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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not have called an ambulance?

140 replies

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:40

Bit of an odd one, and wasn't exactly sure where to put this.

Last night after dinner I was in the shower with DH (not doing anything other than showering, was pregame for a nice bath) and after about 15 minutes my vision went blurry and I grabbed his arm and said "I'm going to pass out". I don't know what happened after that but I hit the deck pretty hard and he moved quickly to get me out of the shower, and I remember "waking up" and crawling to the toilet because I thought I was going to be ill. Thankfully I wasn't physically sick or I probably would have called NHS 24, but I was faint and lightheaded for about an hour after getting out of the shower.

Does anyone know what this would have been? I'm in my twenties and no prior health conditions that I know of other than being a bit chubby. I have been getting a bit faint in the shower recently but I usually have enough time to hop out, whereas this time I fully lost consciousness.

(Not looking for expert medical opinions, just interested to see if anyone has had a similar experience and if it led to any diagnoses or medical conditions)

OP posts:

HiveQueen · 29/12/2020 18:42

Is the shower hotter than usual? I get this sometimes when I get out of a very hot bath.

WingBingo · 29/12/2020 18:42

Maybe get checked by a gp if possible

But no, doesn’t sound like you needed an ambulance.

Really though, no one can know but a clinician, so go and see one.

Standrewsschool · 29/12/2020 18:42

Dehydration - are you drinking enough water?

Blood pressure - if it drops it can make you feel dizzy

AJB3001 · 29/12/2020 18:43

Anemia, whenever mine flares up I go through bouts of shocking dizziness and fainting, I would try to go get some bloods done and by some multivitamins and iron from the supermarket in the mean time x

Fuckstickss · 29/12/2020 18:43

I've fainted in the shower/bath a few times. Maybe it was the steam/heat?

DimidDavilby · 29/12/2020 18:44

Low blood pressure probably. Used to happen to me in hot shower. Any chance you are pregnant?

Glass of water and a salty snack to recover.

Sexykitten2005 · 29/12/2020 18:44

How do you feel now? I used to get very dizzy going into a hot environment (like a bath or shower). I got myself checked out by the doctor and everything was normal except for being a little overweight and having higher then expected blood pressure. I also got dizzy when looking up (at the stars or ceiling rather than just above eye level) and I used to faint a lot during my period.

It’s all gone away since I’ve lost weight, lowered my blood pressure and HRV and work out/eat better. But go and get yourself checked out anyway. It doesn’t hurt to make sure everything is ok

toptreeroots1 · 29/12/2020 18:44

Personally I think I'd phone my gp

Original poster

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:45

Is the shower hotter than usual? I get this sometimes when I get out of a very hot bath.

The shower is pretty hot, but I wouldn't say substantially hotter than I usually have it? I'm always about ten degrees warmer in terms of body temperature than my DH though, but he tends to turn it down if we have a shower together.

Dehydration - are you drinking enough water?

I drink 2 cups of water a day, plus a lot of other other drinks (mostly milk, sometimes tea). So in terms of water I don't drink enough but I think I am still quite hydrated - definitely more than I used to be and I've not had this shower-fainting problem before.

OP posts:

Bunnybigears · 29/12/2020 18:46

I'm a fainter, hot showers or baths have caused me to faint a few times.

Chanjer · 29/12/2020 18:46

I definitely wouldn't have called an ambulance and similar has happened to me in the past but I was happy enough to attribute it to extreme exhaustion

If it's happening repeatedly I'd go to the gp

RagamuffinCat · 29/12/2020 18:46

I get this in the shower in the mornings. I have been diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension and POTS.

Chanjer · 29/12/2020 18:47

Milk is very hydrating

Original poster

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:48

I'm definitely not pregnant, we went to the shop yesterday to get a test just to be sure and it's negative. Could potentially be anaemia, I don't eat a lot of meat if I'm honest.

How do you feel now?

I feel OK, I've got some joint pain but I usually tend to have that in my shoulders (not sure if that's a worrying symptom or just premature aging ). Still a little light headed but I can see, and I don't have the "galaxy" thing you get when you go blind when you're about to pass out (sorry not sure how to explain).

OP posts:

knightsinwhitesatin · 29/12/2020 18:49

A friend of mine has this:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/
It’s probably worth seeing a doctor if it happens again.

AlrightTreacle · 29/12/2020 18:50

Exact same thing happened to my sister in law; fainted in shower, hit her head, off to A&E, and then had a follow up with further investigations for her heart and brain. Nothing found and never happened again.

Original poster

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:52

I do tend to feel quite faint when I stand up, but I usually attribute that to being mostly horizontal during lockdown Maybe that's the cause?

POTS is a good shout though. The only time I remember last passing out was during a school play where I managed to fall off the stage!
(could always be a heat / lighting issue I suppose, maybe I just crash when I get too hot but I've never experienced it like this before?)

OP posts:

QuestionableMouse · 29/12/2020 18:52

Joint/shoulder pain can be a sign of low vit D. It can make you feel really rubbish.

EagleFlight · 29/12/2020 18:52

I was going to suggest POTS as well.

If ever you do think you need an ambulance for something like that, please always consider if your partner or another adult can drive you instead.

Original poster

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:53

Comforting to know it might just be a "normal" thing (ish!)

How is your sister doing, @AlrightTreacle, did she not have any other conditions? Hope her head was okay!

OP posts:

FuckOffDailyFailure · 29/12/2020 18:54

Low blood pressure?

DoubleHelix79 · 29/12/2020 18:54

I had two or three episodes like that over the past 20 years - once while taking a shower with a boyfriend actually. Pretty sure it was just a sudden drop in blood pressure. Never sought medical attention, blood pressure is normally perfect.

If you have another episode in the near future I'd definitely see your gp but calling an ambulance seems like an overreaction.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 29/12/2020 18:54

I feel lightheaded in a very warm bath. But if I take a glass of juice, soda or water (not a wine drinker) in the bath with me, then I don't feel the lightheadedness. Try drinking something cold just before you get into the shower.

Original poster

covidaintacrime · 29/12/2020 18:55

If ever you do think you need an ambulance for something like that, please always consider if your partner or another adult can drive you instead.

That was the first plan but my DH had had some beer before we got in the shower and didn't know if he was sober enough to drive. I said it was better not to go at all as I didn't want to go out in a pandemic, but I think he got quite a fright as I seemed okay before I passed out.

Joint/shoulder pain can be a sign of low vit D.

I live in Scotland so that wouldn't surprise me at all honestly!

OP posts:

LeSangeEstDansLarbre · 29/12/2020 18:55

Low blood pressure will definitely cause the faintness and nausea. Best to book in with the GP to check out the cause, though it’s not likely to be anything very terrible.

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