13 year old DD keeps fainting

[Belo]

My 13 year old has fainted 6 times in the past 6 weeks. (and 3 of those times was in the past week). Each time she is out for about 3 minutes. She has had blood tests and an ECG and there appears to be nothing wrong with her. Apparently it is common for teenage girls to faint. Does anybody have any experience of this? Is it normal? I can't help but be worried.

My DD had a phase of fainting at the same age - it got less as time went on but she fainted twice this year, (she's 18 now.)
Nearly always, it happened in hot or stuffy atmospheres; hairdressers, 1D concert, standing for too long in a meeting room. She is bad eater, always has been, and goes too long without food. Our GP did blood tests, and just said she'd 'grow out of it'!
Sorry, not much help but I know it's worrying, and 3 minutes is a long time to be out. It must seem like forever?!

Basic question - is she eating and drinking enough?

Is there any pattern to it?

I'd be worried too.

Low blood pressure? Dehydration? Maybe get her some liquid iron anyway, despite the blood tests being okay?

My DS now 15 also went through a phase of fainting, his worst one was when he was home alone he fainted in the bathroom and got a really nasty gash to his head which needed stitches and concussion.

Like 3Cats said apparently this is quite common at their age. My son had same test as your daughter as is perfectly healthy.
He's usually a good eater, the doctor advise we shouldn't cut salt from his diet which surprised me as it's something you're normally advised to cut down on. But obviously a healthy amount plays an important part especially for a growing child.

He's not had a major fainting fit since, but mainly because he now recognises the signs and will sit down or try to get fresh air when he starts to feel light headed or weak.

DD1 started fainting at that age... averaged once a week. She's 23 now and still does. She has low blood pressure and a very slow heart rate (in the 40s..like her dad!) and that combo means that standing still too long, warm rooms, low blood sugars cos she needs a snack... bingo , she goes down.

Unfortunately as she has just qualified as a doctor it has actually impacted on her future career choices... neonatal is out as she fainted LOTS on placement there.. ditto surgery ... even ward rounds can be interesting (she reckons as a medical student she was caught by most of the consultants at one time or another!)

She manages it better now.. is aware of the triggers and when she simply needs to move/get air/sit, and she's now in oncology and her fab nurses team poke chocolates in her as she goes past

Hopefully your DD will grow out of it tho!

On a side note... sometimes in a big faint it can look like they are having a seizure with clonic twitching. It's self limiting, (but has freaked us out a few times!)

Has she had a table tilt test to check for PoTS?

I was a fainter at that age and just grew out of it - although I also fainted even pregnant so my theory is that it was hormonal.

/when pregnant

I started fainting at that age - low blood pressure and anemia caused by heavy periods. Hope she gets better soon ??

Yes to the POTS... get her checked... that's what DD1 has (she has recently been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome which often goes with POTS)

I fainted regularly throughout my teens, it's very rare I do now but it's my thing in times of heat, exhaustion, pain or stress. I know the signs now and haven't properly fainted for about five years.

I fainted a lot between the ages of 11 and 16, and again when pregnant. I have a tendency to faint even outside those times though. I have low blood pressure and a low heart rate and apparently a high metabolism. I need to snack constantly, but I've noticed sugary stuff such as chocolate biscuits makes me feel dizzier; nuts are good, bananas are ok... So I'm not convinced it's entirely due to blood sugar levels, feels more like it's related to an empty stomach and maybe stomach acids? I have no evidence for that at all, just gut feeling (no pun intended). I had blood tests, ECGs etc done and all normal, so doctors weren't worried. Doesn't affect me other than making sure that I carry a bottle of water on me at all times, especially if going on the tube or going shopping, and also I tend to dress in thin layers - nothing worse than wearing a thick jumper over a skimpy vest and realising that you're starting to feel faint but can't take the jumper off...

My dd started fainting at about 9/10 and was eventually diagnosed with coeliac disease ,she has not fainted since being GF .

If you're not seeing her eat much she may be eating less than you think even.

I have endo and that caused me to faint (as did treatment and pregnancy)

Has she started her periods? I'm a fainter. Not very often as I've got older but lots in early teens when the hormonal cycle kicked in. I had low bp too.

I'm pretty sure that the blood tests would have ruled out pregnancy.

Can I ask did any of you fainters have febrile convulsion suffers? DSis suffered from febrile convulsions and later on was a fainter I was wondering if there might be a link.

Why are such fuckwits allowed on MN?

Mine didn't .

Mine didn't

Glad to hear that as DD followed in her aunties footsteps on the febrile convulsions. My mother was pondering if she might follow her aunties fainting footsteps as well.

I used to faint fairly often from about 13-20 years, I used to find it mortifying. Doctors were very unconcerned, said it was normal. Fainted off my horse once and that was the only time I really hurt myself.