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Children's health

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Seizure or Fainting?

27 replies

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 18:45

My 14 year old daughter has struggled with fatigue and nausea for well over a year, First, she was sent down the Inflammatory bowel Disease route as she had 2 very high Calprotectin tests. IBD was then ruled out as her colonoscopy was clear.
We were then left with her persisting fatigue and nausea but no diagnosis. She is now on a part time timetable at school. She sleeps all night and then goes to bed as soon as she comes home. Really struggles to get into school in the morning and is just weak.

Anyway, today I had a phone call from her school while I was at work. In fact, they called my workplace and i was passed on a message that she was unwell.
I went down to collect her and sat in reception for ages waiting for her,
Eventually, she was wheeled to reception in a wheelchair. I was given very little information at the time and wasn't sure what had happened. This was at about 9.30 am and I'd dropped her into school earlier and she was fine.
I took her home and sent a message to my GP. I also took her blood pressure and noted her diastolic was below 50. I did 2 readings and both were in the 40s.
GP sent a message saying she was having bloods in 3 weeks and I thought that was basically them saying she wouldn't be seeing anyone.
Then, later they called back saying i should bring her in.

I emailed her teacher directly to ask what happened. she wrote :

I am unsure if she fell asleep or passed out. It was difficult for her to come round and when she did she was confused. Her head was on the desk and it took several attempts to bring her round.

She seemed hot and sweaty and was complaining of a head ache. Her head really hurt.

Her speech after that was very slurred and it was difficult to understand her at times. It was like she was half asleep. She seemed very confused. She stumbled into the wheelchair which was very close to her.

I made sure she drank and gave her biscuits and put her in the air conditioned room while we waited for the wheelchair.

So, I showed this to the GP who took her BP and HR and said it might have been a drop in BP. She didn't say much else and so we went home. She did type up notes from the email.

We do have an appointment next week with the paediatrician ( due to previous symptoms, we are still under paeds) so will be sharing it with her.

This is the first time this has happened.

I am not sure though if it sounds like a seizure or fainting though.
The confusion and slurred speech made me think more so or does it sound like she actually passed out?

OP posts:
Aninkling · 23/06/2026 18:54

What is her weight like?

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 18:59

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 18:54

What is her weight like?

She is tall and slim. Not sure exactly what her weight is atm but there wasn't any concern around it.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 23/06/2026 19:00

Do you know what her systolic BP was?

Given she's not that well at the best of times, and it was boiling hot today, the chances are that it's a faint.

Is her paediatrician considering ileal Crohn's? The ileum is out of reach for endoscopy so she could have Crohn's lurking out of sight.

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:01

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 18:59

She is tall and slim. Not sure exactly what her weight is atm but there wasn't any concern around it.

And how does she eat

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:04

When she got home I measured..
93/54
92/47

GP didn't say what it was when we went there.

Later in the evening I measured 99/56

OP posts:
Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:08

How is school for her? Happy? Good group of friends? Attendance?

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:09

Is her paediatrician considering ileal Crohn's? The ileum is out of reach for endoscopy so she could have Crohn's lurking out of sight.

MRI actually showed some mild inflammation in the ilium but we were discharged from gastro because of the clear colonoscopy.

She eats ok but gets a lot of nausea and tummy aches.

OP posts:
TeaBiscuitsNaptime · 23/06/2026 19:10

I would consider an infection somewhere, keep an eye on her temp also to see if it rises at times. It sounds like a round of steroids wouldn't be any harm in the meantime. Also, I would ask your GP to mark the bloods urgent. Not that it is necessary urgent but it would be no harm to get to the bottom of it all the same. If you are still worried, you could get an opinion from another GP also as they might spot symptoms that your own GP doesn't

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:11

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:08

How is school for her? Happy? Good group of friends? Attendance?

She is struggling to get in but she works hard at school. No behaviour issues and is very aware of how it's affecting her education. I have been called out many times to get her when she's feeling unwell.

She does have nice friends but has stopped doing much outside of school with them.

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 23/06/2026 19:14

Faints don’t normally give confusion or slurred speech.

i’d want to consider the possibility of infection plus heat exhaustion.

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:16

I have been aware of you posting a great deal about your daughters health issues and you of the opinion you are not being taken seriously.

Do you suffer from anxiety @Badgertime ?

Could it be that your daughter is now so far behind at school and has lost any friends that she socialises with - that she doesn’t want to go to school?

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:17

You have a job? How does you manage being called out for often to collect her because she feels ill?

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:43

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:16

I have been aware of you posting a great deal about your daughters health issues and you of the opinion you are not being taken seriously.

Do you suffer from anxiety @Badgertime ?

Could it be that your daughter is now so far behind at school and has lost any friends that she socialises with - that she doesn’t want to go to school?

Yes, I have posted a lot before but no, we are not getting answers.

I come from a medical family myself - they agree.

They have tried all the putting it down to anxiety.

We dont buy it.

OP posts:
Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:44

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 19:17

You have a job? How does you manage being called out for often to collect her because she feels ill?

Luckily, I work very nearby and in education. My employer has been amazing.

OP posts:
Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:46

No, she is just exhausted all the time. That is why she won't go out with friends.

I can see where you are heading with this but all those avenues have been explored.

No, I am not a hypercondriac. Just a mother who wants answers.

OP posts:
Aninkling · 23/06/2026 20:08

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:44

Luckily, I work very nearby and in education. My employer has been amazing.

At her school?

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 20:08

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:46

No, she is just exhausted all the time. That is why she won't go out with friends.

I can see where you are heading with this but all those avenues have been explored.

No, I am not a hypercondriac. Just a mother who wants answers.

I didn’t ask if a hypochondriac

I asked if you suffered from anxiety

Aninkling · 23/06/2026 20:09

She’s spent so much time not at school that she must be so behind that going in to school must now be very unappealing and worrying for her

Edictfromno10 · 23/06/2026 20:13

Sounds like CFS/ME, and possibly FND.

AnnaMagnani · 23/06/2026 20:16

Badgertime · 23/06/2026 19:09

Is her paediatrician considering ileal Crohn's? The ileum is out of reach for endoscopy so she could have Crohn's lurking out of sight.

MRI actually showed some mild inflammation in the ilium but we were discharged from gastro because of the clear colonoscopy.

She eats ok but gets a lot of nausea and tummy aches.

FFS you have your diagnosis right there.

Anxiety doesn't cause a raised calprotectin neither does it cause inflammation in the ileum. Ileal Crohns does.

I'd be asking general paeds what they are going to do next and potentially a second opinion from gastro paeds.

Badgerrtime · 23/06/2026 20:28

Anxiety doesn't cause a raised calprotectin neither does it cause inflammation in the ileum. Ileal Crohns does.

Thank you!

Everything that can't be diagnosed right away seems to be anxiety and then you hit a brick wall as symptoms continue.

She's not anxious, just utterly fed up of the whole thing as am I watching it. She doesn't want to see doctors anymore as she just says 'they will just say the same thing'.

Zapx · 23/06/2026 20:53

I used to pass out regularly in my teens. I became known for it in fact… Had similar bp readings for your daughter. Mine was mostly linked to iron, blood sugar, terrible periods and period pain, and eventually going gluten free.

Any link to periods? Has coeliac been tested for? (It’s not a great test).

Realisation14 · 24/06/2026 02:54

Just came on to ask if she's been screened for coeliacs via bloods or endoscopy.

Lbet · 24/06/2026 15:30

If your daughter had two high calprotectin readings which means inflammation I am suprised she has not also had an mri and an ultrasound to check the the small intestine.
It could be that when they did the colonoscopy that her gut was clear but the inflammation is further down where the colonoscopy can’t reach.
Not saying I’m an expert but the calprotectin was high for a reason.
When my daughter was diagnosed with crohns she had to the same symptoms as your daughter and fainted a few times because of being anaemic. .

Anewappa · Yesterday 16:33

How is she spending her days if she can’t manage school often and never socialises? Just at home resting on her phone?

Could you get an online tutor?

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