worried about dd - what could cause this?

[ThatVikRinA22]

dd is 16.
she is almost 5ft 8 but very slim despite eating really well.
a few months ago she had problems with her heart absolutely racing and chest pain - we saw a gp and also went to A&E but the A&E doctor dismissed it as hyperventilation.
this didnt ring quite right for me as dd is very level headed, not prone to panic and very laid back, but we accepted the dx and went home.

yesterday she fainted - she was out totally for a good few minutes. she had eaten breakfast. (2 weetabix with milk and apple juice)
when she got home she ate 2 boiled eggs and 3 slices of toast.

we saw a gp today who says she has low blood pressure and is very underweight. we are taking her for blood tests tomorrow.

dd is baffled - she eats really really well. she says she is always hungry.
despite this she is a size 6.
she is always tired. she comes home and goes to bed most nights. she lays in bed a lot and often looks "peeky" .
she is on iron tablets as she was slightly B12 deficient.
she is on the pill but says she has been on it about a year with no ill effects so far.
she has recently started coughing at night. she used to be asthmatic but grew out of it - recently she has found she has needed an inhaler again and coughs at night.

im resisting the urge to google.....
so im asking if anyone knows what could cause these symptoms - im not sure whether they are all unrelated.
i will confess i am worried and trying not to be. does anyone have any ideas?
thanks

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

B12 deficiency could be pernicious anaemia. Hopefully the blood tests will get to bottom of it.

[Bunbaker]

Is she being tested for diabetes as well?

[scratchandsniff]

Overactive thyroid would be my first thought. That can cause a racing heart and would explain the not putting on weight. Hope you get an answer soon.

[cathyandclaire]

I think the other posters may well be right on the anaemia or maybe overactive thyroid.
But how does she feel she when she does sport/ exercise? Did she have any pain/palpitations before her faint? If she hasn't had an ECG (heart trace) or any investigations since A and E it could be worth seeing your doctor for a test/referral. But then I'm a big believer in too much investigation not too little !

[RubySparks]

Coeliac disease may be worth testing for as that could explain eating well but not gaining weight, also likely to be nutritional deficiencies e.g. Anaemia.

[NCISaddict]

Just to pick up a point, panic attacks/hyperventilation don't necessarily only happen to people prone to panic. They can happen to anyone at any time.

[carben]

I would also make sure that along with the blood tests for anaemia and thyroid function that she has heart investigations just to be on the safe side. Have a look at the CRY website. Not trying to alarm you but if there is a problem - much better to know about it. Hope it's something easily remedied.

[ThatVikRinA22]

NCI - sorry i didnt mean that to sound how it did - i know you are right because it happened to me a few times as i was drifting off to sleep - it was subconsciously something bothering me.

we went for bloods done today.
she had an ECG when she got those symptoms before but i was a bit sceptical as i felt it needed to be seen when it happened and not when it wasnt....

will see what the bloods show.

right before the faint she says the only warning she got was her eyesight went completely - she said "i cant see" twice and then fainted and was out cold.
luckily the staff at the placement were there and a nurse was there - she was the one who called me.

her hands and feet are always freezing....another symptoms we realised today.

[CouthyMow]

Sounds like thyroid might be an issue.

[AlfAlf]

I don't know about all the other stuff, but unexplained weight loss/inability to gain weight and anaemia can be caused by coeliac.
I hope you get to the root of this quickly, and that it turns out to be something simple and easy to rectify.

[ThatVikRinA22]

thanks - i hope we find out something from the bloods.

couthy - need to catch up with your thread....(.waves back!)

is there a test for coeliacs?

[NCISaddict]

That's ok Vicar, it's just I see so many people who are outraged when we say they're hyperventilating as they think its a criticism and we're fobbing them off with an 'it's all in the mind and you're being silly' attitude which isn't true.
Were bloods taken in a&e? They will have tested for certain heart problems as particular levels in the blood can alarm to certain conditions.
I would second getting in touch with CRY, they do free cardiac tests and can email you when a testing facility comes to your area.
The GP might organise a 24 hour tape which might pick something up. I guess it's a process of elimination. Hope you get some answers soon.

[AlfAlf]

There's a blood test for coeliac disease; my dd2 had it when she was anaemic.

[SimLondon]

I would suspect diabetes type 1

[NiSaBula]

Sounds, like the symptoms I experienced before being diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. I had palpitations, my hands shook, tiredness and I was anxious despite normally being laid back. I also lost weight suddenly. A simple blood test showed I had an overactive thyroid. I found the patientuk website really informative for finding out about thyroid disorders.

[ThatVikRinA22]

i will ask her leverette. The only symptom she mentioned was loss of vision and that has happened twice now....only the first time she didnt faint - she just felt sick and weak - she thought it was a migraine.

niSaBula - i just want to know what it is tbh....its a bit of a worry. im hoping the bloods might give some answers.

[goodasitgets]

I don't know if it helps but I don't have any heart problems but I always have a loss of vision before I faint. My eyes go like an tv that isn't tuned in. Used to happen before I had a fit too. Was a warning sign for me and gave me enough time to sit down

[EBearhug]

Yes, my vision when I faint, everything goes really bright and bleached, then it goes black from the outside in - like a TV being turned off, just as goodasitgets says. Fortunately, it's only happened a handful of times in my life.

I hope your daughter gets sorted out soon. Best wishes.

[craftysewer]

My dd is a size 4/6, underweight and was diagnosed with celiac disease 6 months ago. She is a 'silent' celiac, in that she does not have obvious symptoms. May be worth checking her out for it.

[LeapingOverTheWall]

think about POTS which could explain the fainting, heart racing, the low blood pressure and the exhaustion. Measure heart rate lying down, then after standing up - if it rises by more than 30 bpm within 10 minutes, then suggest it to the GP (who won't have heard of it, but can look up dysautonomia or autonomic dysfunction which are the catch-all terms).

Hope you get to the bottom of it though. If it is POTS, PM me and I may be able to recommend a consultant.

[GimmeDaBoobehz]

Everyone here has given great advice.

There is a blood test you can do to check for coeliacs (my sister has it and they are testing me for it now as I have abdominal pain and weird bowel movements but unfortunately put on more weight, not less).

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

[mercibucket]

also read up on b12 deficiency and levels. she probably needs them a lot higher than the nhs will take them

[eurochick]

Thyroid issues, anaemia or B12 anaemia are the things that immediately spring to my mind. I hope you both get answers soon.

BTW, when my ferratin levels are low I feel like my breathing is laboured. I notice what you say about the inhaler.