I'm 2 for 2 with my last 2 blood draws. Last one also had a pretty violent seizure that accompanied it.

With it having a seizure, my primary had me go to the ER afterwards and they did a EKG and cat scan on my brain and everything was normal and said it was a vasovagal response.

I went and saw a neurologist to talk about this, plus I've been having foggy mind. What does she request? Bloodwork.

I feel like I'm just making an appointment to have a seizure. Super in my head at this point which is the worst thing you can do.

Anyone have any experience or tips for me?

I've had two…last one was earlier this year getting an iv hookup. Not fun. Not sure what dying feels like but that's kindof what I envision.
Hope you figure something out.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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You didn't have a seizure. You just had a syncopal episode, and it can commonly be accompanied by generalized twitching. Unless you peed on yourself, but your tongue, and especially if you were very confused for a period after you woke up, you probably didn't have a seizure.

You probably didn't need to go to the ER, and you probably don't need to go to the neurologist. That being said, I'm not your doctor and don't know anything about your medical history or witness your "seizure."

For example:

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Thanks for the response

When I come back too, I know immediately what happened. So that's refreshing that it wasn't a seizure.

After it happens, I'll be super anxious for a while after that. After this one, that anxious feeling has kind of lingered for months. Any discomfort I experience makes me start to wonder if I'm going to pass out.

Did the neurologist not reassure you that it was not likely to be a seizure?

Read up on how a vasovagal response works. Basically your heart rate goes up, and your body compensates by lowering your blood pressure. Some people's heart rates go up when they see blood, or get upset, or anxious. If you get that sensation, I believe one of the strategies some people employ is to tense up their muscles to push blood back to their heart and increase their blood pressure.

Again, I don't know why your PCP sent you to the ER, or why the neurologist is working this up, they may know something I don't, but I wouldn't worry too much.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Did the neurologist not reassure you that it was not likely to be a seizure?

Read up on how a vasovagal response works. Basically your heart rate goes up, and your body compensates by lowering your blood pressure. Some people's heart rates go up when they see blood, or get upset, or anxious. If you get that sensation, I believe one of the strategies some people employ is to tense up their muscles to push blood back to their heart and increase their blood pressure.

Again, I don't know why your PCP sent you to the ER, or why the neurologist is working this up, they may know something I don't, but I wouldn't worry too much.

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Thanks again for the reply

Your comment gel with kind of the rest of the experience I had when I went to the ER. The people there almost seemed a little annoyed to see me there.

The reason my PCP sent me to the ER was because I was there to talk to her about brain fog I had been experiencing. That's also what lead to the neurologist referral.

It does all seem overkill now. I've had an MRI and a sleep deprived EEG done since seeing the neurologist. Also on the docket is a neurophysiology eval.

My wife had some syncopic episodes, which led us to cardiologists and neurologists.

Our cardiologist, and subsequently a neurologist at Mayo (we live in Phoenix), both had my wife do a tilt table test, which is simply where you lay flat on a table, and then they tilt you up to about 45-60 degrees and monitor BP and HR for 10 minutes.

Her HR increased by iver 30 bpm, and her BP increased, as well. Right around the 10 minute mark, BP crashed, and she nearly fainted (that's why they strap you to the table).

That tilt table test was the diagnostic test for PoTS, which is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Essentially, an autonomic disorder where your Hr and Bp don't act they way they should.

There is a lot of research going on, plenty of opinions, but most importantly, a lot of mitigation practices you can use, if it continues to impact your life.

After my wife's first instance, she was kind of okay for a few months. About three months later, she started sliding downhill to the point that she couldn't stand at the sink to wash her hands without almost fainting.

Now, that may be a lot worse than what you're experiencing, but initially, she want too bad. I'd make sure you have a good way to check Hr and BP handy, and just keep an eye on it, make note of readings when you feel bad. If it does progress, it's good info to have to show a doctor to establish a baseline and a history.

Hopefully, it all passes. It sucks, because it's tough to point to something concrete that is wrong, and tougher to figure out how to fix it. A lot of gray area, which is frustrating as hell.

lotsofhp said:

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c-jags said:

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lotsofhp said:

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I'm 2 for 2 with my last 2 blood draws. Last one also had a pretty violent seizure that accompanied it.

With it having a seizure, my primary had me go to the ER afterwards and they did a EKG and cat scan on my brain and everything was normal and said it was a vasovagal response.

I went and saw a neurologist to talk about this, plus I've been having foggy mind. What does she request? Bloodwork.

I feel like I'm just making an appointment to have a seizure. Super in my head at this point which is the worst thing you can do.

Anyone have any experience or tips for me?

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Agreed that it wasn't a seizure most likely and was syncope.


I have them. When I lose blood quickly and when I pee when I have a low heart rate (when I wake up or in the middle of the night.)

I don't give blood often because it sometimes goes badly but if there's ever a need due to a tragedy I will. Bleeding suddenly you can't help or plan for but just be seated. I cut myself opening a Christmas present a few years ago with a really sharp knife went to wash it out and passed out when it started gushing. Then my wife found me on the ground in the bathroom and I looked at it and passed out again (and peed myself. Lolz)

Regarding the peeing with a low heart rate, I just learned to pee sitting down at night or in the morning. That has lead to much more humorous mishaps. My wife has walked in on me passed out in the bathroom with my business out a few different times.

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Thank you for sharing!! A huge part of the anxiousness over all of this is how embarrassing it is to me.

I'll reward your story with my most famous pass out story.

Years ago I had some blood in my semen which naturally freaked me right the F out.

Went and saw a doctor and he asked to examine my boys. I'm standing there with my pants down as he checking things out down there when, of course, I dropped right on top of him like a sack of potatoes.

I woke up with a man holding me up and my pants around my ankles. Not my best moment.

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My most hilarious story is when we had a rat infestation due to some construction behind my place that drove the rats under my pier and beam house. We were catching several rats a week. Glue traps did the best and I adopted the method of sticking one in a Walmart bag and then mercifully smashing it on the ground to give a quick death.

Most happened at night around 1 in the morning and my wife made me do every murder. I do the deed and toss it in the outside trash and suddenly feel the need to go. Decided to pee in the grass off the cement. Felt it coming on, but it was too late and I fell face first into concrete and smashed my nose. My wife came out 5 minutes later and woke me up. Hand around my private and face completely bloodied.

I've taken off 2 sick days of work in the last 10 years and the next day was one of them.

somebody talked about mitigation and i'd agree, that if you know what's going to cause it for the most part if it's blood related then you can take some steps. if i ever have a good cut, i just go sit down in the bathroom and apply pressure. that way if i pass out, it's from the seated position and if i pee myself, i'm already in the bathroom.

These are some great stories thanks for sharing!

I deal with this all the time at work because teens are very prone to vasovagal syncope. We see it after shots in the older kids.

I had it once back in medical school when we did a physiology lab on some dogs. That first time you put scalpel to skin and blood comes out nearly got me!

My favorite story is in residency I was doing a lumbar puncture on an infant and the dad was standing behind me. I heard a thump as I was getting the CSF out and he totally passed out and had the brief seizure activity and wet himself. Luckily didn't get hurt though!

My next one was a big athletic teen got a vaccine then had to go pee and we heard him pass out in the bathroom and hit the sink. Luckily nothing was broken but we did x-ray his clavicle just in case.

KidDoc said:

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These are some great stories thanks for sharing!

I deal with this all the time at work because teens are very prone to vasovagal syncope. We see it after shots in the older kids.

I had it once back in medical school when we did a physiology lab on some dogs. That first time you put scalpel to skin and blood comes out nearly got me!

My favorite story is in residency I was doing a lumbar puncture on an infant and the dad was standing behind me. I heard a thump as I was getting the CSF out and he totally passed out and had the brief seizure activity and wet himself. Luckily didn't get hurt though!

My next one was a big athletic teen got a vaccine then had to go pee and we heard him pass out in the bathroom and hit the sink. Luckily nothing was broken but we did x-ray his clavicle just in case.

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I get it a lot in my office. I can usually see it with the beads of sweat on the forehead, the hyperventilation, and then the ash color to the skin. It's almost always males, which gives my nurse great delight in constantly pointing out every time it happens. A few minutes of lying flat with their feet up in the air and a cold hand towel on the head and they're almost always good to go.

CrockerAg98 said:

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My wife had some syncopic episodes, which led us to cardiologists and neurologists.

Our cardiologist, and subsequently a neurologist at Mayo (we live in Phoenix), both had my wife do a tilt table test, which is simply where you lay flat on a table, and then they tilt you up to about 45-60 degrees and monitor BP and HR for 10 minutes.

Her HR increased by iver 30 bpm, and her BP increased, as well. Right around the 10 minute mark, BP crashed, and she nearly fainted (that's why they strap you to the table).

That tilt table test was the diagnostic test for PoTS, which is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Essentially, an autonomic disorder where your Hr and Bp don't act they way they should.

There is a lot of research going on, plenty of opinions, but most importantly, a lot of mitigation practices you can use, if it continues to impact your life.

After my wife's first instance, she was kind of okay for a few months. About three months later, she started sliding downhill to the point that she couldn't stand at the sink to wash her hands without almost fainting.

Now, that may be a lot worse than what you're experiencing, but initially, she want too bad. I'd make sure you have a good way to check Hr and BP handy, and just keep an eye on it, make note of readings when you feel bad. If it does progress, it's good info to have to show a doctor to establish a baseline and a history.

Hopefully, it all passes. It sucks, because it's tough to point to something concrete that is wrong, and tougher to figure out how to fix it. A lot of gray area, which is frustrating as hell.

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I did the tilt table test when I was around 17. At 16 I got hit with a baseball in the face and during a cat scan they noticed a tumor. Had a tumor in my sinuses that was removed. Fast forward a year and I was running track and just passed out. Neurologist and cardiologist ended up trying the tilt table test as well. Only difference from what you describe is I'm pretty sure they injected something into me a well. Can't remember what or why. But I damn near passed out on that table as well. They ended up diagnosing neurocardiogenic syncope, which kind of just sounds like a catch all to my dumb self. Never really had any treatment but never really had many issues either. Only other incident was waking up for college one day. Snoozed and jumped out of bed to get to class for a test and just passed out.

I've had this issue pretty much my whole life with needles. My dad and grandpa are both diabetic so I've been around needles my whole life, but seeing pictures of them or getting a shot does something different and my brain decides to shoot circuit and shut down.

First instance was actually looking at the diabetes section in my health book in 5th grade when I fell out of my desk. It happened again in 9th grade health class. And about 5 or 6 times throughout my life getting flu shots or vaccines.

One thing that helped with me is finally understanding what is happening. I read when you feel it coming, tense your leg and butt muscles as tight as you can. This helps keep your blood pressure up and keeps you from passing out. No clue if that is true but I've had a few times in the last year feeling it coming and I haven't passed out. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital last fall with pneumonia from COVID and got who knows how many shots and IVs and never passed out. I just focused each time they were doing something on squeezing as tight as possible and it seemed to help.

We recently found out my daughter also has it, but her trigger is vomit. Trust me it is not fun when you are at church and you look over to see your 6 year old laying under the pew, thinking she's throwing a fit only to find out it's a seizure. We took her to the ER and I was asking questions about what she was thinking about and there is been a kid that morning who puked in Sunday school and it just got stuck in her head until she passed out. I started to realize she was describing exactly what happens to me around needles, so we asked the ER doc and he confirmed, and then it was confirmed again later that year when it happened again around vomit.

It isn't fun, but just focus when you feel it coming or when you know you are getting a shot. You can get through it!

Also, some of those stories above are hilarious

Just the thought of a dental injection is bad enough for some, then the needle stick finishes the job. I've induced a few syncopal episodes. The good part is that patients are already reclined, we just have to lower the head a bit more. The bad part is that this is always at the beginning of the appointment and we still have a procedure to do. Starting with nitrous oxide can help with a known fainter.

I've had two and know the feeling, once when I got home after having my wisdom teeth removed. I was standing at the toilet and started reaching for the countertop, came too curled up in the corner where I fell back, it was a really weird feeling.

Another time after doing a rotation in the burn unit. S guy had over 90% of his body burned up and we were changing the bandages, I got really teary eyed and couldn't see, started walking out of the room and couldn't find the door latch, came to sitting in a chair with all the nurses staring at me.

I've also seen it countless times on the ambulance, it's pretty common.

I'm fairly certain I've had a couple incidents that I can relate back to Vasovagal syncope. Both involved blood and me passing out.

When I came to after the first one (middle of the night), my heartrate was all over the place. My wife called an ambulance and they said I was experiencing arrhythmia. Hospital later confirmed this.

Cardiologist doesn't seem to think those two are linked, but I'm not sure how that could be the case.

Anyone else ever experienced the combination of these two things?

Was he there for the delivery?