School mum who is married to a A&E consultant has freaked me out over dd who felt dizzy and nauseous after running x-country

[hmc]

Dd is a fit, athletic 11 year old who does a lot of sport. She does not cope well in hot weather generally, and she is not good when exercising for longer periods in even only moderately warm temps in excess of 18 degrees C (a sprint race would be fine in this scenario but not sustained exercise). In cooler weather she has endless stamina and a good engine on her .....

Anyways last summer she ran a competitive mini marathon - only just over a mile but quite strenuous (very uphill) in warm weather (not hot, just warm) and felt light headed, dizzy and nauseous for a while after. This same event is coming up again soon which apparently prompted the school mum wife of the A&E consultant to mention dd's post run dizziness to her husband. He then said that this was unusual in a child and was not quite right and should be investigated?!?

Really? I just assumed that dd is just not good at coping with warm weather conditions. She has always disliked hot weather and has struggled with exercise when it is warm....aren't some people just like that? I am imagining all sorts of strange and serious underlying health conditions but would conversely feel a bit silly going to the GPs over it?

IME Doctors don't like giving out advice like this unless it's absolutely necessary so I'd be inclined to pop her to your GP, just to be on the safe side. Medical staff rather their time was wasted than a patient with a medical condition ignoring it through fear of wasting their time.

Pop her to your GP

It's a bit unprofessional of a doctor to be offering and opinion based on hearsay. However, if it's something that happens after exercise when it's warm, maybe a GP visit might be worth considering, if she is generally well hydrated, in good health normally.

What do her coaches think?

I will talk to her coach to see what he thinks...

Ok, I think I will go to the GP - better safe than sorry

Oh, and thank you for your replies

She may not be good at coping with warm weather, the question is why isn't she? Maybe she needs to up her fluid intake, is she eating enough. It may be that simple, but having z doctor check her over can't harm.

Sorry, a good indicator of hydration is the colour of her wee. If it's dark then get her to drink more.

Not to replace the doctors visit, just something good to check on a regular basis if sport mad. I still do it now, force of habit! Lol

You could speak to the CRY helpline (cardiac risk in the young). They would be happy to tell you whether her particular symptoms are anything to be concerned about or not. And if so, they will tell you exactly what investigation was needed, rather than being fobbed off by a GP. Tel no 01737 363 222

Thank you Inspace

Personally, I think the consultant wasn't really listening to his wife and just agreed when she said "shouldn't hmc's DD see a doctor?"

I don't think it's unusual to feel a but sick at the end of very strenuous exercise (I do after every race!) but it passes quickly.

As she's so young, it wouldn't hurt to run it past her doctor.

Could well be the case . It's generally after she has really pushed herself.

I remember that American Athlete who trained alongside Mo Farrah and who got silver at the Olympics - he vomited after his race (stayed in my mind because Mo was rolling around on the floor and nearly rolled in it)

Am a bit more concerned than usual though because my nephew died in his twenties from a cardiac abnormality (previously undetected).....

Have spoken to CRY and they have asked to put it in an email for them along with family history to show to their medical advisers.

OP - any family history means you should see the GP.

Absolutely best to get it checked if that's the case.

There's a history of dilated cardiomyopathy in my family, we all have to be screened for it.

Thanks I am making a GP appointment for a couple of weeks time (dd is about to leave on a school trip to France for a week) and hopefully by the time the appointment comes up I will have got a response from CRY so will be able to ask the GP the right questions

Well done- I'm sure she'll be absolutely fine, you're doing precisely the right thing. Good luck

Did you make the school aware of the concern? I agree you need to get your GP to arrange for some basic tests to look at her heart.

Anything back from CRY, OP?

I've had 3 almost-fainters in the past month in class. (all the same class) They are marched off quick sharp to the hospital to get checked out, which I always felt was a bit OTT (am in Italy where they are a bit hypochondriac) but I think, as others have said, it's to make sure there are no hidden conditions heart related etc.

Hope she enjoys her trip, and her running!