The doctors are lost and I feel hopeless

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

So I'm hoping someone here will know!

Two weeks ago, my vision blurred out all of a sudden and I felt very sick, and very faint. It was very wrong. Someone at work noticed almost immediately, and said I looked vacant. They got me a drink. The first aider asked me questions, and said my responses were slow. They called an ambulance. I was feeling woozy but okay when I got to hospital, and eventually went home.

The same thing happened twice the next day, and once the day after that. Work sent me home both days. Last week, I had a big meeting with HR. They are very concerned about me being at work whilst this is happening. They'd very much rather that I wasn't. I've been in work a matter of weeks, so I'm very worried about this.

I've seen the doctor three times since this began. Originally, they said it may be the start of an infection, and we tried antibiotics. Then they said possibly stress, and we tried relaxing. Now repeat bloods, which have apparently not shown anything, although they told me my last bloods were normal and I actually had high C reactive proteins. They've said they are baffled, and to "struggle on" for now.

I feel helpless. There is no pattern, as far as I can tell. It's not related to when I last ate. It tends to happen when I move around, and I can put it off if I stay sat down all day. I haven't gone a single day in the last few weeks without it happening.

Has anyone heard of anything like this before? I love my job, and I don't want to lose it. Not to mention that I'd lose everything.

I would suggest you need to be seen by a neurologist. Have they investigated epilepsy?

Mild strokes?

Go to your GP and ask for a neurology referral. I agree with core, this could be absence seizure activity.

They could be migraines. You don't always have a headache with migraines but can have visual disturbance, feel sick etc. I think you need a referral to a neurologist. Hope you feel better soon

I used to have attacks like these and used to be vacant and slow with visual disturbances (wavy lines, seeing sparks). But no pain as such. It turned out to be migraines caused by MSG.

Sounds like migraine to me too. I get all that before the headache kicks in. Some foods can trigger it, would it be worth keeping a good diary, and a sickness diary, see if anything relates to each other?

Hope you get it sorted.

My sister had a few episodes of feeling dizzy and faint and not being able to respond well. She remembers trying to talk to her husband and not being able to get her words out.

The doctors suspected a TIA. Then they put her on an ECG monitor for a week. She was 'lucky' in that she had another episode and passed out. It turned out her heart had a strong murmur and was occasionally failing to get enough blood to her brain for her to feel well.

Agree with above but investigate diabetes as well? I remember seeing someone catatonic and eyes open but not responding. Had some sugar but he'd gone hypo. Though mild strokes and epilepsy came to mind. There is something called petit mal.

Thanks everyone.

It's interesting, because these are all issues that have been mentioned previously.

I saw a neurologist for suspected absence seizures three years ago. She said she thought migraines instead, and we trialled various diets and migraine medications for a year. Nothing helped. They were similar to this, but not as bad. I was self-employed and studying then, so it didn't impact on my life so heavily.

I had a diabetes fingerprick test in June, because I have a lot of the commons symptoms. First was high, so I had five, over five days. The average was okay, so I spoke to a diabetes nurse who said it was possible that there are blood sugar issues, but that it probably wasn't diabetes.

I have today and tomorrow to sort this, really. I guess I'll call the doctors again but I have no idea what to ask for. Would they give me an ECG monitor and a finger-prick thing so I could test myself for a few days and get back to them?

I feel like they aren't taking this seriously, and I really need them too.

Ms is another option but hard to diagnose

I have this too. Its hoerid. Docs and hispital have diagnosed migranes. Get the attacks a couple of times a day and always feel dizzy and slightly sick.

Other than that I have no other suggestions but I hope you get your answers and feel better soon x

I hope your feeling better soon.

I know it sounds basic, but could you be dehydrated? I always feel faint if I haven't had enough water.

I had a CT and MRI scan a few months back, but I'll ask for the results to be looked at again.

For those saying migraines, do you take anything for it? I've tried a few meds but nothing helped.

Worried about a big work presentation on Monday now. If this happens, I'll embarrass myself beyond belief infront of hundreds of people.

I have vertigo & migraines (one triggers the other) and when I get vertigo its just like you describe, usually followed by feeling out of sync with myself and a few hours later crippling migraine. I have meds to take for both when I feel them come on. The vertigo ones are pretty hardcore but help get me back on track.

maybe you can see a herblist

I would insist on seeing a neurologist again.

I had visual migraines for a few weeks last year, brought on by stress.
Blurred vision (zigzag moving halfmoon shaped distortion) but no other symptoms. Lasted 20-30 min each. Was really bad when it started while driving, had to stop immediately, wherever I was.

YY to go back to gp and make them take it seriously. It doesn't sound as if they have looked at everything trying to get to the bottom of it.

Just a long shot, if it has not been ruled out already as a cause of your symptoms, and because the symptoms and needing to sit sound similar. I am very used to fainting and near faints. I always feel sick and woozy for quite a while after a faint. For me its worse in the morning, especially going to work. Its horrible so you have my sympathy. It must be very frightening when it is new to you! It seems I have poor orthostatic control of blood pressure - my blood pressure falls when going from lying down to standing. Its called orthostatic hypotension (OH) or simply orthostatic intolerance (OI). I am not good at thinking on my feet but ok sitting because of it. It is fairly simple to check for but is not well known. Blood pressure is nearly always checked either sat down or laying. There is also a related condition called postural tachycardia syndrome (the heart goes fast when upright) POTS for short. There are simple things to do to help - for instance drinking well (pint of water for breakfast anyone?) to keep the blood volume up. Its worth ruling it out. I was sent to the cardiologist (I have POTS and OH). Its not a serious condition but a nuisance! There is a website called STARS with information.
Worth ruling out perhaps.