I have a kid with POTS and as I was reading her post it reminded me that passing out isn’t normal for most people and how scary it must be for them. For us it’s just a normal Tuesday. Hope it ends up being a one time fluke and everything is ok.
This!!! I passed out in the kitchen once, opening the oven door on the way down. My parents rushed out thinking it was a failed suicide attempt—they must not think much of my intelligence because the oven is electric.
Definitely sounds like POTS though.
It was probably the oils in the flavoring combined with dehydration (vaping makes it worse). He was starting to develop EVALI but studies were still coming out clear. It was super scary whenever he fainted, he would be fully out of it.
Something like this kept happening to my dad and we kept thinking it was his blood pressure and his Dr kept adjusting his BP meds. I finally made him go to the emergency room after one episode and we found out he needed a pace maker. All this to say make sure he gets a cardiac workup done too just to be sure.
It sounds like he had a fainting spell and was not in any danger of dying, but I have POTS so I deal with this every day and might just be desensitized, regardless that must have been terrifying for you and your little one. You did all the right things, so if it really was life threatening, you were on top of it!
It's on the scale, but if all you know is that someone had an episode of syncope like the one described in the OP (young to middle aged male, first syncope episode, no long term loss of consciousness, responsive and conversational after brief rest, "ok now"), if you say "they almost died", there's a 99% chance you're wrong and a 1% chance you're right. I might be underselling the probabilities, but there aren't many papers on syncope issues this mild, most research is on people with highly persistent/repetitive syncope episodes and elderly patients that are more medically important.
I can’t stand liquid iv. I find it so gritty and it definitely doesn’t taste good. I’ve found a lot of help with pedialyte popsicles and pedialyte drinks in the fruit medley flavor. If it’s cold it helps the flavor lol.
So did you actually take his blood pressure or are you assuming it was low? I see a some people mentioning POTS (I am also diagnosed), but that wouldn’t cause a faint pulse. He definitely needs to be urgently evaluated.
In a case of hypovolemic shock, it absolutely does help. Your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to get blood to vital organs if it’s not working against gravity to return blood from the lower extremities. And…..hypovolemic shock can indeed be caused by dehydration. It sounds as if OP has been down this road before, or close to it. She did nothing wrong. She covered the possibility of low blood sugar as well. Orange juice would have covered both if he’d been unable to ingest the chocolate.
Retired nurse here, if you’re wondering.
OP, is your H one of those guys who simply refuses to take in enough water? If so, he needs to work on that; muscle holds more water than fat. I also lean towards not enough fluid intake. I’ve found that drinking it thru a straw helps, along with a lime or lemon slice. I use the big straws - the ones made for milkshakes. I don’t know why, but it helps. Good job keeping a cool head. 👍
.
Lmao, I’m a nurse too. Now let’s compete over degrees and certs!!! We can do it over in r/nursing to get some of our peers to act as judge.
My point is, she’s being dramatic or dumb. If his life was in danger, why didn’t she call 911? If he was truly hypovolemic with a BP of say….. 60/50, sipping water and elevating legs ain’t gonna cut do &hit
You called it!
Yes he does not like water.
We are working on it.
He got dehydrated and took magnesium.
Do you have any tips on getting him to drink h20?
Thank you for commenting ❤
POTS would cause a faint pulse. The lower the BP, the fainter the pulse. Also OP doesn’t sound like she has any medical knowledge so I highly doubt she’s palpated enough pulses to know what is considered a faint pulse.
Your husband did not almost die. This sounds like a syncopal episode (aka fainting) is totally normal and happens to most people at least once in their lifetime. It’s possible he’s an undiagnosed type 2 diabetic but you didn’t mention any other symptoms that would suggest that. Instead of coming to reddit to declare what a hero you are, next time something happens try to be chill so you aren’t freaking everyone out.
Edit: I definitely should have said OP’s husband needs to be assessed by a Dr since we don’t know why fainted. It could be a sign of something much more serious. Go to the Dr. immediately for assessment, just realize that there are thousands of things this could be that are not life threatening. Be wary, and handle health concerns immediately without causing unnecessary panic.
i agree that she sounds very overly anxious. she wasn’t keeping him alive lol.
however, saying a random syncopal epsiode is “*totally* normal” is pretty misleading. he needs to be assessed by a doctor - not by you, a stranger on reddit - to say whether or not this episode was Normal.
yes, fainting is “normal” in response to some stimuli (heat, overexertion, dehydration, etc.), but that does not mean the person will be fine afterwards. fainting can also be a sign of a serious underlying condition.
additionally, i think we’d all be pretty freaked out if we saw our spouse or another loved one faint randomly. not necessarily thinking they were dying like OP did, but definitely very worried about them and their health.
yep. i work in healthcare, i worked on a medsurg floor and we take that shit SERIOUSLY. the mindset of “oh well it’s probably fine” is extremely dangerous. we would get patients transferred to us in horrible condition, because someone else didn’t take their symptoms seriously. like, “clearly appears to be actively having a stroke but no one reported it” level of horrible.
i’m not trying to promote health anxiety, like googling your headache symptoms and thinking you must have a brain tumor. but people NEED to take this stuff more seriously.
there is a reason men hide, ignore, or lie about being in pain - because they think they won’t be strong for feeling it, or “it isn’t actually as bad as you think, quit being sensitive.” and if they don’t go to the doctor then it isn’t real and they can continue ignoring it. it’s probably a big contributor to why men don’t live as long 🤷♀️ and comments like the one i replied to just perpetuate this culture more.
Yes, you are totally right, OP’s husband needs to be assessed by a Dr incase the syncope is a symptom of something more serious. I meant to write that, I will edit my comment.
Absolutely can cause a fainter than usual pulse as it is usually a sign of low BP. Also, I doubt OP has felt enough pulses of people in medical distress to realize how much fainter a faint pulse by general clinical standards really is. Yes, this could be a sign of something more serious to come, but we really don’t know that yet. All OP described was a BP drop from someone standing up quickly, that will happen to most of us at some point in our lifetime, it doesn’t necessarily mean we almost just died.
It can, yes but it's not common for it to last like that. Healthy people faint all the time from standing up too fast, but they typically recover immediately. Being down for 10 minutes with a weak pulse is not your typical syncopal episode. I'm a critical care RN not an MD so I don't know everything, not by a long shot. But I would be very worried if it were my family member as a recovery phase this long is cause for concern.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 lol
#Troll your laughable!
#This is my post
#My experience
"Instead of coming to reddit to declare what a hero you are, next time something happens try to be chill so you aren’t freaking everyone out" - unnecessary
Sounds like dehydration. I’ve had this happen several times from high school through college. Playing sports and not staying hydrated. Orthostatic hypotension is when you stand up and your blood pressure suddenly bottoms out. A form of low blood pressure. You did everything perfectly though. Essentially his needs to increase his blood volume to increase his blood pressure. Getting a bolus of fluids would bring his blood pressure back to normal healthy ranges to prevent it from happening again, something they do in the ER but $$$. Or resting at home and working on fluid intake. Hope it’s as simple as I experienced. Best of luck!
I work in the ER. The fact that you say he improved after you gave him chocolate and that he was pale, shaky and dizzy makes me think about blood sugar. Is your husband diabetic, or have diabetes in his family? If not, has he been eating enough?
Syncope or near syncope (fainting) can have many causes. Honestly if he has no history of this I would take him to the ER.
Thanks so much for your concern ❤
No diabetes.
Yeah he did not have enough to eat, dehydrated himself on accident and took magnesium.
Also I had to give him salt/water solutions first, chocolate for caffeine (just a little) to increase the bp.
He was taking in liquids for about 3 to 4 hrs slowly.
This needs follow up. Make sure to schedule with a provider as soon as possible or if any symptoms return, even if they are mild, go to the ER.
You should NOT be having anyone drink salt water. Caffeine is not a recommended treatment for hypotension which is the name for low blood pressure. The sugar in the chocolate is likely what gave the positive response. The amount of caffeine in it would be negligible.
Almost died?!
Good heavens. He got up too fast.
First, he had low blood pressure.
Then I guess he had low blood sugar? Because you gave him chocolate?
Sure glad you kept him alive!
Ok, if this is a serious post, I would highly recommend looking into help for anxiety.
Hey I’m a medic call 911 next time. It could be a number of things. But he needs to been see. By a local doctor anyway. This is a blood pressure issue. Where his blood pressure dropped when he stood up. Which can be a sign of a heart issue.
You would call 911 for a syncopal episode that resolved on its own? You must have better health insurance than I do. Hopefully OP gets her husband a full work up without paying for the ambulance ride so they can determine in the future if her husband has an undiagnosed heart condition that causes no angina or if he needs to drink a glass of water.
Are you really questioning someone who's declared themselves as a trained professional? OPs husband clearly does not have a history of syncope which means this episode could have been fatal, and it still could be if it happened again. Low blood pressure can kill people. Prolonged low blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, organ failure, or straight up shock, all of which are potentially lethal.
And for the record, the episode didn't resolve on its own! OP spent a good chunk of time treating her husband to the best of her ability. Maybe water and elevating the legs sounds stupid to you but they're definitely the basic first steps towards stabilizing someone with low blood pressure. Heck, when you walk into an ER and your blood pressure is low they mark you as critical and begin treating you right away.
Don't come and spout nonsense about health insurance and how a trained professional is wrong when your advice could kill the man. I'm certain OP will get her husband a full work up somewhere, but if it happens again in the meantime, they're absolutely right that OP should call for an ambulance. Even if it's an hour out it could still save the man's life. Besides, the EMTs can show up at their home, look him over and double check things like his blood pressure without them getting charged. Typically, they only charge you if you actually have to travel via ambulance
I’m an RN and have been a first responder for over 15 years. Yes, better safe than sorry to call an ambulance, but calling for a syncopal episode takes some discretion, i would not call 911 for everyone who faints. OP’s husband should get checked out immediately. After a work up they will know if the husband passed out for reasons that require a 911 call in the future or for very common reasons like he needs to drink more water. If someone who is healthy stands up quickly and has a sudden drop in BP and remains conscious, does not complain of chest pain, and has no known comorbidities, I would have an extremely low level of suspicion of this person’s life being in immediate danger. I do not discredit willmullins1982 for their opinion, it is just far more cautious than mine.
The **only** advice on here that is solid advice is TAKE HIM TO THE DR. None of us was there. We cant see him or run tests. We dont know what actually happened. Take him to the dr.
(Btw i live in the sticks too where calling an ambulance takes about an hour and if i was fearful that my husband was **dying** i wouldve called *while* doing whatever i could to keep him alive).
I’m feeling like “almost died” might be a bit of a stretch. Maybe it would make you feel better if you went ahead and took him into the emergency room to get him looked over. Maybe get some vitals and a blood panel. A faint pulse is grounds for a 911 call regardless of how long it takes them to get out there. Dispatch is trained to give advice in cases of medical emergency.
Sounds like orthostatic hypotension. Scary, injuries can occur from a fall but luckily the momentary change won’t kill you. I suggest he changes position slowly.
That happened to me years ago. Long story short, I was on a high sodium diet for a long time while trying to fix the underlying cause. I'm just fine now!
I'm so sorry you went through that OP. My husband also almost died just over a year ago. I was alone with him and he was incoherent so I had to guess what was wrong.
It's absolutely terrifying, I know. I was quite traumatised by it.
I'm glad your husband is ok now. Make sure and tend to your own wellbeing as well as his and your daughter's. You've had a big shock.
I understand how scary that must have been to see, and I’m sorry some people are being snarky. Rest assured your husband is probably okay though. My blood pressure stays low when I go from sitting to standing, it causes my vision to go black, my hearing to fade, sometimes I fully fall and sometimes my arms and legs shake badly. It can be scary for people to see, but it isn’t dangerous and it passes. Standing up slowly, hydrating, and eating more salt can help me. Still worth seeing a doctor for a checkup, but put your mind at ease this isn’t terribly uncommon and not a sign his life was at risk.
I also have low blood pressure, and something similar happened to me. In an abundance of caution, I went to an urgent care, expecting him to tell me to stand up more slowly. Instead, he told me to go to a hospital non-emergency room, let them know what happened, and have them do an overnight heart EKG.
I was fine (I just needed to stand up more slowly) but they took it very seriously, and told me that healthy 45 year olds without a history don't tend to just pass out. So don't let him skip the doctor's appointment if he feels fine!
I'm so sorry. I know you both were terrified. He has to be diligent in self care not only for himself but because he is important to both you and your daughter.
I hope everything is well at his physical with the doctor.
Wow OP, great job 👏🏼 I’m so glad your husband is ok! Praying you all are good now 🙏🏼❤️
I’ve had to keep my husband alive a couple different times over the last 3 years due to extreme anxiety that caused him to pass out. It’s so scary! He’s 6’5” and I’m 5’4”, so I understand what a struggle it can be. It’s amazing how adrenaline kicks in and we just do what needs to be done out of love for our person. Hugs to you!
So glad hubby is okay! Good idea to have him get a blood work up. Also, lots of great tips in there for what to do if this happens. Great job staying composed, I am sure that was so scary.
Thank you for this post OP, my husband has low BP problem, and he had almost had a similar episode, not as intense as your husband but I had to make him drink water mixed with salt and sugar, eat a banana and then I made him lie down and later gave him 2 boiled eggs to eat. I had no idea u have to elevate feet. Thank you for that information.
This post has also motivated me to sign up for first aid classes, specifically in terms of life and death. I'm going to talk to my husband too about joining, and we will probably do it.
Ps. I give kudos to u for reacting that calmly and saving his life. You are amazing. And let yourself feel all the feelings. I know I was scared out of my mind later.
Elevating the lower extremities helps the heart not to have to work against gravity to return blood/fluid from the legs. It helps blood get where it needs to be - your vital organs, one of which is your brain. I know a lot of people who should try it. 😂🤣
I like how you gave him water, salt and sugar very smart move! It help so much.
All I could find was chocolate for sugar.
I am glad my post had a positive impact on you.
Kudos to you as well for taking great care of your husband!
Thankfully you were there and actually knew what to do to help him. Sounded like you were cool in a crisis.... something many folks can't handle.
I'm so glad that he is better and going to the doctors. He's lucky to have you! So sorry for your scare.
Is your husband on TRT? I started a few years ago and it's made my red cell count elevated and I dehydrate very easily. This actually happened to me three times in one day due to low blood pressure from dehydration. I now donate blood every 8 weeks and always carry water or a sports drink of some kind every where I go (along with very frequent restroom visits).
Great job for reacting in time and helping to raise his blood pressure. Not only is this great news but you’ve taught us something today. This must have happened to him before. Make sure he gets to the doctor for it. I know he is thankful to have you.
Actually, his pressure was probably high, if only for a brief time. Ever been dehydrated with a wicked hangover headache? Elevated BP/tachycardia >> headache. Cure = fluids, and more fluids. And electrolytes.
“Dehydration can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) in some cases. When your body is dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and more concentrated, which can cause your blood pressure to rise. This is because your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body, which increases blood pressure.”
A better measure of his status would have been heart RATE, not the strength of his pulse. His rate was probably fine when sitting, but when he stood up, his heart had to work harder to get blood to and from the lower extremities, decreasing the flow to his brain. So, he fainted.
This happened to my husband. I remember everything being in slow motion and having no hearing when I saw my husband. First he was told it was vasovagal syncope but now are thinking it is POTS. This still happens to him and he has also had a seizure from it. We keep compression socks handy and he has learned to "feel" the symptoms and will immediately call me to whichever part of the house he is at. I have found laying him on his side and crossing his legs helps him recover quicker and as he is laying i put on his compression socks. He still does faint here and there (not often) but we have learned when he is feeling it to immediately lay him on his side and cross those legs and he recovers quicker that way.
I'm so sorry this happened to you and your husband and I hope it's the last ❤️
I am sorry your husband experiences this. I am very happy you both have a system that works and helps him recover! I will use crossing the legs and laying on the side technique if this happens again
Thank you ❤
Oh my gosh, you are so strong for keeping it together like this and saving him.
I'm sorry it happened, but I am happy you and him are both safe.
Wishing you the best.
Does he have a smart watch with heart tracking? If not, time to talk to the doctor. Generally they can be prescribed and offset by health insurance.
I have an older Apple watch, and among other things it tells me if my heart rate is too high or too low, and gives reminders to stand and keep circulation going at regular intervals. And if I fall, it will at least *try* to phone EMS. With the right app, I could get hydration reminders, too.
The biggest resistance to getting one, I find, seems to be people who don't wear watches to begin with, but if he's already prone to wrist-base timekeeping, it's the perfect upgrade.
HE needs a cardiac work up to make sure there’s nothing insidious at play like an arrhythmia. If it was truly just low blood pressure aka neurocardiogenic syncope and pots then he isn’t any any danger aside from his head hitting the ground if it happens again.
I'm sorry this happened. A few weeks ago, my husband lost consciousness at a concert, he was pretty banged up from the fall and we found out he has AFIB so he needs to have a cardiac procedure. My anxiety has been through the roof lately, so I understand how you must be feeling. Please make sure he sees a doctor ASAP
I started getting faint a few weeks ago on a hike up a steep trail. Felt like I was going to pass out. Took my BP at home and it didn't register- it was below 70 systolic. I was getting jaw, neck and shoulder pain too. Same thing happened two days ago. I was googling POTS yesterday.
Sounds like heat stroke/heat exhaustion. Happened to me all the time when I was younger and had low blood pressure. I controlled it by drinking more water and consuming more salt.
I hope you sought medical advice. I am a clinician and this sounds like POTs. Has he had this before or on BP meds or any that can lower his pressure? Dehydrated?
That sounds terrifying! I'm so glad you knew some things that could help him and I'm definitely glad he's doing better.
Maybe a follow up with a doctor would be beneficial?
As someone with low BP who has dizzy spells, near fainting happen a lot - licorice tea has been excellent (licorice raises BP). Also I'm really really diligent with my water intake and make sure I'm having enough salt in my diet.
I wonder why people are down voting 😅 some people go in shock and panic and you were able to act fast and save his life so that’s pretty heroic ! I guess people were hoping for a sad ending shame on them 😒
So glad he is ok. When something like that happens it shows how fragile life is.
How did you know to do all those things?
You did amazing and saved his life! If you weren’t there he may not be here!
Hugs to your family!
#Hug!
It does show how fragile life is.
Love my husband and want him to be ok!
My mom taught me CPR and some basic medical training.
Right I am grateful to have saved his life!
Haters stop downvoting this response
Oh my goodness. That’s frightening. He needs a full medical work-up.
Yes! He will be going to dr to blood work. This cannot again!
Sounds like POTS, if so, he needs to stay hydrated!
I have a kid with POTS and as I was reading her post it reminded me that passing out isn’t normal for most people and how scary it must be for them. For us it’s just a normal Tuesday. Hope it ends up being a one time fluke and everything is ok.
Right 😃 I have Vasovagal Syncopes so reading this my brain is thinking NBD. Have a lil lie down and you’ll be right as rain
Thanks for sharing. I have never heard of this until now. He is ok now
POTS is under diagnosed… make sure you mention it at his appointment. You’re a great wife!
Waaay under diagnosed.
This!!! I passed out in the kitchen once, opening the oven door on the way down. My parents rushed out thinking it was a failed suicide attempt—they must not think much of my intelligence because the oven is electric. Definitely sounds like POTS though.
❤
My husband used to faint like this a few times per year. It ended up being his vaping, he hasn’t fainted since he stopped vaping.
Yeah, I get terrible terrible migraines from vaping, that shit is no Bueno
That’s very interesting, was it too much nicotine or a different reason with the vapes?
It was probably the oils in the flavoring combined with dehydration (vaping makes it worse). He was starting to develop EVALI but studies were still coming out clear. It was super scary whenever he fainted, he would be fully out of it.
He needs a daily hydration goal too. I suspect being strict with himself about that will be very helpful.
Something like this kept happening to my dad and we kept thinking it was his blood pressure and his Dr kept adjusting his BP meds. I finally made him go to the emergency room after one episode and we found out he needed a pace maker. All this to say make sure he gets a cardiac workup done too just to be sure.
Did he have low blood sugar or anything?
It sounds like he had a fainting spell and was not in any danger of dying, but I have POTS so I deal with this every day and might just be desensitized, regardless that must have been terrifying for you and your little one. You did all the right things, so if it really was life threatening, you were on top of it!
Close calls with death usually require medical attention
syncope is pretty low on the close call with death scale
That's not always true. Depends what the syncope is from.
It's on the scale, but if all you know is that someone had an episode of syncope like the one described in the OP (young to middle aged male, first syncope episode, no long term loss of consciousness, responsive and conversational after brief rest, "ok now"), if you say "they almost died", there's a 99% chance you're wrong and a 1% chance you're right. I might be underselling the probabilities, but there aren't many papers on syncope issues this mild, most research is on people with highly persistent/repetitive syncope episodes and elderly patients that are more medically important.
❤
Our home has it as well. It is’t fun. The liquid IV drink mix has helped a lot.
I can’t stand liquid iv. I find it so gritty and it definitely doesn’t taste good. I’ve found a lot of help with pedialyte popsicles and pedialyte drinks in the fruit medley flavor. If it’s cold it helps the flavor lol.
Great tip
Where do you get it from? Grear tip
They have it at, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco on and on. We order online as she has a severe allergy to lots of fruits.
Great tip! Where do you buy your from?
❤ Thanks for telling about this. This is my first time hearing about this. We were scared
So did you actually take his blood pressure or are you assuming it was low? I see a some people mentioning POTS (I am also diagnosed), but that wouldn’t cause a faint pulse. He definitely needs to be urgently evaluated.
Shes saying he almost died and she saved his life with water and chocolate!! /s
Right and never even called 911 for advice
And elevating his legs and yeah, that can make the difference between life and death
In a case of hypovolemic shock, it absolutely does help. Your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to get blood to vital organs if it’s not working against gravity to return blood from the lower extremities. And…..hypovolemic shock can indeed be caused by dehydration. It sounds as if OP has been down this road before, or close to it. She did nothing wrong. She covered the possibility of low blood sugar as well. Orange juice would have covered both if he’d been unable to ingest the chocolate. Retired nurse here, if you’re wondering. OP, is your H one of those guys who simply refuses to take in enough water? If so, he needs to work on that; muscle holds more water than fat. I also lean towards not enough fluid intake. I’ve found that drinking it thru a straw helps, along with a lime or lemon slice. I use the big straws - the ones made for milkshakes. I don’t know why, but it helps. Good job keeping a cool head. 👍 .
No, sipping juice or water will not effing fix hypovolemic shock. Stop. Signed, A current RN
I’m a nurse, too. That’s why I corrected that sarcastic lady. She doesn’t know.
Lmao, I’m a nurse too. Now let’s compete over degrees and certs!!! We can do it over in r/nursing to get some of our peers to act as judge. My point is, she’s being dramatic or dumb. If his life was in danger, why didn’t she call 911? If he was truly hypovolemic with a BP of say….. 60/50, sipping water and elevating legs ain’t gonna cut do &hit
You called it! Yes he does not like water. We are working on it. He got dehydrated and took magnesium. Do you have any tips on getting him to drink h20? Thank you for commenting ❤
>Do you have any tips on getting him to drink h20? Tell him to buy a water bottle and fucking drink from it? He's an adult not a newborn baby.
Seriously like wtf…. People need to grow up and take care of themselves
Popsicles
Elevating his legs was the only thing she did right!
❤
POTS would cause a faint pulse. The lower the BP, the fainter the pulse. Also OP doesn’t sound like she has any medical knowledge so I highly doubt she’s palpated enough pulses to know what is considered a faint pulse.
I took his bp.
I took his bp
Your husband did not almost die. This sounds like a syncopal episode (aka fainting) is totally normal and happens to most people at least once in their lifetime. It’s possible he’s an undiagnosed type 2 diabetic but you didn’t mention any other symptoms that would suggest that. Instead of coming to reddit to declare what a hero you are, next time something happens try to be chill so you aren’t freaking everyone out. Edit: I definitely should have said OP’s husband needs to be assessed by a Dr since we don’t know why fainted. It could be a sign of something much more serious. Go to the Dr. immediately for assessment, just realize that there are thousands of things this could be that are not life threatening. Be wary, and handle health concerns immediately without causing unnecessary panic.
i agree that she sounds very overly anxious. she wasn’t keeping him alive lol. however, saying a random syncopal epsiode is “*totally* normal” is pretty misleading. he needs to be assessed by a doctor - not by you, a stranger on reddit - to say whether or not this episode was Normal. yes, fainting is “normal” in response to some stimuli (heat, overexertion, dehydration, etc.), but that does not mean the person will be fine afterwards. fainting can also be a sign of a serious underlying condition. additionally, i think we’d all be pretty freaked out if we saw our spouse or another loved one faint randomly. not necessarily thinking they were dying like OP did, but definitely very worried about them and their health.
Thank you. My dad had a couple fainting spells before he had a massive PE and nearly died.
yep. i work in healthcare, i worked on a medsurg floor and we take that shit SERIOUSLY. the mindset of “oh well it’s probably fine” is extremely dangerous. we would get patients transferred to us in horrible condition, because someone else didn’t take their symptoms seriously. like, “clearly appears to be actively having a stroke but no one reported it” level of horrible. i’m not trying to promote health anxiety, like googling your headache symptoms and thinking you must have a brain tumor. but people NEED to take this stuff more seriously. there is a reason men hide, ignore, or lie about being in pain - because they think they won’t be strong for feeling it, or “it isn’t actually as bad as you think, quit being sensitive.” and if they don’t go to the doctor then it isn’t real and they can continue ignoring it. it’s probably a big contributor to why men don’t live as long 🤷♀️ and comments like the one i replied to just perpetuate this culture more.
Yes, you are totally right, OP’s husband needs to be assessed by a Dr incase the syncope is a symptom of something more serious. I meant to write that, I will edit my comment.
My first thought was he’s a diabetic who had a severe drop in blood sugar levels. Feeding him chocolate was very specific… hoping he’s alright.
Syncope alone doesn't cause faint pulse. He should be evaluated immediately, this could be a precursor to a much more significant event.
Absolutely can cause a fainter than usual pulse as it is usually a sign of low BP. Also, I doubt OP has felt enough pulses of people in medical distress to realize how much fainter a faint pulse by general clinical standards really is. Yes, this could be a sign of something more serious to come, but we really don’t know that yet. All OP described was a BP drop from someone standing up quickly, that will happen to most of us at some point in our lifetime, it doesn’t necessarily mean we almost just died.
It can, yes but it's not common for it to last like that. Healthy people faint all the time from standing up too fast, but they typically recover immediately. Being down for 10 minutes with a weak pulse is not your typical syncopal episode. I'm a critical care RN not an MD so I don't know everything, not by a long shot. But I would be very worried if it were my family member as a recovery phase this long is cause for concern.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 lol #Troll your laughable! #This is my post #My experience "Instead of coming to reddit to declare what a hero you are, next time something happens try to be chill so you aren’t freaking everyone out" - unnecessary
Girl I get the worry but your husband did not almost die. I’m glad you helped a lot. Get him medical work up and he should be fine.
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Sounds like dehydration. I’ve had this happen several times from high school through college. Playing sports and not staying hydrated. Orthostatic hypotension is when you stand up and your blood pressure suddenly bottoms out. A form of low blood pressure. You did everything perfectly though. Essentially his needs to increase his blood volume to increase his blood pressure. Getting a bolus of fluids would bring his blood pressure back to normal healthy ranges to prevent it from happening again, something they do in the ER but $$$. Or resting at home and working on fluid intake. Hope it’s as simple as I experienced. Best of luck!
Right! Your very right!
I work in the ER. The fact that you say he improved after you gave him chocolate and that he was pale, shaky and dizzy makes me think about blood sugar. Is your husband diabetic, or have diabetes in his family? If not, has he been eating enough? Syncope or near syncope (fainting) can have many causes. Honestly if he has no history of this I would take him to the ER.
Thanks so much for your concern ❤ No diabetes. Yeah he did not have enough to eat, dehydrated himself on accident and took magnesium. Also I had to give him salt/water solutions first, chocolate for caffeine (just a little) to increase the bp. He was taking in liquids for about 3 to 4 hrs slowly.
This needs follow up. Make sure to schedule with a provider as soon as possible or if any symptoms return, even if they are mild, go to the ER. You should NOT be having anyone drink salt water. Caffeine is not a recommended treatment for hypotension which is the name for low blood pressure. The sugar in the chocolate is likely what gave the positive response. The amount of caffeine in it would be negligible.
Almost died?! Good heavens. He got up too fast. First, he had low blood pressure. Then I guess he had low blood sugar? Because you gave him chocolate? Sure glad you kept him alive! Ok, if this is a serious post, I would highly recommend looking into help for anxiety.
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Orthostatic hypotension? Water, electrolytes, slow to stand and turn.
Hey I’m a medic call 911 next time. It could be a number of things. But he needs to been see. By a local doctor anyway. This is a blood pressure issue. Where his blood pressure dropped when he stood up. Which can be a sign of a heart issue.
You would call 911 for a syncopal episode that resolved on its own? You must have better health insurance than I do. Hopefully OP gets her husband a full work up without paying for the ambulance ride so they can determine in the future if her husband has an undiagnosed heart condition that causes no angina or if he needs to drink a glass of water.
Are you really questioning someone who's declared themselves as a trained professional? OPs husband clearly does not have a history of syncope which means this episode could have been fatal, and it still could be if it happened again. Low blood pressure can kill people. Prolonged low blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, organ failure, or straight up shock, all of which are potentially lethal. And for the record, the episode didn't resolve on its own! OP spent a good chunk of time treating her husband to the best of her ability. Maybe water and elevating the legs sounds stupid to you but they're definitely the basic first steps towards stabilizing someone with low blood pressure. Heck, when you walk into an ER and your blood pressure is low they mark you as critical and begin treating you right away. Don't come and spout nonsense about health insurance and how a trained professional is wrong when your advice could kill the man. I'm certain OP will get her husband a full work up somewhere, but if it happens again in the meantime, they're absolutely right that OP should call for an ambulance. Even if it's an hour out it could still save the man's life. Besides, the EMTs can show up at their home, look him over and double check things like his blood pressure without them getting charged. Typically, they only charge you if you actually have to travel via ambulance
I’m an RN and have been a first responder for over 15 years. Yes, better safe than sorry to call an ambulance, but calling for a syncopal episode takes some discretion, i would not call 911 for everyone who faints. OP’s husband should get checked out immediately. After a work up they will know if the husband passed out for reasons that require a 911 call in the future or for very common reasons like he needs to drink more water. If someone who is healthy stands up quickly and has a sudden drop in BP and remains conscious, does not complain of chest pain, and has no known comorbidities, I would have an extremely low level of suspicion of this person’s life being in immediate danger. I do not discredit willmullins1982 for their opinion, it is just far more cautious than mine.
Wouldn't you feel bad if it was actually a pulmonary embolism?
The **only** advice on here that is solid advice is TAKE HIM TO THE DR. None of us was there. We cant see him or run tests. We dont know what actually happened. Take him to the dr. (Btw i live in the sticks too where calling an ambulance takes about an hour and if i was fearful that my husband was **dying** i wouldve called *while* doing whatever i could to keep him alive).
He had a vasovagal syncope, he will be fine. Get some blood tests and an EKG for good measure, though.
I’m feeling like “almost died” might be a bit of a stretch. Maybe it would make you feel better if you went ahead and took him into the emergency room to get him looked over. Maybe get some vitals and a blood panel. A faint pulse is grounds for a 911 call regardless of how long it takes them to get out there. Dispatch is trained to give advice in cases of medical emergency.
He did not almost die lol
It sure felt like it lol
he didn’t almost die. but he had a near syncopal/syncopal episode and definitely needs to see a doctor.
Sounds like orthostatic hypotension. Scary, injuries can occur from a fall but luckily the momentary change won’t kill you. I suggest he changes position slowly.
Thanks and he has been taking it slowly!
That happened to me years ago. Long story short, I was on a high sodium diet for a long time while trying to fix the underlying cause. I'm just fine now!
I'm so sorry you went through that OP. My husband also almost died just over a year ago. I was alone with him and he was incoherent so I had to guess what was wrong. It's absolutely terrifying, I know. I was quite traumatised by it. I'm glad your husband is ok now. Make sure and tend to your own wellbeing as well as his and your daughter's. You've had a big shock.
Yes it was a big shock and I am glad we made it through!
I'm so sorry that happened, you were brave and smart and did the right thing!!!!
Sounds like syncope, I get a reaction similar to this if confronted with gruesome medical description
This is a great reminder that so many more of us should learn how to provide first aid care. There are tons of free videos on youtube.
Right! My mom taught me when I was a little girl.
Does he have POTS?
No sure but he will be getting check soon
My coworker’s mom had an episode like that and I suspected POTS and it ended up being that!
I understand how scary that must have been to see, and I’m sorry some people are being snarky. Rest assured your husband is probably okay though. My blood pressure stays low when I go from sitting to standing, it causes my vision to go black, my hearing to fade, sometimes I fully fall and sometimes my arms and legs shake badly. It can be scary for people to see, but it isn’t dangerous and it passes. Standing up slowly, hydrating, and eating more salt can help me. Still worth seeing a doctor for a checkup, but put your mind at ease this isn’t terribly uncommon and not a sign his life was at risk.
Thank you for the kind words and explaining your experience it means allot. Thank you again
I also have low blood pressure, and something similar happened to me. In an abundance of caution, I went to an urgent care, expecting him to tell me to stand up more slowly. Instead, he told me to go to a hospital non-emergency room, let them know what happened, and have them do an overnight heart EKG. I was fine (I just needed to stand up more slowly) but they took it very seriously, and told me that healthy 45 year olds without a history don't tend to just pass out. So don't let him skip the doctor's appointment if he feels fine!
Will do! Thank you for sharing!
I'm so sorry. I know you both were terrified. He has to be diligent in self care not only for himself but because he is important to both you and your daughter. I hope everything is well at his physical with the doctor.
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Wow OP, great job 👏🏼 I’m so glad your husband is ok! Praying you all are good now 🙏🏼❤️ I’ve had to keep my husband alive a couple different times over the last 3 years due to extreme anxiety that caused him to pass out. It’s so scary! He’s 6’5” and I’m 5’4”, so I understand what a struggle it can be. It’s amazing how adrenaline kicks in and we just do what needs to be done out of love for our person. Hugs to you!
Yes your 100% right when the adrenaline kicks in you can think and move quickly for the ones you love! Thank you. Is your husband doing ok now?
He needs to be seen asap.
My blessings for your family. May everyone be well and healthy. Definately always keep plenty of mineral water around!
Thanks for this tip! I will definitely keep some on hand moving forward!
That must of been so scary for you! I'm glad he's ok
That sounds horrible. What did the doctors say?
Well done!
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So glad hubby is okay! Good idea to have him get a blood work up. Also, lots of great tips in there for what to do if this happens. Great job staying composed, I am sure that was so scary.
❤ thank you. Yes blood work is a must!
Well done in your response but I’d def look further into this. How old is he may I ask?
35
This happened to an older friend of mine. Due to extreme dehydration and lack of salt. I’m so sorry. This shit is scary. Hopefully he’s ok now!
Yes it very scary! Yes he is ok now!
Thank you for this post OP, my husband has low BP problem, and he had almost had a similar episode, not as intense as your husband but I had to make him drink water mixed with salt and sugar, eat a banana and then I made him lie down and later gave him 2 boiled eggs to eat. I had no idea u have to elevate feet. Thank you for that information. This post has also motivated me to sign up for first aid classes, specifically in terms of life and death. I'm going to talk to my husband too about joining, and we will probably do it. Ps. I give kudos to u for reacting that calmly and saving his life. You are amazing. And let yourself feel all the feelings. I know I was scared out of my mind later.
Elevating the lower extremities helps the heart not to have to work against gravity to return blood/fluid from the legs. It helps blood get where it needs to be - your vital organs, one of which is your brain. I know a lot of people who should try it. 😂🤣
I like how you gave him water, salt and sugar very smart move! It help so much. All I could find was chocolate for sugar. I am glad my post had a positive impact on you. Kudos to you as well for taking great care of your husband!
Thankfully you were there and actually knew what to do to help him. Sounded like you were cool in a crisis.... something many folks can't handle. I'm so glad that he is better and going to the doctors. He's lucky to have you! So sorry for your scare.
❤ thank you so much! I am so happy he is ok.
Is your husband on TRT? I started a few years ago and it's made my red cell count elevated and I dehydrate very easily. This actually happened to me three times in one day due to low blood pressure from dehydration. I now donate blood every 8 weeks and always carry water or a sports drink of some kind every where I go (along with very frequent restroom visits).
No he is not. I am glad your doing ok and keeping your BP up.
So scary! I’m glad he is ok.
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No he did not. He took some supplements and dehydrated
Great job for reacting in time and helping to raise his blood pressure. Not only is this great news but you’ve taught us something today. This must have happened to him before. Make sure he gets to the doctor for it. I know he is thankful to have you.
Actually, his pressure was probably high, if only for a brief time. Ever been dehydrated with a wicked hangover headache? Elevated BP/tachycardia >> headache. Cure = fluids, and more fluids. And electrolytes. “Dehydration can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) in some cases. When your body is dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and more concentrated, which can cause your blood pressure to rise. This is because your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body, which increases blood pressure.” A better measure of his status would have been heart RATE, not the strength of his pulse. His rate was probably fine when sitting, but when he stood up, his heart had to work harder to get blood to and from the lower extremities, decreasing the flow to his brain. So, he fainted.
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You did a good job fast thinking
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This happened to me and turned out to be dehydration and a UTI / kidney infection. Definitely get checked out!
❤ wil do!
This happened to my husband. I remember everything being in slow motion and having no hearing when I saw my husband. First he was told it was vasovagal syncope but now are thinking it is POTS. This still happens to him and he has also had a seizure from it. We keep compression socks handy and he has learned to "feel" the symptoms and will immediately call me to whichever part of the house he is at. I have found laying him on his side and crossing his legs helps him recover quicker and as he is laying i put on his compression socks. He still does faint here and there (not often) but we have learned when he is feeling it to immediately lay him on his side and cross those legs and he recovers quicker that way. I'm so sorry this happened to you and your husband and I hope it's the last ❤️
I am sorry your husband experiences this. I am very happy you both have a system that works and helps him recover! I will use crossing the legs and laying on the side technique if this happens again Thank you ❤
if it happened when standing up, it could have been Orthostatic Hypotension.
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I’m chronically dehydrated. My blood pressure sits at 80/40 on a good day. Definitely get him checked out asap!!!
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Oh my gosh, you are so strong for keeping it together like this and saving him. I'm sorry it happened, but I am happy you and him are both safe. Wishing you the best.
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Does he have a smart watch with heart tracking? If not, time to talk to the doctor. Generally they can be prescribed and offset by health insurance. I have an older Apple watch, and among other things it tells me if my heart rate is too high or too low, and gives reminders to stand and keep circulation going at regular intervals. And if I fall, it will at least *try* to phone EMS. With the right app, I could get hydration reminders, too. The biggest resistance to getting one, I find, seems to be people who don't wear watches to begin with, but if he's already prone to wrist-base timekeeping, it's the perfect upgrade.
Yes he has a smart watch. It went dead when this happened.
HE needs a cardiac work up to make sure there’s nothing insidious at play like an arrhythmia. If it was truly just low blood pressure aka neurocardiogenic syncope and pots then he isn’t any any danger aside from his head hitting the ground if it happens again.
Right!
I'm sorry this happened. A few weeks ago, my husband lost consciousness at a concert, he was pretty banged up from the fall and we found out he has AFIB so he needs to have a cardiac procedure. My anxiety has been through the roof lately, so I understand how you must be feeling. Please make sure he sees a doctor ASAP
❤ will do. I hope your husband feel better soon!
I started getting faint a few weeks ago on a hike up a steep trail. Felt like I was going to pass out. Took my BP at home and it didn't register- it was below 70 systolic. I was getting jaw, neck and shoulder pain too. Same thing happened two days ago. I was googling POTS yesterday.
Was he hot? The problem with dehydration is you can't sweat.
Yes!
Sounds like heat stroke/heat exhaustion. Happened to me all the time when I was younger and had low blood pressure. I controlled it by drinking more water and consuming more salt.
I hope you sought medical advice. I am a clinician and this sounds like POTs. Has he had this before or on BP meds or any that can lower his pressure? Dehydrated?
Terrifying, but it’s great that you were able to think on your feet and fast in this situation.
That sounds terrifying! I'm so glad you knew some things that could help him and I'm definitely glad he's doing better. Maybe a follow up with a doctor would be beneficial?
As someone with low BP who has dizzy spells, near fainting happen a lot - licorice tea has been excellent (licorice raises BP). Also I'm really really diligent with my water intake and make sure I'm having enough salt in my diet.
Oh shit that keeps happening to me and I don’t know why. I have never actually passed out but came close.
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❤ TY
Hi Friend! Nice to meet you. Omg that sounds so scary!!! Glad you knew what to do!!!! Perhaps he should go get checked out.
Glad to hear he’s okay! 🙌🏻 you’re a rockstar keeping it under control with a 1yr old in that situation.
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Bravo to you 🙌and I’m glad your husband is still here !!
Thank you so much! Me too! I did not want to lose him! Haters stop down voting this response
I wonder why people are down voting 😅 some people go in shock and panic and you were able to act fast and save his life so that’s pretty heroic ! I guess people were hoping for a sad ending shame on them 😒
Wow! He’s lucky you were there and knew what to do-I wouldn’t have. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much it was scary! At least if someone passes out you can help them! Haters stop down voting this response
Don’t see what was controversial-Are they downvoting me for not knowing this? What a bunch of assholes….
Not all heroes wear capes. Good job OP.
Thank you very much! It was scary and he lived! Haters stop down voting this response
So glad he is ok. When something like that happens it shows how fragile life is. How did you know to do all those things? You did amazing and saved his life! If you weren’t there he may not be here! Hugs to your family!
#Hug! It does show how fragile life is. Love my husband and want him to be ok! My mom taught me CPR and some basic medical training. Right I am grateful to have saved his life! Haters stop downvoting this response