To not have called an ambulance?

[covidaintacrime]

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)

I usually get my period on the 28th, I took one that could be tested up to four days before missed period (so realistically odds are against pregnancy).

That’s happened to me! Heat, low blood pressure, normal things like that. I honestly don’t think it’s anything to worry about.

Not a medic but key in POTS is tachycardia. If OP doesn’t notice raised heart-rate on standing, general raised resting and exercise heart-rate, then more likely to be straight postural hypotension. Ie drop in BP when you stand/sit up. Can be caused by getting up quickly, carb heavy meals or heat exposure (eg shower/hot day).

It’s important to get it checked out as you’re at risk from head injury etc.

@Shaniac

People saying dont call an ambulance, why?

In September i fainted twice once in tesco and again the next day, no known cause. I called 111 and they said if i even feel faint again i need to call an ambulance straight away.

Hopefully its nothing op but do get checked out if it happens again.

Because ambulances are best kept for heart attacks, strokes, life threatening accidents. If I fainted, i wouldn't even bother going to the GP to be honest. If it was a recurring thing then I'd call my GP. If we call ambulances for every tiny thing like fainting etc, there would be none to go to emergencies.

Dc has had similar issue with low blood pressure.
I have with tachycardia. But the first thing my gp did was to do a 24 hours cardiac check

You just had a syncope. Drink more water, keep a healthy BMI and move on.

For future reference, you're meant to take pregnancy tests with first morning urine after at least a 4 hr hold, otherwise they may come back negative even if you're pregnant.

I'm a fainter and it's worse just before my period. Mine is attributed to low blood pressure (I had all the checks after a spate of episodes close together the year before last). For me I have to make sure I'm hydrated and eat a little salt than normal. But in your position I would probably consult a medical professional for some proper advice!

For future reference, you're meant to take pregnancy tests with first morning urine after at least a 4 hr hold, otherwise they may come back negative even if you're pregnant.

That's true, and how I would usually do it but we wanted the reassurance (even if that's flawed logic!)

No, no, I totally get it, I'd do the same, but you may want to repeat it tomorrow morning.

I think I'd follow the NHS concussion advice and also get an appointment with a GP to check blood pressure and maybe basic blood tests.

It was right not to call an ambulance, but if as you say it's happened a few times definitely worth speaking to your GP

I used to faint regularly if I didn't eat enough/at regular intervals (took a while to work out what was causing it!)
Are you eating enough and drinking plenty of fluids?

I'll take another one tomorrow morning Purple, but I'd be awfully surprised if I was pregnant! I'm more imagining it's due to bad diet or being generally overheated.

I did drink a tiny amount of cider (less than half a can) which may have affected my blood pressure combined with the heat? I actually drank so little I forgot about it, DH just reminded me, so it could just be a circulation problem with the hot water and small amount of alcohol. I've not drunk in a while, and I don't tend to drink before showering.

Ffs.
You were in a warm shower. You fainted due to low blood pressure caused by vasodilation from the hot water.
Blurred vision happens during a faint. As does nausea.
I’m sure by the time an ambulance had arrived after many hours of attending real emergencies, you would have been much better.

Are you eating enough and drinking plenty of fluids?

I drink a lot of milk (weird I know, but here we are). I'm eating less than I used to as I'm trying to cut down on weight but I'm eating a ton more than when I had an eating disorder and I never had these symptoms.

Sorry I keep thinking of things, I imagine it's coming across as drip feeding but I'm genuinely thinking of them as they come. Sorry!

Hot baths and showers make me dizzy and weak.

Drs think one of my DCs had Vasovagal syncope because they faint regularly. Last time they were just stood still, no heat, no triggers other than fixating on their tv show when bam they were out for cold.

I’d definitely get checked out by a Dr.

I know, OP, from what you're saying pregnancy is unlikely, but check just in case

I think if you drank a little but then you were also dehydrated, this may have been a bad combination together with the heat. If you have low BP you'd likely be more affected by it so worth checking.

Ffs.
I’m sure by the time an ambulance had arrived after many hours of attending real emergencies, you would have been much better.

There's no need to be snarky.
I was just asking as this hasn't happened to me before, and I don't have any prior health conditions to make me used to strange symptoms. I didn't call an ambulance, I was just asking in case anyone had a similar experience.

I wouldn’t have phoned an ambulance, but I’d perhaps try and get a phone appointment with a GP as soon as possible.

I would about hot showers. Try a cooler one

Avoid

Dont get me wrong i wouldn't have called an ambulance and didnt when it was me, i just wondered why 111 says to call one if you faint.

Could be as others said the warm water is to blame. Definitely register with a gp op and go if it happens again.

I’m anaemic and have low blood pressure, I can never stand in a shower. Exact same happens to me, vision, drop and feeing really sick (never actually sick though). Same happens if I stand for too long

I think if you drank a little but then you were also dehydrated, this may have been a bad combination together with the heat. If you have low BP you'd likely be more affected by it so worth checking.

You're probably right, I'm going to cut out the alcohol as it's calorific and it seems I'm dizzy enough without it right now

Thank you for the advice, everybody! I feel better knowing it's probably just due to combined factors and I'm (probably) not dying! I'm going to go to a GP if this happens again or if I get any more / worsened symptoms.

Maybe ask for a blood test if you can get an appointment. Just to rule out a folate or B12 deficiency.

You need to be assessed! Call your GP, don’t ignore this, it isn’t normal to faint.