice for me to be treated stateside. I have already consulted doctors at the UofMichigan medical center in regards to my pelvic floor prolapse and my spine injury. Unfortunately it is very expensive, and they are very aware of the Canadian Health care system, so they will not always do procedures without charge...because they can just send me back over the border....especially if they deem the problem non-life-threatening. The Ontario health care program (OHIP) will pay for US procedures if the procedures cannot be done in Canada in a timely fashion...and they see August as "timely". BTW, the quote for an MRI @ UofM was $4000+...:(
I hope and pray that something happens to prevent any similar health care plans from coming to fruition in the USA, it is NOT the answer!!!
I saw you reply in another post that someone else should read The Nov 2009 issue of Scientific American also....why specifically are you recommending the article? In the other post, it mentioned pain control, but if you could perhaps be more specific in why you are recommending it, that would be great. Maybe if you could even post a link to the article, since as of right now, myself, and many other pain sufferers are homebound, and cannot go out to the library anytime soon. I did try to find it on their website, but if you could save me time by pointing me in the right direction, that would be very helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post:)
I had a CT within 2 hours of reaching the ER by ambulance...as well as numerous x-rays. I do agree that a wait for MRI is ridiculous. I just finally had a post-surgery follow-up MRI for my coccyx and sacrum more than a year post-op...about 2 weeks prior to my fainting episodes....and only got that MRI by begging for it.
I will be calling the hospital on Monday, to see if my MRI is scheduled, and if not, I'll call the Neurologist...who was very aware of the urgency of this matter, and wanted both tests done within the week.
I agree that it would have been nice for me to be treated stateside. I have already consulted doctors at the UofMichigan medical center in regards to my pelvic floor prolapse and my spine injury. Unfortunately it is very expensive, and they are very aware of the Canadian Health care system, so they will not always do procedures without charge...because they can just send me back over the border....especially if they deem the problem non-life-threatening. The Ontario health care program (OHIP) will pay for US procedures if the procedures cannot be done in Canada in a timely fashion...and they see August as "timely". BTW, the quote for an MRI @ UofM was $4000+...:(
I hope and pray that something happens to prevent any similar health care plans from coming to fruition in the USA, it is NOT the answer!!!
I saw you reply in another post that someone else should read The Nov 2009 issue of Scientific American also....why specifically are you recommending the article? In the other post, it mentioned pain control, but if you could perhaps be more specific in why you are recommending it, that would be great. Maybe if you could even post a link to the article, since as of right now, myself, and many other pain sufferers are homebound, and cannot go out to the library anytime soon. I did try to find it on their website, but if you could save me time by pointing me in the right direction, that would be very helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post:)
Yeah. You are on inappropriate pain meds, for starters.
Get the November 2009 issue of Scientific American. You require medications to tone down glial cell inflammation
The oxycontin dilates blood vessels which contributes to the fainting problem. I can't believe a physician did not know this.
There are several possibilities concering the etiology of the fainting.
It could be neurological, but my guess is that the pain causes sudden vasodilation,you are a bit dehydrated, and your hematocrit is a tad low (as is the case with most females) and this causes the blackouts.
You should have been admitted to the hospital and had either an MRI and an MRA or a CT within four hours. I advise you to take a bus to the United States. An MRI alone is not enough.
"Making an appointment" for such a procedure after a loss of consciousness is completely unaceptable. Absolutely positively. It would have paid for you to come to the United States. You would get such a scan with or without the money to pay in any ER that I know of. They should have suggested this. Come down south to get evaluated. Obamacare has not yet taken hold, fortunately.
You also need to know your hematcrit and have orthostatic vital signs taken.
Pain often causes sudden dilation of blood vessels, increasing body capacitance, which reduces blood pressure and causes a person to "faint" or experience a momentary LOC (Loss of consciousness).
The other likely possibility is a clot or a spasm in a blood vessel.
Keep after them. You should have been a priority one MRI.
Get the November 2009 issue of Scientific American. You require medications to tone down glial cell inflammation
The oxycontin dilates blood vessels which contributes to the fainting problem. I can't believe a physician did not know this.
There are several possibilities concering the etiology of the fainting.
It could be neurological, but my guess is that the pain causes sudden vasodilation,you are a bit dehydrated, and your hematocrit is a tad low (as is the case with most females) and this causes the blackouts.
You should have been admitted to the hospital and had either an MRI and an MRA or a CT within four hours. I advise you to take a bus to the United States. An MRI alone is not enough.
"Making an appointment" for such a procedure after a loss of consciousness is completely unaceptable. Absolutely positively. It would have paid for you to come to the United States. You would get such a scan with or without the money to pay in any ER that I know of. They should have suggested this. Come down south to get evaluated. Obamacare has not yet taken hold, fortunately.
You also need to know your hematcrit and have orthostatic vital signs taken.
Pain often causes sudden dilation of blood vessels, increasing body capacitance, which reduces blood pressure and causes a person to "faint" or experience a momentary LOC (Loss of consciousness).
The other likely possibility is a clot or a spasm in a blood vessel.
Keep after them. You should have been a priority one MRI.
Just bringing this back to the top for one more try...to see if anyone might have any ideas?
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