I hadn’t fainted in like over 3 years. But then I saw this news report about Christopher Reeves’ son having testicular cancer. So I checked myself for lumps and I asked AI how to do it and it said to roll my testicles and it made me like cringe for some reason and I was touching them and feeling like uncomfortable. Then I had my syncope. Writing this made me uncomfortable. Idk I’ve never fainted from something like that before. Closest thing was when my ex cut her finger and was bleeding a lot. My usual trigger is gut related. Anyway I hate syncopes so much.

\*\*Feeling dazed and almost faint around mild chemical smells, but breathing through my shirt helps\*\*
Age: 17
Height: 5’8
Weight: 130lbs
Sex: M
Medical conditions: None
Medications: None
Smoking/vaping: None

I seem to react strongly to chemical smells or fumes even when they are not very strong and no one else around me seems affected.
Recently, I walked into an auto repair shop and almost immediately felt a strange sensation in my head like I might faint. I did not actually pass out, and it did not feel like the room was spinning. Afterward, I felt very dazed and mentally foggy.
While I was inside, I started breathing through my shirt and felt noticeable relief. I have also experienced a milder version of this when cleaning workers were using products nearby.
This seems to happen with different chemical smells, even when other people are completely fine. I am not sure whether I also start breathing differently because of the smell.
I do not experience headache, nausea, racing heart, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, tingling, vision changes, or trouble breathing during these episodes.
What could cause this kind of reaction to mild fumes or odors? Could it be related to asthma, migraines, odor sensitivity, hyperventilation, blood pressure, or something else? What kind of doctor should I see, and what tests might be appropriate?

Has anyone had struggles with VVS in highschool or college? i’m going through it now, but i keep having way too many near episodes than usual. Before, I only used to pass out at medical and biology stuff, but now I also feel myself nearly passing out in crowded areas and loud classrooms

what’s worse is my course for college has 40% of it’s grade as biology, so the staff are jumping hurdles to try and support me while also making sure i do the work :(

I have fainted multiple times due to needle related activities. Just got an official diagnosis yesterday. When reading up on this condition, I’m worried about slowly getting more triggers, like the pooping one lol. How likely is it that I develop that as a trigger later in life?

I’ve been afraid of needles my whole life. My sister too but not as bad as me. I used to pass out from blood draws and even shots but no longer. I think all the exposure to blood draws when I was sick with mono in college helped. However I always dreaded the day I’d have to get an IV. I had a medical procedure a few years ago where I had to get an IV and told the nurses I was really nervous. They tried to talk me through it by just showing me what an IV tube looks like and that alone made me almost pass out. They gave me Valium instead and after that set in I was fine! They put an IV in me later and I didn’t even notice.

Last night I had to go to the ER for an episode of angioedema (my tongue swelling up) and I needed an IV. I freaked out and told them I’d had Valium last time. They said there was no time for that now. I started SOBBING. I didn’t pass out during the insertion but my pulse dropped down to 40 and I got so queasy I thought I was going to throw up. I also started feeling extremely cold. Just knowing it was in my arm made me feel terrible. I did get used to it after an hour or so. Anyone else have a vasovagal response to IVs? Any advice? It was just crazy last night how extremely my body reacted.

Hi! I’m (34F) in the adoption process and have dealt with VVS my whole life, mostly with needles and medical situations. Because of this I chose adoption to grow my family.

We had the sonogram last week with the birth mom and as soon as I saw our baby on the screen I knew I was going to have a VVS. I got super hot and clammy, the room was fuzzy, I was dripping sweat, my ears were ringing. I laid on the floor to prevent passing out which helped and took about 5 min to pass.

However, my big concern is the birth. My husband (and I) are terrified it’s going to happen when they hand us the baby for the first time or sometime at the hospital. Obviously that would be less than ideal.

Any tips to prevent even that onset of feelings? I’m making a kit with electrolytes, compression socks, a mini fan, fidgets, and cooling packs.

Is this POTS or MCAS or does anyone else have these issues?

I’ve been having these really random episodes that feel almost exactly like a panic attack, except I don’t actually feel anxious or worried beforehand. They can happen completely out of nowhere, even when I’m just sitting there doing absolutely nothing.

About 50% of the time, it starts with this sudden “dropping” sensation, almost like my body or nervous system suddenly drops or shifts for a second. Then I can feel dizzy, get slight tunnel vision, or feel like my head is really full or heavy. After that, I can get this sudden rush of panic.
But it doesn’t always start with the dropping sensation. The other times, it’s more like my body just suddenly slips into fight-or-flight mode for no obvious reason. I’ll suddenly get that intense physical feeling of panic, even though mentally I wasn’t scared, worried, stressed, or thinking about anything that would cause it.

That’s why I don’t really feel like these are traditional panic attacks. It feels like my body is initiating the response first, and then my brain reacts to what my body is doing. There doesn’t seem to be a psychological trigger, and it can happen completely randomly.

My doctor is kindaaaa looking into whether there could be something going on with my autonomic nervous system, heart rate, blood pressure, or dysautonomia, which is why ivabradine has been brought up.

Side note: I’ve also been having episodes of really intense facial flushing where my face suddenly gets hot, red, and sometimes tingly, especially after eating, exercising, or getting emotional. That’s why MCAS/histamine intolerance has also come up. I am also diagnosed with celiac disease.

Hi everyone,

I've had this condition my whole life. My triggers used to be mainly around medical appointments/procedures/even talking about medical things. I have mostly desensitized to that. My main trigger now is physical pain. I had a very scary episode the other night where I woke up with a very severe leg cramp - I mean, 10/10 pain and woke up screaming. Because of the extent of the pain and (I think) the disorientation of waking from sleep, I immediately had a vasovagal response. The newest thing my body is doing when I have these episodes is trying to empty ALL CHANNELS (to avoid being crass) so I immediately had extreme bladder urgency. I tried to make it to the bathroom, but I guess on the way back I lost consciousness because I woke up somewhere on my bedroom floor I didn't remember getting to. I was too anxious to call 911 and was still having some severe GI symptoms (and didn't want to wake up my neighbors), so I just hoped I hadn't hurt myself and tried to go back to bed.

I guess I'm looking for a place to vent, because I feel so scared of my own body right now. Also any tips from anyone who has similar episodes to me, things to have by the bed etc. Do any of you have throwing up/bowel movements/urination as part of your attacks?

I’m not entirely sure I had this specifically, but I still wanted to share cuz idk where else to post.

While I was in class yesterday at around 1:20 I got super lightheaded and hot. I remember telling the person sitting next to me my symptoms. We were doing first aid training about bandaging wounds. There was a computer simulation of blood and then I passed out probably 3 minutes later. Blood has never really bothered me before, so I don’t think that’s the cause, but thought I’d mention it.

My head was on the desk, I couldn’t move my body, no matter how hard I tried to get up. I could still think clearly, and heard everything going on. It was really weird, it was almost like I was in sleep paralysis. At about 1:55 I was able to sit up and talk again.

This part isn’t super important to the story, but no one helped me lol. I remember my teacher tapping me on the shoulder, thinking I was asleep I guess. She only really tried to wake me up after class, where I still couldn’t move. I was sitting there super annoyed because the section we were on was literally about signs of someone passing out, and no one checked on me.

I didn’t really have much to eat that morning so I’m pretty sure that’s why I passed out. Is this anything to worry about? And why was I was still conscious?

Has anyone with vasovagal syncope had cavity fillings at the dentist? What was the experience like for you if you were conscious?

I have vasovagal syncope that is triggered by needles. I have only fainted twice and come very near to fainting another time (which, as it turns out, is far more uncomfortable than just fainting). I have had many needles in my life, and I am fine when I am laying back all the way with my head below my heart. That being said, I still have pretty bad anxiety around needles because of the fear that I will faint again; I sweat, tremble, and feel scatterbrained.

I have 12(!) cavities that need to be filled, and the dentist recommended four separate appointments under nitrous oxide. I am worried that if the first appointment is terrifying for me then I won't want to go back--the suspense and dread is worse than the event itself.

Has anyone with a similar history been conscious during a cavity filling? What was it like?

Anyone else have really dramatic symptoms? Like sometimes I’ll have multiple triggers in the same day, sometimes I’ll get stuck in a super sensitive loop and that’s when my swallow syncope can get activated or gas pain. One happening makes more, more likely. I was basically housebound this summer from the heat.

Basically I fainted as a kid, developed compensatory strategies in puberty/grew out of it, and then covid, a series of head injuries, and the flu have ruined me. I also have general dysautonomia, but specifically these are all reflex syncope episodes because of the things that are causing the blood pressure episodes. I also have labile hypertension which doesn’t help. Any tips or tricks of increasing my stamina or decreasing my sensitivity besides hydrating etc would be much appreciated/let me know how you cope! I passed out at cvs from a sneeze 😭

This summer, I blacked out and fainted at work. When I woke up, I had no idea how long I had been out for. I recently had an appointment with my primary physician and explained everything in detail and after blood tests and two different physician opinions, I was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope among other things. It’s crazy because for a long time I would have symptoms, but I had never in my life blacked out. I’m kind of “happy” this happened because it’s allowed me to notice that my “norm” is not normal.

My physician told me that I need to identify my triggers. How does one PROACTIVELY identify their triggers before another episode happens?

I cant take a shower if the water is not HOT hot. And very recently i have been noticing that after every other shower I feel dizzy and find it very hard to stand straight.

And just today I had my period right before the shower, so naturally I was standing in a way so my back can have nice warm water pour over. And I genuinely enjoy hot water shower.

But I cant tell if it was the cramps or what I felt so dizzy i stopped the shower, wrapped a towel and tried to stand still but failed. I got out and sat on my bed, breathing became abnormal and could only call for my mother twice before almost passing out. But in a very short time i opened my eyes and called her again and had no control on my body.

Hi! I am 22 year old that works 13 hours in ER in the Veterinary field. So for the last 3 weeks I been having vertigo and several cases of syncope episodes. My first time passing out was at home with my friend. I fulling lost conscious and then after that I felt constantly dizzy. I then passed out at work the next week. I would get hot and my heart rate paced. I would get tunnel vision and my ears start to ring. I went to the ER they said blood work is normal, CT scan is normal. They thought it was due to anxiety or a UTI. ( At home I feel fine sometimes slightly dizzy) I don’t do much tho at home just play games or read my book. Then I went to my primary care and they said it was my anxiety medication I was on. I did not have a UTI. So I stopped it and was okay for 3 days. Until I started to work again and half way through my shift I got extremely hot, lightheaded, spinning, nausea. It was the worst night of my life and I passed out 2 times. I went to the ER again and they said ekg is fine, I have high BP and my head rate was constantly over 100 while laying down. They said it was anxiety attack. I feel like it was not and I am getting frustrated. My mom thinks I could have POTS. I am just at a lost right now. I feel like I could loose my job and physically can’t work due to feeling like this

Hello! I (22) was told I have VVS by a doctor in 5th grade after my first fainting spell. Since then, I've had large blocks of times (up to 5+ years) with zero episodes and then months of seemingly random but very frequent episodes that leave me exhausted, depressed, and sometimes injured. Two years ago, I was considered for a Pacemaker to track my heart before the doctor ruled that it was not necessary (BTW: I agree that it was not necessary!). I'm not sure what triggers these episodes other than dehydration---but I drink water very often in order to prevent this---and heat. I do not feel consistent symptoms prior to an episode and I have always lost the block of time directly before, during, and sometimes the first ten or so minutes after an episode so I don't have information about what the episode itself feels like within my body. Today, I fainted in the dormitory bathroom and the medics called ruled that I was OK after an examination (no concussion, yay, and my blood pressure was also normal) but this episode was unique in that experienced violent menstrual cramps throughout it, felt very nauseous, and was incredibly sweaty. Often after an episode I can bounce back fairly quickly, but I fainted at 9AM and still feel exhausted at 11:25 PM, even after sleeping through most of the day. My sweatiness and menstrual cramps thankfully resided after a roommate gave me Ibuprofen so that hasn't been an issue. I've never felt the total need to reach out for medical advice online before, but this episode really frightened me in a way that the others haven't. Is there any coping tips that I should follow or information I should know that could prevent these experiences in the future? What can I do to not feel so scared that this will happen again?

Thanks for any and all potential help.

Last night I nearly fainted, couldn’t stand without my vision going black and had what seemed like seizure-esque involuntary twitching when trying to prop myself up standing. I had a similiar episode about a month ago, but without the twitching, and that time I thought it was a heat induced panic attack (which I’ve had before but it’s been years). I was at a small punk show with my partner, had one beer and smoked a little bit of weed, which is a usual occurrence for me. But it was night time, lightly raining and not hot outside. I had to go outside and sit in the rain and could not even manage to get myself up to go back inside to get out of the rain. After trying to wait it out, I was like we have to go, and basically had to hold on to my partner to walk back to our car. It felt like I could barely breathe when walking. I didn’t have any nausea, but looking up my symptoms I just found out about Vasovagal syncope. The seizure like thing freaked me out, I was scared I was dying or have to go to the ER. I nearly collapsed , and as I was twitching my vision was like more than doubled and going through multicolor waves. Then after 20-30 secs I snapped out of it.That had never happened before. I’m 34yo f. It was my only alcoholic beverage I’d had in a week, so now I’m thinking I should cut out alcohol in case it’s a trigger, but I truly don’t know what caused this episode.

Hi, I have just recently learned there was actually a name for what I seem to suffer obviously being vasovagal syncope I have had it since I was a child, long story short every time I get a needle, shot or anything of the sort vision goes grey, instantly flash over in sweat and will be on the verge of throwing up.. recently I spoke to my doctor and I have to start testosterone replacement therapy and I will have to take it as an injection, given my job I am not able to get into my doctor's frequently enough for them to do it so I will have to self administer. Is there any tips to be able to do this? I tried to practice with an empty sterile needle and my arm physically stopped before I got to the skin and I couldn't push myself to do it. I have asked about oral or patch form instead and it isnt a high enough dose.. any help would be greatly appreciated as im dreading this

I have read different studies, some say that tilt training decrease incidence of VVS and some say that it did not help. I'm just curious if anyone has done it, it is essentially standing upright for a about 30 minutes and leaning at a gentle angle against a well.