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Original poster

Fainted and stopped breathing

21 replies

lemmein · 19/06/2011 14:01

I just wondered if anybody else has any experience of fainting and if this sounds like a 'normal' fainting episode. Last Wednesday every time I closed my eyes it felt like I was being spun round (like when you've had too much to drink). I was very tired though (didnt sleep well on Tues) so just put it down to that.

Thursday morning I got up, had my breakfast - felt fine. I had been stood up for about 5 minutes when I started having a cold sweat, my mouth went VERY dry and I started getting yellow spots infront of my eyes. I sat down because I felt like I was going to faint. That was the last I remember.

I woke up on the floor to a very panicky DH - he was crying phoning for an ambulance. Obviously I was very confused, but didn't want to go to hospital but told him I was fine. He put me on the phone to the emergency services they asked my name, and if I was ok - I said yes and they cancelled the ambulance. My body was jerking as I was recovering (but I was apparently still during the time I was unconcious). When I asked my DH what had happened he said I had slouched in the chair and wasn't breathing. He got me off the chair to the floor and my face was going redder. Obviously he panicked and phoned an ambulance. My eyes were open the whole time but fixed.

I have passed out in the past - but only for a few moments and have never stopped breathing. Last time I blacked out was about 10 years ago (I'm 33).

Since the episode I keep having slight pains in my chest and have a fuzzy head. I don't know whether its just because I'm anxious about it happening again though which is giving me these symptoms.

Has anybody experienced this before? I'm probably going to see the doc next week anyway if I dont improve but am worried they will take my driving license off me - is this likely? I know obviously my health is more important but if its a one off because of a bug or something I don't want to lose my license for months for nothing. (My friend had a fit and lost her license for 5 months!)

OP posts:

Rosa · 19/06/2011 14:04

Don't probably go to the doc you should go and be checked out from top to toe. WOuld you like that to happen whilst you were driving and you kill yourself or anybody else?. SOrry to be harsh but please go and just have everything checked out . It could be something minor that could easily be sorted out ..better to be safe than sorry.

chalat · 19/06/2011 14:10

Rosa is right. Go and get checked out. You may simply have a lowish normal blood pressure that drops further causing a faint when you are extremely tired/stressed/low blood sugar if you haven't eaten. Hopefully you will be reassured but not knowing why this happened or what you can do to prevent it happening again is not wise. Ask your dh to write down what happened and take it with you if he can't be at the appointment. Better safe than sorry. Take care.

smudgethepuppydog · 19/06/2011 14:54

Stopping breathing usually causes you to go blue not red. Breathing can become very shallow when you faint, so shallow it's almost unnoticeable. I'd certainly go and get it checked out though.

VivaLeBeaver · 19/06/2011 15:16

I think it's very unlikely that you stopped breathing, unless your dh resuscitated you with mouth to mouth. More likely it just looked like you'd stopped breathing. But yes go and get checked out.

Elibean · 19/06/2011 15:24

Definitely get checked out - it could have been a fit, rather than a faint? No expert, but my uncle used to suffer from 'petit mal' (mild epilepsy - lasted a few years then went away) which sounded very similar. Ditto whats been said - your BP needs checking, etc. My uncle never lost his driving license, afaik.

Original poster

lemmein · 19/06/2011 15:35

Thanks for all of your messages. I think you're right - maybe it just looked like i had stopped breathing, he was REALLY panicking (he is normally so calm - I've been with him 16 years and have never seen him like that, even when i've fainted in the past)

I had my blood pressure took the week previous and was fine - dunno what caused it, hopefully it'll be a one off. I will go to the docs though. Thanks :)

OP posts:

AbbyLou · 19/06/2011 18:28

I don't want to worr you but you really should get checked out. My dc childminders dd used to faint like this. They always said it was a cross between a faint and a fit. A couple of times she stopped breathing but always restarted by herself. They said she used to go rigid rather than floppy. They were brushed off my dr after dr. When the girl was 14 they found her dead in her bed one morning. After lots of tests they found she had had a heart condition called Long QT which had been causing the episodes. Her dad and sister were checked and he was a carrier and her sister had it too. She now has a defribillator fitted under her skin which regulates her heartbeat if anything happens.
I doubt it is this because it usually comes to light during puberty but you never know, it could be something similar. My childminder is passionate about the subject and would urge anyone having unexplained fainting episodes to ask for a heart scan. I really haven't said this to scare you but if she knew I had read this and not said anything she'd be very upset.
Hope you get yourself sorted soon.

3littlefrogs · 19/06/2011 18:33

I agree with AbbyLou. Please go and insist on a proper investigation. It doesn't sound like a normal faint at all.

giraffesCantZumba · 19/06/2011 19:29

Agree with abbylou - my best friend has long qt syndromme - scares me.

Original poster

lemmein · 20/06/2011 13:35

Thanks for your message abbylou - your poor childminder, can't imagine that.

Know you didnt post to frighten me but got to say thanks, cos you have, i needed a kick up the arse. To be honest I didnt really have any intention of going to the docs - i had hoped someone would post and say 'that sounds normal, don't worry' but your message has made me make an appointment at the docs - going tomorrow. I read a bit about the condition you mentioned and my 14 year old daughter has passed out 6 times over the last 6 months (she never has previously) - we all put it down to exam stress, but thanks to your message I will make sure i get her thoroughly checked out too. She has been to the docs when she'd blacked out the 2nd time and because it was really cold at the time they put it down to her being outside at school, then going into the warmth - making her blood pressure drop slightly. Shes since passed out 4 times but every time was before an exam - i put it down to stress. Your post has really made me think so a big thank you :)

OP posts:

foxinsocks · 20/06/2011 13:38

check you aren't anaemic too

whenever I get anaemic, i seem to get low blood pressure when I get up too quickly (after lying down or sitting for too long, or having a hot bath)

I got out the bath this weekend too quickly and found myself lying on the bathroom floor lol. Ds told me I had said 'I'm going to faint' so they weren't the slightest bit worried. I obviously don't go down for long.

But it's definitely worth getting checked out. I have been having chest pains too but with me, it is definitely something to do with being anaemic as I had this before.

GOod luck with your tests!

Original poster

lemmein · 20/06/2011 14:46

Will do Fox - cheers

OP posts:

wonkylegs · 21/06/2011 13:04

I have fainted like this and due to the way I fell I blocked the oxygen to my brain which made me have a fit in which I stopped breathing ...it has a special name but couldn't for the life of me tell you what it is
Thankfully I was with my husband (who is a Dr) who knew what to do, although even he was quite freaked and was seconds off phoning an ambulance
I wasn't that bothered as I have no memory of the episode but scared the hell out of DH and he's trained to deal with it so I can only imagine how your husband felt. The faint itself although scary is possibly nothing but what's causing them should be investigated in case there is a more serious underlying cause. Fainting should be checked over as it is an indicator of underlying problems - won't take long but it's worth it to be reassured
Btw after a day resting I then flew to Kenya for work the next day and was fine , probably shouldn't have but DH fully checked me over. so it doesn't always mean anything serious

GilbonzoTheSecretPsychoDuck · 21/06/2011 18:37

How did you get on at the doctor's today lemmein?

Original poster

lemmein · 21/06/2011 19:47

Thanks for your post wonky - it is really scary, dunno what i would have done if it had been DH that had fainted, probably would've ended up on the floor next to him!

I went to the docs today (thanks for asking Gil) and she said it was probably a normal faint complicated by the fact that I sat down. Apparently if you can't fall to the floor in a faint its quite dangerous, and what probably stopped me breathing (according to the doc). She just said to go back if I feel dizzy again. Still dont feel right to be honest but think I might have a bug or something, she checked my pulse and BP and everything was fine - but I have slept near enough the full week through!

Oh well, hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better - gonna take my daughter to the docs too to get her checked over.

Thanks everyone for your posts, it was really helpful.

OP posts:

GilbonzoTheSecretPsychoDuck · 21/06/2011 20:23

Glad you seem to be ok and I hope you feel back on form asap

giraffesCantZumba · 22/06/2011 04:00

hope you feel better soon

MissMaryofSweden · 22/06/2011 04:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thumbwitch · 22/06/2011 05:14

lemmein - glad you went to see the doc but next time you go, ASK them about long QT syndrome. It's not going to be the first thing they think of, so PUSH for it, PUSH to see a cardiologist and if one GP won't refer you, go to another one until they DO.

Hope you don't get fobbed off again - it MAY be nothing but you need to get it checked out properly.

BrianK · 22/06/2011 08:48

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

phissith · 18/04/2017 05:19

I know this is the old threds, but I still like to share my experience.

Yesterday, I went camping with my family my wife who is a nurse save my life. What happened was I was laughing while eating burgers and cough while swollwing and lost consciousness.
My wife told me I stopped breathing and my eyes was open but fixed and were not moving, I turned blue so she resuscitate me back to life. I cant believe I almost lost my life then and there.

I ran all scenario and I think I actually blacked out because I coughed so hard but then because I was eating the burger actually blocked my Airways. it's was a freak combo.

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