young and scared w/neurocardigenic syncope - Heart Disorders Message Board

xiah · 08-03-2005, 02:11 PM

Hi I could really use some help. I'm 20 and I have passed out 4 times in the passed 2 years (the last time just 4 days ago) I've been severely injurerd almost everytime. This last time I spent 1 night in my hometown hopspital in the icu, and then they took me to another hospital 3 hours away by ambulance. The most horrible thing is that I spent 3 days there and got parctically nowhere. During that time they did a tilt test, eeg, mri, mra, ct, and and echo(all came back fine). Well my family doesn't have much money and the doctors wanted me to stay long and get a heart cath. so I couldn't stay. I want to find out how to handle this. But I need to find a way to get the tests done faster or closer to home. Before I left the doc told me he was about 99% sure that it was neurocardiogenic syncope and I could either do nothing, go on meds that might not work, or get a pacemaker. This is all pretty scary for me. I'm only 20, I have a 3 yr old, and just got rid of cancer. So any help any of you could give me I'd greatly appreciate.
Good luck to all of you

trekgirl · 08-03-2005, 05:17 PM

You need to get with a cardio and get the cath and redo the echocardiogram. You can go to charity hospital to get this at little or no cost. Do you have a job, with health insurance? You may want to get with your local social services to get assistance for medical reasons. You need to find out what is actually causing the blackouts. Good luck and get your health checked pronto, you do not need your parents help on this except moral support. Get to social services and get to a doctor to refer a cardiologist, and get the tests done.

jpos · 08-04-2005, 09:58 AM

If it is NCS you won't need a cath or need another EKG and sometimes you can have a neg. TTT. Rarely a pacemaker is needed. Things that may help you is drinking more fluids, getting enough rest (I know with a toddler that can be a tall order), rising slowly, ask your dr. about increasing your salt or taking salt tabs, and of course you can try a beta blocker. When you can afford to, go to a electrophysiologist, but for now why not try the things I suggested and talk further to your dr. about the meds ? This is not uncommon in your age group and many outgrow it. I take a beta blocker and it works quite well. At one point I also took salt tabs (recommended by my EP). Maybe since you just got over cancer your body just needs to recondition and for now could use a little help. Good luck.

attheendofmyrope · 09-11-2005, 08:52 PM

Hi, I just wanted to say I'm 29 and going through the same thing. I just had to have a pacemaker put in three weeks ago because I kept fainting and my heart rate at the time was in the low 30's. I just found out after the surgery what the name of the condition was. I have been severely depressed since all of this happened. They gave me the choice of get the pacemaker or lose my drivers license. I have four young children that depend on me so I ended up agreeing to the pacemaker. Good luck-I hope they are able to fix your problem without surgery. I know how scary it is to be in this situation.

Staci

Tranzwarp · 11-02-2005, 12:20 PM

Hi, Xiah.

My daughter is 16 and was just diagnosed with NCG Syncope as well. She had the tilt table test and went out within 5 minutes. Since both her pulse and BP drop, she is not a candidate for a pacemaker (as I understand it, the pacemaker will ONLY help if the pulse is the only issue - if the BP also drops, there is no point in getting one).

She is on Zoloft (doc said this actually helps, although they don't know why) and Fludrocortisone (I think this is the correct spelling). He told her to increase her salt, drink lots of liquids (Gatorade), etc. She also has occsaional migraines, which he said could possibly trigger the Syncope. Neuro is sending her for an MRI soon.

You certainly are NOT alone. I was surprised to find out that this is actually fairly common.