Friend fainting episode

[Thingsthatgo]

I was out last night with some friends for Christmas drinks. My friend, a slim man in his 40s, suddenly stood up saying he felt queasy (he had drunk half a drink). I had been with him all day, so I know he had eaten and drunk water. He’d slept ok the night before, and not had any drink or drugs. He vapes.
He suddenly went very grey, and then collapsed. He went down hard into the table.
We managed to get him into a chair and he was unconscious for about a minute. His lips were blue/grey.
I was about to call an ambulance, when he came around. His colour came back slowly, and he became aware of his surroundings.
He wouldn’t let us take him to hospital, so we took him home to his partner. He says he is fine today.
I know that I can’t make him seek medical help, but he is a good friend and I am worried about him. Could it just have been a virus or something? It’s never happened before.
I know it’s unlikely anyone can tell me what happened, but I was so scared he was dying, and it’s helpful to type it out here.

Could have been a mini stroke, he should get checked. Both of my parents have had TIAs and fainted then came round. Neither had any permanent damage but it would be worth checking out.

Thank you. Yes, this is what I’m worried about. I’ll try to persuade him to see his GP.

Could the queasy bit be food or heat or worry related then the sudden standing up have dropped the blood pressure in his head enough to cause the faint?

He MUST seek medical attention.

I dont mean to be alarmist but this happened to my DP, we later found it was due to a brain tumour. There are other explanations which are less serious but still need treatment.

Has he had an eye test recently?

This happened to my dad and then he died from a heart attack one month later.

This happened to my friend when we were out for dinner. I took her to A&E and she was absolutely fine. Worth getting checked out if he doesn’t normally faint though.

Thank you all for your thoughts. It seems like it could be very serious. I shall explain to him that from what I witnessed I think he should see a doctor. The colour of his face was awful.

Just for balance: the vast majority of people who faint do not die of heart attacks a month later, and are perfectly healthy.

People can faint for a million non-sinister reasons, especially if their blood pressure is typically on the lower side. My brother once stood up on the pub to go to the loo and just dropped like a sack of spuds with no warning. There’s nothing physically wrong with him. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the blood rushes away from your head or your blood sugar takes a dip and you faint. And people do typically look grey and have pale/bluish lips when they pass out.

FWIW, when I faint my limbs jerk like I’m having a seizure. I’m not, though.

Im not saying your friend shouldn’t keep an eye on things or go for a health MOT but the chances are he’s absolutely fine.

I have fainted loads of times usually due to blood pressure or a sharp pain, being over tired etc , l can feel it coming though and don’t just drop down . I don’t think I stay completely unconscious for a whole minute and no grey lips have ever been reported.He should get it checked out perhaps .

he really needs to call nhs24 as i think the signs of a stroke can leave you after a while so the doctors won’t know if he gas one of not if he leaves it too long. it may even be too late now. he should defo see his gp and get bloods and bp checked. it’s easy to ignore this but somwthimg caused it and it needs checked out.

It’s also possible that he knows why he fainted, and is simply unwilling to share that medical info with you.

Whether he’s fainted before is the key missing piece of info in your post. Some of us just have low blood pressure and/or vasovagal response, and faint. Fainting is grim enough, and people stressing me out about ringing an ambulance or going to A&E really just makes it much worse. Over time, the ensuing stress/chaos has just made me more likely to faint, as when I panic that there’s going to be a huge embarrassing disaster my BP just drops more quickly 🤦🏻‍♀️

It could be an early warning sign of a cardiac arrest. Please urge him to get checked.

@FelineFeastsI did say in my post that it has never happened before. His blood pressure is on the lower side of normal, but only a little, he said.
@ShesTheAlbatrossit is possible that he knows why and is choosing not to tell me, but he is a massive over sharer, and I know all kinds of embarrassing and personal things about him, so I believe him when he says he doesn’t know why it happened.

Thank you all for your thoughts - it was very dramatic and I am still processing it. It did make me realise that I need to brush up on my first aid.

Sorry, I’d missed that you’d said it hadn’t happened before. I would have a chat with a GP if I were him, in that case - unless maybe he can identify obvious causes. I appreciate that fainting looks very dramatic to onlookers. Like a PP, I apparently look like I’m having a seizure when I faint, but I’m not.

Sounds like me! It’s got better with age and I know the warning signs so usually manage to sit down/ sayI’m going to faint before I do. Horrible feeling though and it panics people around you.

@FelineFeastsmy friend is convinced that it is just his blood pressure, and is not convinced he needs a doctor. Can I ask you, how quickly do you come round after fainting? It took him around a minute, which felt like forever, and took 5-10 minutes for the colour of his face to return to normal.

Step back OP.
Either there’s something wrong but he’s not ready or simply doesn’t want to tell anyone or he’s consciously sticking his head in the sand.

Oh 🥺❤️ @AhBiscuits sorry for your loss

Yeah this might be a point, op xx

Yes, I am aware that he is sticking his head in the sand. But I really care about him, and I am concerned that he didn’t witness how bad the incident was, or see the colour of his skin and the amount of time he was unconscious for.
I will just give him the facts and leave it up to him, but I am scared it will happen again when he is driving or walking downstairs.

I think it takes me about a minute too. People, including my partner, have told me it feels like forever and is very scary!

Did he feel it coming on, and can he identify any trigger?

@FelineFeastshe felt queasy, which made him stand up in case he was sick. So hopefully if it happens again he will sit down instead! He didn’t feel light headed or woozy at all, no visual disturbances. His legs didn’t buckle, he fell over like a tree being felled.

Hmm I always feel very light headed just before hand and (since I was about 12!) know to sit or lie down ASAP, but sometimes still pass out on the floor.