Fainting

[Ni58]

I fainted today while I was having bloods taken. It's not the first time it's happened to me but I always find it really scary, upsetting and it wipes me out for the rest of the day.

There's a lot of information on the internet about how you feel before and after you faint but I can't find much which describes what people see and feel while they're out.

I feel like I'm in a kind of deja vu nightmare with images flashing and echoing sounds. When I come round it's like I'm clawing my way out of a sinking hole.

I'd be reassured to know that this is normal/common!

My daughter fainted after a hep A vaccine her eyes went funny and she just went. I was quite worried it was an allergic reaction but nurse said its really common and she will be fine in 5 mins and she was. Think its just a panic reaction so don't worry.

I often faint and fainting wipes me out for the rest of the day too.

I often can't remember anything from while I fainted. Sometimes I can remember the lights coming in on me before it goes dark.

I’ve fainted once when I fell over and banged my knee cap incredibly hard. I remember having a sensation like pressure leaving my ears, and the sound around me was disappearing. I felt like I had to sit on the pavement immediately and put my head between my legs. Also felt nausea and was drenched in a cold sweat. Next thing I know I’m waking up from being passed out. It felt like i’d been unconscious for ages and I felt really delirious, but apparently it was only 5 seconds.

I used to faint a lot (low blood pressure) but now manage it better, haven't fainted for 8 years! I do still get very faint occasionally though. I feel like I'm being pulled forward and down like in a somersault into blackness and and crushed. I don't remember anything about being unconscious, probably what you are remembering if from coming round after fainting not actually being unconscious? I get flashes of light as Im coming round.

When I faint it feels like I’m clawing my way out of a pit, I can hear people calling my name but it sounds echoey and miles away. I used to faint a lot as a teenager ( very squeamish) but now it’s just with pain. If I get bad stomach cramps I’ve learnt to lie on the floor so I can’t fall any further. I’m no longer squeamish which is a relief as I’m a paramedic.

Thanks for your replies - everything seems so vivid when it's actually happening, but then it's really quickly forgotten. It hadn't happened for quite a while, so I'd got a bit complacent!

I'm a fainter, I generally feel nauseous beforehand, then see spots in front of my eyes, then I'm gone. My hearing comes back before the rest, then its kind of like waking up from a dream.
I'm physically tired afterwards, but generally apart from any injuries i get if I fall, I don't find the actual fainting itself too unpleasant